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New Horizons Winter 2021 Volume 26 Number 1

Sonny s Musings Happy New Year With President Joe Biden s encouragement to use masks practice social distancing and effectively distribute vaccines let s hope we are able to get vaccinated and get out of our homes more often in the future DSA Pittsburgh Conference Update Speaking of getting out of our homes the DSA2021 Pittsburgh committee despite being quarantined has been taking advantage of Zoom to continue without interruption to make sure the upcoming conference will be entertaining and educating for us seniors The conference is planned for August 28 to September 2 2021 Check their website for updates www dsa2021pittsburgh org If you have questions related to the conference contact the co chairs at dsa2021chair gmail com Proposed Bylaws Revisions Deadline According to our current bylaws any proposed changes to the bylaws must be shared with members at least 120 days before a scheduled meeting Since the scheduled meeting will be held on Thursday September 2 2021 the deadline will be May 2 2021 vaccines distribution of vaccines and whether or not vaccines are a cure they are not but act to lower risks The program was recorded and is posted on both our DSA Facebook page and the DSA website www deafseniors us covidandvaccinewebinar Without the background support of Phil Aiello Ken Brown Raymond Kilthau and Susan Sien the work leading up to the webinar would not have been accomplished Equally as important the webinar was also made possible by the generous support of several sponsors A big thank you to all involved Visit pages 8 9 to learn more about the webinar Website Update Anthony Mowl of CHILMARKeting has spent the last few months redesigning our website www deafseniors us to make it more user friendly and resourceful If you have any comments whether positive or negative please share your comments with us at webcontentadministrator deafseniors us Be safe Stay well Alfred Sonnenstrahl President Please review the current bylaws on our website www deafseniors us bylaws and share your thoughts if any with Harold Mowl Bylaws Committee Chair via email by April 1 2021 at haroldandmarymowl gmail com COVID and Vaccine Webinar DSA hosted its first webinar in ASL on January 21 2021 The topic was COVID 19 Vaccines Your Health Three medical doctors Dr Carl Mirus IV Dr Jason Rotoli and Dr Shazia Siddiqi all of who are either deaf or CODA represented Partners in Deaf Health They covered a variety of issues including a description of COVID 19 COVID 19 risks how to minimize the risks production and effectiveness of 3

Editor s Corner I want a house with a crowded table And a place by the fire for everyone Let us take on the world while we re young and able And bring us back together when the day is done We can t wait for the day when things will get back to normal But the facts are slowly becoming more and more clear We are in a worldwide transition which is likely to continue for years to come Many of us definitely me need to reexamine our lives and our plans It s time to re prioritize our goals and to implement the changes needed to help us not only survive but thrive in the new normal The Highwomen How long has it been since you ve had a crowded table If you re like me it s been almost a year We have our pods the people we live with in the same household We socialize in person only with people we know follow the same kind of health practices we do Some of us do things with others outside the beach boating golfing going out in RVs hiking biking walking and other activities that allow us to safely distance ourselves Perhaps even eating at a restaurant if there is a well spaced outdoor eating area Or we do things in Zoom gatherings cards family meetings etc We adapt we survive As well it s a good time to think about others who are having trouble adjusting to what s happening now and what will happen in the next few years Are there ways we can reach out Are there ways organizations like DSA can help This will be an exciting challenge for DSA and other deaf organizations Be safe Muriel Strassler New Horizons Editor If you want to send an article to New Horizons the next deadline is April 12 Did I Read That Sign Right In a Laundromat Automatic washing machines Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out In an office Would the person who took the stepladder yesterday please bring it back or further steps will be taken Seen during a conference For anyone who has children and doesn t know it there is a day care on the first floor In a London department store Bargain basement upstairs Notice in a health food shop window Closed due to illness On a repair shop door We can repair anything Please knock hard on the door the bell doesn t work Spotted in a safari park Notice in a farmer s field The farmer allows walkers to cross the field but the bull charges Message on a leaflet If you cannot read this leaflet will tell you how to get lessons I sure hope so Elephants please stay in your car Thanks to DSA President Al Sonnenstrahl for these funnies 5

Letters from Our Readers Dear Editor Muriel and Al We always enjoy New Horizons Wanted to let you know that I enjoyed the latest issue of New Horizons with its engaging articles I read the nice article about Kathy Jankowski and her new book That makes me think wow and realize that we now have four new deaf authors and books in 2020 We are so proud of them First Kathy Jankowski with her book Agatha Tiegel Hanson Our Places in the Sun then Jack R Gannon with Get Your Elbow off the Horn third Phil Bravin with Controlling Our Destiny and fourth Alan Hurwitz with Let s Go In Isn t it wonderful Rosalyn L Gannon ______________________________________ Hi Muriel and Harriet First of all I enjoyed the recent issue which is somewhat different than most issues in the past I d like to share something with you In Memoriam page 10 Ewan Ina P attended North Carolina School for the Deaf not Maryland School for the Deaf I know this for a fact because my parents went to the same school with Ina Rachel Stone Thanks for writing Rachel You re absolutely right Ina Ewan attended NCAD MS ______________________________________ Hello Alfred and Muriel Just wanted to drop a line from Texas to say I really enjoyed your Winter 2020 New Horizons issue I like all the articles being shared with us on the different topics In addition Alfred I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and musings with the members of DSA and keeping us in the loop via FB and email blasts Mary Lacy Secretary and Newsletter Editor Travis Association of the Deaf Senior Citizens The addition of the cartoons and funny memes was a nice touch of humor which is needed during this time while the rest of the world is going bananas Great job David H Pierce ______________________________________ Good Morning Ladies I would be remiss if I neglected to take my hat off to you gals for the New Horizon face lift The contents are versatile with a wide range of subjects the fonts are easy and fluid to read good for old eyes In addition the layouts are eyecatching the bold colors get the reader s attention and much more I even laughed hysterically which was unusual as I laugh that hard only at comedic movies and some articles touched the marrow of my bones Kudos to you both Debbie Meranski ______________________________________ Dear Muriel We just got our Summer 2020 DSA New Horizons issue so I perused it with my morning tea I chose to read it this morning smile It s nice to see that you have been able to recruit senior citizens to assist you and DSA in putting out New Horizons Keep up the good work Take care just wanted to drop in to say hello and thank you and DSA for a well thought out issue All for access Sheila Mentkowski Continued on page 9 7

COVID 19 Vaccines Your Health Deaf Seniors of America DSA hosted its first webinar COVID 19 Vaccines Your Health via Zoom on January 21 2021 Close to 400 viewers participated in the webinar DSA President Alfred Sonnenstrahl opened the webinar and thanked sponsors for their generous support CHILMARKeting Communication Service for the Deaf Diglo formerly Harris Communications DSA Pittsburgh Partners in Deaf Health Sorenson Communications T Mobile Accessibility formerly Sprint Ultratec and ZVRS Purple President Sonnenstrahl then introduced the presenters doctors from Partners in Deaf Health in Rochester NY Dr Shazia Siddiqi deaf Dr Carl Mirus IV CODA and Dr Jason Rotoli deaf They all signed fluently The first hour of the two hour program opened with an introduction of COVID 19 and its impact The three doctors shared information on COVID research and testing and the production and distribution of vaccines Some people have COVID without knowing it They can give it to others by coughing sneezing or even just talking It takes 2 14 days after being exposed to know if you have caught COVID 19 Symptoms can include a fever over 100 4 a cough or sore throat a new shortness of breath and chills new loss of taste or smell nausea vomiting diarrhea new headache excessive fatigue and congestion running nose Everyone is at risk for becoming infected with COVID 19 The higher risk groups are people over the age of 65 and people who live in nursing homes and long term care facilities People of all ages are 8 at higher risk for COVID 19 if they have chronic lung disease moderate to severe asthma serious heart conditions cancer treatment organ transplantation immune deficiencies obesity diabetes chronic kidney disease or liver disease Here s how to help prevent the spread of COVID 19 Stay at least six feet from other people Cover up your cough or sneeze with a tissue then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands Wear a cloth face mask covering your nose and mouth Don t touch your eyes nose and mouth Use sanitizing wipes to clean objects and surfaces Stay at home when you are sick and Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds If you do not feel well and go to the hospital the doctors will check your oxygen levels listen to your lungs do a chest X ray or CT scan give you oxygen through your nostrils or in serious cases attach you to a ventilator and administer IV fluids The two main COVID 19 tests are diagnostic e g swab test and antibody blood test Right now there are two different vaccines being used Pfizer and Moderna The Johnson and Johnson vaccine may be available soon Both of these vaccines are 95 effective With Pfizer you get two shots 21 days apart Moderna requires two shots 28 days apart

Book Review Controlling Our Destiny Writing this book review brought back memories for me I was a staff attorney at the National Center for Law and the Deaf on the Gallaudet University campus during the 1980s and I was at work during the week of the Deaf President Now DPN movement in 1988 There are so many different perspectives on the DPN depending on one s role at the time whether a Board member protestor member of the media staff student faculty or a deaf person Controlling Our Destiny is written from the perspective of a Gallaudet University board member Philip W Bravin 30 years after DPN Bravin s service to Gallaudet began with his appointment to the Board of Fellows and he was soon after appointed to the Board of Trustees BOT At the age of 36 he became one of only three deaf BOT members He explains the role and function of the BOT and how the recruitment and hiring process works at the board level The foreword by former Gallaudet President I King Jordan describes the this process as very confidential with no leaks that he could detect Jordan also noted that much of what he read in the book was new to him There is an overview of the recruitment process from 87 applications received the candidates were narrowed down to three finalists two deaf and one hearing During the process there was heavy pressure from the deaf community and from the congressional members on the BOT to consider appointing a deaf candidate to be the next president of Gallaudet But in the end the BOT voted to hire Elizabeth Ann Zinser a hearing woman who had no background or experience working with deaf people The selection was made over a weekend The students shut the campus down Monday March 7 1988 when they learned who was selected The deaf community was ready for this possibility Gallaudet students faculty and staff members as well as alumni and other supporters immediately sprang into action developing a game plan putting forth four demands reaching out to the media and calling in an impressive lineup of supporters Bravin describes how the DPN was metamorphosing from a protest into a genuine civil rights movement He also discusses how the students and their supporters reframed the issues in ways that even people who had never heard of Gallaudet could relate to and support 10

A Spoonful of Flavor Fresh Flavors Tasty Adventures Best Healthy Turkey Chili This healthy turkey chili recipe is a classic recipe made with ground turkey and fresh ingredients The entire family will love this recipe Chili is the best comfort food It s hearty and delicious This recipe comes together easily and leftovers taste great It is the best recipe because it packs plenty of protein and vegetables and can be easily adapted to fit your needs I use all organic products Preparation Instructions Cook and drain meat Mix all the ingredients in a large pot Cook slowly on medium and stir occasionally for one hour Serve in sourdough bread which has been carved into bowl Cook time After cooking the chili for one hour allow it to simmer for at least 45 minutes The longer you simmer the more flavor Ingredients Two pound package of lean turkey ground meat can substitute vegan or ground beef Four 14 5 ounce cans of Italian plum tomatoes Two 28 ounce cans of dark red kidney beans drain liquid 1 large yellow onion diced 1 sweet red pepper diced 1 sweet yellow pepper diced 1 2 cup tomato paste 1 teaspoon chili flakes Additional Information Leftovers Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days Reheat prior to serving Freezing Allow the chili to cool Store the chili in a zipped top freezer safe bag or storage container with as much of the air pressed out as possible This recipe is large so you might need a few bags or containers Store in the freezer for up to four months Thaw and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop prior to serving Note You can also use a slow cooker If so cook on medium for two hours 1 4 cup chili powder 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 2 tablespoon black pepper 1 2 tablespoon oregano 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon cumin 1 2 cup red wine 12 Eric Scheir lives in Seattle WA with his husband Adam Novsam He currently works as a Deaf interpreter and as a tour guide for Heart Cruises LLC And of course he loves to cook

Paul Taylor Our Unsung Visionary Paul Taylor the Father of Relay Services passed away peacefully on the morning of January 11 2021 with his wife Sally and his three children David Lucy and Irene at his bedside He was the last of the TTY teletypewriter pioneers for deaf people When I got my first TTY in 1968 there were only three TTYs in the DC area The St Louis Metro area had the largest number of TTYs 45 to be exact One year later the number of TTYs in the DC Metro area increased to 10 St Louis had over 100 I got curious and checked further I learned that the St Louis TTY network was led by Paul Taylor I was fascinated and followed him and his visionary ideas and actual development of various TTY related activities including TTY networks TTY answering services that eventually became relay services and TTY news In 1986 when he moved to Rochester NY to teach at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf NTID he convinced the State of New York to provide 24 7 TTY relay services Alan Hurwitz retired president of Gallaudet University and lifelong friend Long before TTYs became a reality for the Deaf community Paul worked with a friend at a theatre to develop captions so that Deaf people could enjoy watching movies He was also in the process of developing a mechanism to enable a Deaf person to use a telephone when he became acquainted with the three men Jim Marsters Bob Weitbrecht and Andy Saks the three fathers of TTY He learned about Bob s passion for ham radio and his recent invention of a coupler modem for TTY use over a telephone line Paul became excited and offered to work with Bob Jim and Andy to spread the news about the coupler He then worked with his wife 14 Sally s father to make contact with Western Union in St Louis to donate obsolete TTYs to the Deaf community Paul rounded up his friends to help him haul TTYs to his garage and trained us to recondition the machines In addition he wanted to set up an answering service for TTY users so they could call their hearing counterparts through a third person on line this became a forerunner of relay services including video relay services Paul was concerned about the lack of information sharing of news with the Deaf community TTYs so he and Sally developed a long loop of news typed on telegram tape hanging around in their basement The news was updated frequently Paul also worked with TDI to develop a Red Book on how to recondition TTYs and distributed copies to interested maintenance teams throughout the nation At the end of the 1987 Telecommunications for the Deaf Inc conference where I Sonny participated as the executive director Paul approached me and said he would like to get involved in creating a nationwide TTY relay services network At that time Dr Bill Castle Dean of NTID who believed that TTY relay services would create many job opportunities for deaf people gave Paul an American Express card that allowed him to fly to Washington DC several times each week to advocate for these services along with myself Karen Peltz Strauss then of the Gallaudet Center for Law and the Deaf and Judy Harkins of the Gallaudet Technology Access Program As a result Title IV requiring all 50 states to have telecommunications relay services TRS was inserted in the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act ADA

Judy Harkins retired director of the Gallaudet Technology Access Program I first got to know Paul when he was the keynote speaker at a conference I hosted in 1988 on relay services His remarks were very important because this was the first time we had telephone companies in the audience and we needed for them to understand relay services Paul did a magnificent and comprehensive job of explaining the rationale history funding intra state and inter state issues and legislative attempts He really did set the key note at an important time before the ADA had come into being Relay service users were fortunate that he later agreed to work at the FCC on implementing Title IV I recall that during that time he stayed with Sonny in Maryland and he was stunned at what it felt like to go backwards In his home state of New York he already had a Title IV relay service while Maryland was lagging and he could not freely make phone calls to hearing businesses and friends On top of all of Paul s knowledge commitment and contributions was his wonderful personality Paul was one of the nicest people you will ever meet I loved talking shop with him And a bonus of knowing Paul was that I got to know Sally as well the light of his life and a witty and bright presence in so many people s lives My deep condolences to the family and to all of Paul s many friends and colleagues Karen Peltz Strauss former lawyer at the Gallaudet Center for Law and the Deaf retired Director of the FCC Disability Rights Office and author of A New Civil Right Telecommunications Equality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans Paul Taylor was one of a kind In the late 1980s I had the honor of working with him on a legislative mandate for nationwide relay services His work was trailblazing After the ADA mandate became law the Federal Communications Commission hired Paul to help write the TRS regulations Paul s groundbreaking work has since ensured telephone access for millions of Americans who are Deaf hard of hearing and speech disabled Paul was not only brilliant he was the most kind and gentle person anyone could ever know I will sorely miss him and never forget him After the signing of the ADA by President George H W Bush Title IV was assigned to the Federal Communications Commission FCC to develop TRS specifications After several negotiations Dr Castle agreed to loan Paul to the FCC so that their personnel could become familiar with deaf community needs and therefore better able to develop effective and realistic TRS regulations Linda Dubroof retired FCC administrator We lost a wonderful innovative engineer A man I was proud to call my colleague and friend A true public servant who helped us in the FCC implement the Telecom provisions of the ADA He dubbed me the mother of all relays but he was the father of assistive technology He taught me so much about the hearing disabled community technology and life Paul Taylor we will miss you After completing his work at the FCC Paul returned to NTID to spend time with his family and students Harry Lang a retired professor and research associate at NTID observed Paul s work and authored the book A Phone of Our Own Continued on page 17 15

Thank You for Your Donations During 2020 DSA received over 1 500 in donations from the following Larry Ottem AZ Donalda Ammons CA Nancy Rarus VA Lioubov Averianova Olsen FL Kelly Stack CA Gerald Cohen PA In memory of Ina Ewan In memory of Van Scheppach Faye Edwards GA Barbara Fairwood IL Nicholas Elizabeth Fazzolari PA Kerstin Fox FL Grace Gallaway AZ Donald Stella Gilliland TX Joanne Jauregui CA David Leonard MI Irene Leigh MD Olin Sanremi Miers MD Dara Overmoyer FL DSA is a 501c3 organization and all donations are tax exempt to the extent allowed by law If you wish to make a donation checks can be made payable to DSA and sent to Mike Lockhart DSA Treasurer 5619 Ainsley Court Boynton Beach FL 33437 Donations can be made by credit cards and are accepted through the DSA website at deafseniors us donate All donations are appreciated and acknowledged Rosemary Mikos Marie Dykes FL Caroline Miller CA Mike Lockhart Treasurer Betty Moers CO Frank Nemshick Jr PA Taylor Unsung Visionary Continued from page 15 Harry Lang author of A Phone of Our Own Paul was a dedicated pioneer in bringing telephone communication to the Deaf community He set up the first two TTYs in St Louis worked with Western Union to acquire many more for other deaf people helped establish a severe weather warning system for the Deaf community using the Phonetype acoustic coupler developed the electronic C Phone and advocated vigorously for telephone relay services especially in advancing employment opportunities As I wrote in my book A Phone of Our Own in January 1988 Paul argued that The sooner the relay services become unconditionally accessible the much greater the number of jobs will become available for the graduates now that the telephone barriers have come down I share the sorrow of many in the Deaf community over the loss of our friend and advocate Alfred Sonnenstrahl President Thank you Paul Taylor for creating opportunities for all deaf people Videos about Paul and his work DSA Lifeline for Deaf People https deafseniors us lifeline for deaf people by alsonnenstrahl MCDHH Show Me Deaf Spotlight https bit ly 3u1YEIv 17

DSA Website FIND YOUR HOME IN FLORIDA Thinking about where to retire Want to be in the sun and or work from home Call Kelly for a free 15 minute consultation Kelly Stephens Lange Recognized as Top Sales Agent in 2020 VP 904 834 4518 Text 904 315 5922 ASL Realtor www kelly 97park com AmazonSmile as the same products prices and shopping features as Amazon com Here s how you can support DSA at no extra cost Go to https smile amazon com Sign in to your Amazon account or set up a new account Search for and select Deaf Seniors of America as your charity Shop away Amazon will donate 0 5 of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to DSA 19

form until a new membership form is ready this summer 2021 of the top three dessert items received a gift card Parliamentarian Mike Moore led the process of going through each section of the bylaws amendments which were passed with some minor changes We used the google form to vote on the bylaws amendments Mike chairs the Investment Committee IMC which consists of 5 members March Cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic Volunteer Coordinator Bev Boateng is now in the process of designing and ordering a MDSC Board apparel so that the members can identify us and ask us for our assistance during events Media Coordinator Photographer Andriana Canning has been working with our MDSC webmaster Mui Jade on updating our website at mddeafseniors org Keep an eye out for our new and improved website in the middle of 2021 Mary Lynn Lally our liaison between MDSC and the Maryland Association of the Deaf MDAD represented us well on the Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing MACDHH Her term ended recently She has been serving on the DSA NAD Task Force on Aging She was key in ensuring that Deaf Senior concerns and needs are one of the five top priorities Eliminating Barriers to Quality Care for Senior Citizens at the virtual NAD conference last October 2020 We donated to two worthy causes Visionaries of the Creative Arts Inc VOCA led by Michelle Banks CEO Artistic Director and President of the Board of Directors visionariesofthecreativearts org and DAWN led by Executive Director Najma Johnson who gave a presentation on Elder Abuse in November deafdawn org Monthly Gatherings Every other month we hosted a members only pollchat draw event with a special presentation of interest to Deaf Seniors February Dr Carolyn McCaskill gave a fascinating presentation on Black ASL and a panel of MDSCers shared their experiences and feelings about segregation in Deaf Schools We wore our favorite Valentine apparel with colors that symbolize love Some of us donated home baked goods and winners April No gathering due to COVID 19 May Special Meeting updates on the bylaws dues election of officers we will vote for President Secretary on odd years and Vice President Treasurer on even years June Members Only Chat via Zoom We elected Thelma Schroeder as Vice President and Cathy Thompson to be our Treasurer July Preparing For Your Golden Years with Kim Bianco Majeri NAD State Legislative Affairs Coordinator August Enlightening Democracy in Deaf America presentation with Dr Brendan Stern who teaches Government at Gallaudet University September We met twice in September At the pollchat draw event the members were quizzed about the state of Maryland and MDSC Two weeks later Parliamentarian Mike led the discussion and answered questions about the Bylaws amendments before the members voted on them October Community Support During COVID 19 with TraciAnn Hoglind Policy and Communications Manager and Jacob Salem Policy Manager of the Maryland Governor s Office of the Deaf Hard of Hearing ODHH MDSCers learned about how the state of Maryland can support us and what we can do for others during the pandemic November Elder Abuse What Is It with Najma Johnson Executive Director of DAWN We learned that there are different types of abuse and were made aware what the warning signs are We recognize that we can play an important role in assisting those who are at risk We received relevant information about the available resources in the metro DC area December At the Holiday Celebration and Traditions event we donned our favorite festive holiday apparel and shared cherished holiday items such as dreidel menorah Christmas tree and wood carved reindeer Continued on page 23 21

In Memoriam Bonura Dominic V Date of Death 9 Oct 2020 age 84 Big Spring TX St Joseph s School for the Deaf and Fanwood Gallaudet University Keene State College and California State University at Northridge Educator administrator and community advocate McMahon Robert Peter Date of Death 13 Oct 2020 age 72 Boynton Beach FL Boston School for the Deaf Horace Mann School American School for the Deaf Worked for the US Postal Service for 33 years Active in Palm Beach County Association of the Deaf Lentz Maryellen Ostoich Date of Death 10 Jun 2020 age 96 Hayward CA California School for the Deaf Berkeley Schoolteacher Community advocate Stover Jacalyn Jackie Lou Date of Death 5 Jan 2021 age 80 Star City AR Alexander Graham Bell School Gallaudet University Western Maryland College McDaniel University Social Security Administration Teacher and community advocate Shirley Platt and Louis Schwarz Maryland Deaf Senior Citizens Continued from page 21 What s Next for Us Secretary Janet Weinstock On Thursday January 21 2021 Dr Jaime Wilson presented on dementia The event was open to members first and then nonmembers Treasurer Cathy Thompson To celebrate love self love and connection our VP Thelma has been planning a variety of exciting activities for us on Thursday February 18 2021 MDSC will sponsor a trip to DSA 2021 Pittsburgh next August 28 September 2 2021 Check https www dsa2021pittsburgh org for updates Leslie Zinza is the chair of the Dingo fundraising event on Saturday October 1 2021 Keep an eye out for the flyer Our ever popular annual Holiday Luncheon will be held at Martin s Crosswinds in Greenbelt MD on Thursday December 16 2021 with Barbara Willigan as the event coordinator Board Members Volunteer Coordinator Bev Boateng Media Coordinator Andriana Canning Food Coordinator Jeff Dunefsky Trip Coordinator Barry Harlan MDAD MDSC Liaison Mary Lynn Lally Parliamentarian MC Chair Mike Moore Non Board Members Webmaster Mui Jade Sunshine Club Coordinator Kathleen Todd Holiday Luncheon Coordinator Barbara Willigan MDSC Board Members for 2020 2021 Officers President Leslie Zinza Vice President Thelma Schroeder Janet S Weinstock MDSC Secretary 23

these spotlights These profiles will be preserved for years to come Thanks go to the SCG Deaf Access Committee of volunteers who helped set up interpreting and captioning services of SCG Board and committee meetings on Zoom in addition to videos and classes lectures workshops And thanks to today s phenomenal technology we can stay in touch with more people and stay inspired active and talented Sincere thanks to those who sent me photos and extra special thanks go to Susie Gruhner Tighe for preparing the collages of photos included with this article rock painting quilting alcohol ink diamond painting with beads puzzles creating cards and more In addition to the above Zoom gatherings we text email videophone and FaceTime each other Many of us visit our families throughout the country through Zoom Videophone and FaceTime Since we haven t been able to travel much during the pandemic using Zoom connects us with others much more than in the past We participate in workshops webinars memorial and religious services meetings and more thanks to Zoom The newest addition to our postings is a once weekly Get to Know Us Series which spotlights each SCG Deaf resident interviewed by two roving reporters Before the pandemic new residents would be introduced during gatherings but now we can know more about the residents through Vicki T Hurwitz is retired and lives in Surprise AZ with her husband Alan vthurwitz gmail com 25

DSA 2021 Pittsburgh for New Horizons Readers By the time you receive your winter issue of New Horizons the year 2021 will have arrived Happy New Year everyone If you are considering attending the 16th Biennial DSA Conference in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania from August 28 to September 2 2021 at the Wyndham Grand Hotel downtown you may want to grab the early bird combo of 290 00 right now The cut off date for conference registration at that rate was December 31 2020 The DSA Pittsburgh committee decided to extended our early bird combo rate of 290 00 until May 31 2021 By the time June 1 arrives the rate becomes 340 00 On July 1 the rate will increase to 390 A considerable difference of 50 00 saved would most definitely help towards hotel costs To register for the conference before May 31 2021 use the registration form found elsewhere in the New Horizons edition or simply search for it on www dsa2021pittsburgh org This form needs to be printed out first filled out with your participant information a check or money order enclosed and mailed to PADSC DSA 2021 Pittsburgh PO Box 314 Ebensburg PA 15931 Another option is that you can also pay online with a service charge of 10 00 Remember that hotel booking at the Wyndham Grand Downtown Hotel is now open for reservations Our website www dsa2021pittsburgh org will have a well detailed web link with the hotel so you can begin booking your rooms at our conference rate of 155 00 per night Be sure to mention that you are attending our DSA conference There are plenty of hotel rooms available We now have 454 registrants Our goal is to register 1000 attendees We are hoping to attract many from the East coast We have less than eight MONTHS left to reach our goal We are still working on the tours and banquet Due to COVID 19 tours are still closed We hope the tours will open soon Please keep a lookout for tour prices and information Please be patient with us during COVID 19 Our DSA 2021 Pittsburgh committee is working very hard to make this successful We still have our committee meetings either twice a month or monthly Workshops and Exhibits Are you interested in presenting a workshop or reserving your space as an exhibitor The application forms for that can be found in our website under the Workshop and Exhibitor link on our website www dsa2021pittsburgh org If you have questions regarding the workshop or exhibitor applications contact the chairs of respective venues directly Workshops Chair Debra Hast dsa2021workshop gmail com Exhibits Chair Kathy Betz dsa2021exhibit gmail com For those who want to subscribe to the New Horizons magazine you can send your payment to DSA Treasurer Michael Lockhart at mrlockhart gmail com The subscription is 20 00 for two years until Pittsburgh DSA 2021 Cheers from DSA 2021 Pittsburgh Co Chairs Jeffrey Janaszek and James C Noschese

bridging deaf seniors together pittsburgh association of the deaf senior citizens proudly host the 16th biennial deaf seniors of america conference august 28 to september 2 2021 For more information about DSA 2021 Pittsburgh Go to our website Sight Seeing Tours in Pittsburgh Flight 93 Memorial Frank Lloyd Wright Fallingwater NFL Hall of Fame in Canton Oh www dsa2021pittsburgh org The National Aviary in Pittsburgh Wyndham Grand Hotel Downtown Pittsburgh PA Phipps Conservatory 600 Commonwealth Pl Pittsburgh PA 15222 Heinz History Center Andy Warhol Museum Group rates is 155 plus 35 per day parking optional plus tax 14 Museum of Natural History Available NOW The Gateway Clipper Boat Suggest park at Airport Only cost 8 00 day Use public transportation to hotel Pittsburgh Zoo Carnegie Science Center Rivers Casino