Category: Advocacy

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JHU ASL MRI Study Opportunity

Join our Research Study with JHU using an MRI. See details below.

The Neuroplasticity and Development Laboratory is seeking d/Deaf participants for an MRI research study on cognition. Participating in this research study involves coming into the laboratory for one to three MRI scanning sessions, each lasting between one and three hours. Participants are compensated $30 per hour for neuroimaging sessions and $20 for behavioral sessions. Transportation and lunch will be arranged by the lab. To participate you must be a healthy d/Deaf adult between 18 and 85 years-of-age who speaks American Sign Language (ASL). You must have normal or corrected-to-normal vision. Participants who meet the initial qualifying criteria and complete an in person or virtual screening interview will receive a $20 Amazon gift card, regardless of whether they qualify.

 

To complete the screening questionnaire, please visit https://bednylabstudies.com/ASL_fMRI_study_screening/www/experiment.html. We recommend using the latest version of Chrome or Firefox.

 

If you have any questions about the study, please contact us at plasticity_lab@jhu.edu.

 

Thank you, 

Neuroplasticity and Development Lab

JHU ASL Study Flyer (PDF Copy, same as the image above)

 

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No Captions at a Conference? Try PowerPoint!

What do you do when you are at a conference and captions are not provided? First, you probably get angry or frustrated, especially if you tried to arrange accommodations in advance. There is no excuse for a conference to not be accessible, but sadly it still regularly happens.

I experienced this myself recently, but rather than quit or leave or yell, I decided to improvise. Luckily the on-site planners were willing to experiment and together, we created a free workaround that displayed auto-captions on the main presentation screen using the built-in captioning feature in PowerPoint.

While this was not a perfect solution, it certainly worked in a pinch.

PowerPoint slide showing captioning on top.

Read on at https://livingwithhearingloss.com/2023/06/20/no-captions-at-a-conference-try-powerpoint/?fbclid=IwAR0Q7tbpFj5yY5UEsS5KgAadSS2PcDbwzpARS5gFfUnZjaZM5mnTG-in_84

 

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Social Security Proposes Update To SSI Calculation

by Michelle Diament | August 29, 2023 Sign on door of Social Security office The Social Security Administration is proposing a change to the way it treats rental subsidies for Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries. (Disability Scoop)

The Social Security Administration uses a different standard to determine Supplemental Security Income benefits for people living in certain states. Now, the agency wants to update its rules to treat beneficiaries nationwide more equitably.

The agency is proposing a new rule to modify how it alters benefit payments for those who receive what’s known as “in-kind support and maintenance” in the form of a rental subsidy.

Under current rules, SSI benefits are reduced if a person is paying rent or shelter expenses that are lower than the current market value, or what they would pay on the open market. This is significant in cases where a person with a disability is renting from a family member, for example, who charges them a reduced rate.

But, due to court rulings, the agency uses a less stringent standard in seven states — Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Texas. In these states, benefits are not reduced if a person is spending more than a third of their income on housing even if their rent is less than the current market value.

The proposed rule published this month in the Federal Register seeks to expand the more lenient standard already in place in seven states to the entire country.

Read on at https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2023/08/29/social-security-proposes-update-to-ssi-calculation/30520/?fbclid=IwAR217SfpXpAsDLOBCIuDhOtrLbmvV7EEBwWAT8X0X3siTNqjAxj-qpSo9jM

Federal Register link if you would like to make a comment or read the details, see https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/08/24/2023-18213/expansion-of-the-rental-subsidy-policy-for-supplemental-security-income-ssi-applicants-and#open-comment