Chase opens first bank for deaf and hard of hearing in D.C.

Washington, D.C. (ABC7) — JPMorgan Chase has officially opened the first retail branch designed to serve the deaf and hard of hearing community.

The branch, located in Washington, DC’s H Street corridor, offers state of the art technology and design elements incorporated to best serve people with hearing loss.

The firm is also announcing a new, $250,000 philanthropic commitment to Gallaudet University’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute to strengthen career pathways for deaf and hard of hearing students.

“As a bank, we want to make financial services available to all customers, including people with disabilities and their families,” said Jim Sinocchi, Head of Office of Disability Inclusion, JPMorgan Chase. “The technology and design of our new branch will allow the deaf and hard of hearing customers a chance to easily access our services if and when it’s convenient for them.”

The new H Street location will feature Chase’s newest branch design as well as state-of-the-art technology, including:

On-demand video remote interpreting service
T-loop Bluetooth technology that allows employees to speak directly with customers
Remote control camera technology that allows employees to communicate with customers on screens where they are seated in the branch
Digital screens with captions enabled

Read original article here.

National NewsHuman ResourcesFebruary 4, 2020DEAF, bank, design, tech, branch, access, inclusive, employee, asl, customers, bluetooth, financial, servicesComment

Access for All

With the help of a Teaching Tolerance Educator Grant, this teacher created a space where DeafBlind students could be themselves and teach the larger school community about DeafBlindness.

Wendy Harris wanted to start a DeafBlind club at her school.

An educator for the deaf and blind, Harris noticed that her DeafBlind students at the Metro Deaf School in St. Paul, Minnesota—one of the top schools for the deaf in the United States—were missing out on some key academic and social experiences. The club, she imagined, could fill those gaps and also raise the overall cultural competency of the school.

Read the original article here.

SHEP Moves Towards Bridging the Gap for Deafblind and Substance Abuse Resources

Sensory disabilities, such as blindness and deafness, can be frustrating and challenging to manage in a sight- and sound-focused world. This challenge becomes even greater if the person with the disability has a substance abuse problem. While addiction treatment can provide the tools and skills needed for an individual to recover from and manage substance use or abuse, many facilities are not equipped up to manage the needs of those who are vision or hearing impaired.

As a result, people who are blind or deaf and need substance abuse treatment may be turned away from some facilities or don't get the message and help they need. In many cases, they have even avoided trying to find treatment, due to the concern that they won't have the services or resources available at the facility.

Subscribe to our Newsletter