Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Older Adults

Lunch and Learn Event: Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Older Adults
Presented by: Jonathan O’Dell, Massachusetts Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH)
Co-Sponsored by: The Executive Office of Aging & Independence (AGE)
Date: Tuesday, 9/8 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm

Virtual Meeting Details: Please Register in advance for this Zoom session https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mkxeLUX2R8uK6bX2iLbp5Q

Attendees Will Learn How To

• Recognize the diverse communication and service needs of older adults who are hard of hearing, late-deafened, culturally Deaf, or DeafBlind.
• Communicate more effectively across settings, including in-person visits, video meetings and webinars, and telephone calls.
• Choose appropriate accommodations, such as ASL interpretation, live captioning, assistive listening systems, amplification, and other communication supports.
• Make virtual meetings more accessible by consistently enabling captions or subtitles and applying other accessibility best practices.
• Provide culturally responsive services and understand why some culturally Deaf older adults may prefer programs and providers with direct ASL access and knowledge of Deaf culture.
• Connect with MCDHH and other resources for consultation, referrals, assistive technology, and ongoing support.

Speaker Bio

Jonathan G. O’Dell grew up in Vienna, Austria, where he lost most of his hearing suddenly at age 10 due to complications associated with Meningitis. Following his hearing loss, he attended an oral school for deaf and hard of hearing children in Vienna, after which his education continued in mainstreamed settings in England and the United States. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Jonathan has been employed at the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing since 1991 in direct service, assistive technology and administrative positions. He currently supervises the agency’s Communication Access, Training and Technology Services, which he describes as “the most talented and committed team of professionals imaginable “, responsible for creation of communication accessible video content; social media, website and external communications management; and outreach/training/visual communication tool creation geared towards law enforcement and first responders. Jonathan continues to provide trainings to many different audiences, adapting each to the needs of the participants.

He is a four-time Commonwealth Pride in Performance award winner and recipient of the 2022 Governor Paul Cellucci Award for Leadership and Mentoring in State Government. He was also nominated for an Emmy by the New England Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for scriptwriting and directing “The Water Cooler” in 2002, a public service announcement that visually represented hearing loss as an invisible barrier to inclusion.

Jonathan has provided countless trainings and provided technical assistance on communication access and communication technologies to national, regional, state and municipal entities. These include hospitals and medical facilities, law enforcement and emergency service providers, libraries, colleges and universities, and businesses ranging in size from family-owned enterprises to multinational corporations. He is an avid photographer and kayaker, fluent in German and ASL, and a bilateral cochlear implant user who loves listening to music. He is married and has a stepson, River, and a daughter from a previous marriage, Ingrid, who is herself active in the accessibility space and an ASL interpreter trainee.

Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. As part of your request, please include a description of the accommodation(s) you will need, including as much detail as you can. Please provide your contact information in case additional information is needed. When possible, please allow at least two weeks (14 days) advance notice; last-minute requests will be accepted but may be impossible to fill. To request an accommodation please reach out to Bill Travascio at william.travascio@mass.gov or Siobhan Coyle at siobhan.coyle@mass.gov.