Project Endeavor Outreach Strategies The Good, The Bad and The What Really Works Communication Service for the Deaf 102 North Krohn Place Sioux Falls, SD June 27, 2011

The Digital Divide ”Americans with disabilities are less than half as likely as their non-disabled counterparts to own a computer, and they are about one- quarter as likely to use the Internet.” Stephen Kaye, PhD. Disabilities Statistics Center

Project Goals  Focus on deaf and hard of hearing individuals  To provide subsidized broadband to introduce people to the Internet  Provide equipment at reduced or no cost to eligible consumer  Partner with existing community organizations serving the deaf to reach out to hard to serve individuals  Demonstrate how to make web based services accessible to deaf and hard of hearing individuals  Find or develop tutorials on web access that were understandable for deaf consumers

Best Practices o Unique Contact Center TTY, voice, videophone, , IM, web chat, IP relay o Public Access Videophones (PAVs) Distribute to various public locations Provides direct access to internet and video communications

The Good o National large network of organizations and clubs serving deaf and hard of hearing (We knew where we could find them) o Project Endeavor staff are knowledgeable concerning hearing loss & technology (We knew their needs) o Commitment to 100% accessible communication (We spoke their language)

The Bad o Slick web based and social marketing campaigns don’t touch individuals with zero Internet o Our population had a much higher adoption rate than the overall disability community o For the truly needy the price point is zero

The Bad Cont’d o With disability access equipment there is no one size fits all Seniors Hard of hearing/non-signing “Younger plugged in” population o Unanticipated Characteristics Many currently subscribing to Internet, but only for video calls Need in person handholding to take the dive

And The Bad Cont’d o Equipment is sexy, broadband is boring o The solutions that were current when we wrote the grant are becoming old solutions o The private sector has a difficulty seeing many of our consumers as a viable market

What Really Works o In person, high touch support o Multiple solutions but you have to keep it simple o Catch their attention with a piece of equipment then discuss Internet options o Even with a two year project think first wave and second wave solutions

And Continues to Work o There is little ROI in generic outreach o Outreach must address unique functional needs o Present “your” consumers as a market share that someone is going to get

Discussion o Share your experiences! Challenges Best practices Outreach strategies pinpointing specific or unique populations

Thank you!! Kim Barron Dave Miller