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Happy new year to our nvrc community! Big text that read, "Annual Letter 2023" with fireworks in the background

Click here to RSVP for NVRC Annual Meeting & Breakfast


Highlighted moments of NVRC in 2023:

Thank you to everyone who donated to NVRC during our #GivingTuesday campaign!

We did not reach our goal, but you helped us raise $960 towards keeping NVRC connected so we can continue to serve our Communities!

#GivingTuesday is a once a year, global day of generosity, but NVRC needs your support year-round!

As we head into the Season of Giving, please keep NVRC on your list for Holiday Giving!

#ThankYouWednesday

the crowded people looking at the projector screen

Thank you to everyone who came to NVRC on Sunday afternoon for Cheryl's memorial service.  Over 80 friends and family members filled our meeting room, and over 30 people joined us on Zoom! Speakers included members of Cheryl's immediate family, and many recollections (and some humor!) from her husband, Fred. Staff also shared their memories, as did several other friends who came from far and wide.  Just before the service started, a random FB message appeared on a friend's phone.  "Spread love wherever you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."  On Sunday, the room was filled with that love.

Donations in Cheryl's memory may be made to the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC). 

Join NVRC's Board and Staff for our Annual Breakfast and Meeting!

Date: Saturday, December 9
Time: 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Location: NVRC, 10467 White Granite Drive, Suite 312, Oakton, VA 22124

Light continental breakfast will be provided. ASL interpreters and captioning are provided.

See the flyer in PDF.

Please RSVP to attend the NVRC Annual Meeting.

Cheryl Heppner

CHERYL A. HEPPNER (Age 72)

A celebration of her life is planned for Sunday, November 19, 2023, from 2-4 p.m. at NVRC, 10467 White Granite Drive, Suite 312, in Oakton, VA 22124. Donations in memory of Cheryl can be made to the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC).

Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Cards of condolences can be sent to:

Fred Heppner
29763 Birch Cir
Mechanicsville, MD 20659

The service will be at NVRC as well as streamed on Zoom.  Space is limited at NVRC.  Please register to attend the service at NVRC or register for Zoom.


Cheryl Heppner's obituary:

Cheryl passed away on her birthday, October 14, 2023, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born in Maine, raised in Woolrich, PA, lived in Winchester, VA, and spent many years in Fairfax, VA. Most recently she lived in Golden Beach, MD, with her husband of 50 years, Fred Heppner. Cheryl, who was profoundly deaf from the age of 7, was mainstreamed through school and graduated from Penn State University in 1974 with a BA in Journalism. It was there that she met her future husband, Fred. Cheryl was preceded in death by her father, Ernest McIntosh, and her mother, Norma McIntrosh of Pleasant Gap, PA. She is survived by her sister, Gayle Gepert of Golden Beach, MD, and her brothers Randall McIntosh of Mill Hall, PA, and David McIntrosh of Baltimore, MD.

Cheryl was the Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC) for 25 years before her health declined. She worked tirelessly for the rights and needs of people who were deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened and deafblind. She often testified before the FCC and helped pass legislation pertaining to TV captioning and other accessibility rights for people with
hearing loss. After 9/11, Cheryl was instrumental in co-authoring a national study for the Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network, highlighting the needs of people who were deaf and hard of hearing in emergency situations. She served a term on Gallaudet University’s Board of Trustees in 2006. Through her unwavering leadership, NVRC became one of the top 5 centers for the deaf and hard of hearing in the U.S.

Prior to becoming NVRC’s Executive Director, Cheryl was a dedicated outreach specialist for the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and she taught Pidgin Signed English at Shenandoah University. A devout advocate for ‘whatever works!” in communication, she was also fluent in sign language and speechreading.

Cheryl was named one of Glamour Magazine’s Women at their Best in 2000. Her memoir, Seeds of Disquiet: One Deaf Woman’s Experience, was published in 1992. A widely-read author of hundreds of magazine articles and an avid contributor to List- serves, Cheryl was the recipient of numerous awards from organizations serving the deaf and hard of hearing community, including the Hearing Loss Association of America, Hamilton Relay, Association of Late-Deafened Adults, and Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.

During a special event at the White House in the early 2000s, Cheryl was photographed with George W. Bush, a dog-lover and an owner of Goldens. The President was drawn to Cheryl’s hearing dog, Galaxy, and was curious about what a hearing dog is trained to do. During the Obama administration, Cheryl was invited to the White House again, to attend the signing of the 21st Century Communication and Video Accessibility Act.

Meg Hawkins

When: Zoom on Thursday evening, November 16 at 7 PM

Who: Officer Meg Hawkins

What: For many people, engaging with a member of the police department can be a stressful experience,
particularly if it is an unplanned encounter, such as being stopped while driving or after a traffic
accident. People may be uncomfortable because they do not understand police procedures and are
uncertain about what is going to happen. This can be further complicated for those who are deaf or
hard of hearing because of communication challenges which make information exchange more difficult.
Fairfax County Police Officers (like most of the police in the greater DC area) regularly engage with a
very wide variety of people – those who speak languages from all over the world; those with a broad
array of mental, emotional, and physical challenges; and sometimes those with both language and other
challenges.


In this presentation, PFC Megan Hawkins will discuss the basic training Fairfax County Police Officers
receive regarding engaging with people when communication issues may be a challenge. She will discuss
standard police procedures for traffic stops and accidents, including recommendations for those who
are deaf or hard of hearing. Better understanding of police procedures and expectations can help make
such interactions less uncomfortable.


Additionally, we hope the community can offer suggestions that might help the police department
better understand how to best communicate with people who have hearing challenges.
We plan to leave plenty of time for Q&A. Please join us for this important discussion.

Flyer PDF

Bio: Officer Meg Hawkins is a 20-year veteran in law enforcement with Fairfax County. While the majority of her career has been dedicated to patrol duties, Meg has also assumed roles in public affairs and crime prevention. However, her true calling lies in community outreach and engagement, a passion she fervently pursues in her current capacity as the Community Outreach Officer for the Sully District Station.

Meg holds the title of a Certified Crime Prevention Specialist, accredited by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and she is also a Certified Law Enforcement Crime Prevention through Environmental Design Practitioner (LE-CPTED).

Meg's expertise extends to her role as the agency's lead instructor for the "Hidden in Plain Sight (HIPS)" program. This interactive initiative aims to educate adults on recognizing signs of risky behavior in teens and young adults.

Her dedication to community outreach has not gone unnoticed. In 2022, Meg received three "Faithful Servants" awards from the Communities of Trust Committee, honoring her exceptional commitment and hard work in serving the community.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Meg is happily married to a retired combat veteran who currently serves as a firefighter in Fairfax County.

three bubble chats with each blooper inside

Fun with Speech-to-text Apps!  Many of us use speech-to-text apps.  In the past few months, I have gotten a real chuck out of some of the "bloopers" on my phone, so I am sharing them and inviting folks to share theirs.

Here are my three favorites: 1. In July, on my way out of a restaurant after dinner with a friend, she said "I'll see you in August".  My app read "I'll see you in the doghouse.".  2.  At the doctor's office, as I was checking in, the receptionist (who was masked) said "you have a $30 co-pay.  My app read "you have 30 pounds of cocaine."  And our favorite here at  NVRC is when I was making a purchase at the check-out counter at Staples, the masked associate asked "Can I give you a bag?"  My app read "Can I give you a bath?".

Fill out the Google Form and share your experiences with us.

graphic of flyer for TAP and Beyond! Assistive Technology for Daily Living

Technologies have changed so much in the past 20 years, giving Deaf and Hard of Hearing consumers better access to the world around them than ever before.

From telephones for the home to flashing signal systems, and listening devices to apps for a tablet or smartphone, join Debbie Jones, NVRC's Technology Manager, as she discusses assistive technologies that you can take advantage of at home or on the go. Information about the Technology Assistance Program and other resources included.

ASL interpreters and CART will be provided.

Please register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuf-mgrT0pG9Eeda1lvyzYAscTMO-NNisQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons is an alliance group for the Walk for Hearing DC. Our mission is to empower deaf and hard of hearing individuals and their families through education, advocacy and community involvement. NVRC works closely with HLAA on advocacy issues and is a very worthy organization! By making a donation you will be supporting two wonderful organizations that work to support people who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. Our website is NVRC.org and we are located in Fairfax County, Virginia. Thank you 🙂 Eileen (NVRC Exec Director)

image of an information card about the Affordable Connectivity Program. In the top section of the image is a family with brown skin and black hair, two parents, male and female,  and a teenager, female, looking at a laptop. In the bottom section of the image is an older adult male, light skinned, bald with glasses and a short beard holding a tablet.

What is it?

The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC program that helps connect families and households struggling to afford internet service.

The benefit provides:

  • Up to $30/month discount for internet service
  • Up to $75/month discount for households on qualifying Tribal lands; and
  • A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer or tablet purchased through a participating provider

Two Steps To Enroll

  • 1. Go to AffordableConnectivity.gov to submit an application or print a mail-in application
  • 2. Contact your preferred participating provider to select an eligible plan and have the discount applied to your bill.

Learn More

Call 877-384-2575, or visit fcc.gov/acp

On July 25, 2023, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), author of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), and Representative Anna G. Eshoo (CA-16) announced the reintroduction of the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility (CVTA) Act.

This bill would update and strengthen existing accessibility regulations guaranteed through Senator Markey’s CVAA to stay up-to-date with the boom of new technologies—from video conferencing platforms to artificial intelligence—which have become commonplace since the CVAA became law in 2010.

Specifically, the CVTA would:

  1. Improve and expand closed captioning and audio description standards for television programming and online video streaming platforms to ensure people with disabilities have equitable access to the wide range of programming available to the general public;
  2. Update current requirements to ensure viewers can easily activate and select preferred settings for closed captions and audio description on their video programming devices, such as televisions, smart phones, laptops, and tablets;
  3. Improve access to video conferencing platforms for people with disabilities;
  4. Ensure people with disabilities have equitable access to 9-1-1 emergency services; and,
  5. Empower the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure accessibility regulations keep pace with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and augmented or virtual reality platforms.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO PASS THIS IMPORTANT LEGISLATION!
Contact your federal representatives and ask them to support the CVTA in Congress!

Click here to find your Congressmembers

The CVTA is endorsed by AccesSOS, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell), American Council of the Blind, Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), Blinded Veterans Association, Carroll Center for the Blind, Center for Advanced Communications Policy, CommunicationFIRST, Communication Service for the Deaf, Deaf in Government, Hearing Loss Association of America, Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, National Federation of the Blind, National Association of the Deaf, National Association of State Agencies of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NASADHH), Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Inc., Perkins School For The Blind, United Spinal Association, and Voiceitt.

Click here to read the CVTA Press Release

Click here to read a copy of the CTVA bill