King County providing clear face masks to support deaf and hard of hearing people
Pictured: Image courtesy of ClearMask
King County will make clear face masks available to employees as part of its efforts to support deaf and hard of hearing people at work and in the community.
Clear face masks are critical for the deaf and hard of hearing community, but they are only effective if the hearing community wears them. Therefore, it’s important that our customer-facing employees and employees who have deaf and hard of hearing coworkers have access to these types of masks. King County has ordered 3,600 clear face masks for customer-facing and other employees who may need them to communicate with customers and coworkers.
For people with hearing difficulties, having the mouth covered is still a major barrier. At least 5% of the world’s population has disabling hearing loss, and reading a person’s lips and facial expressions can be an important part of communicating, even for those who use sign language. Covering most of your face can make it difficult to convey emotion and impact communication with others.
While clear face masks support the deaf and hard of hearing community, they also have a Targeted Universalism benefit for everyone. Targeted Universalism is the practice of setting universal goals pursued by targeted processes to achieve those goals. Here are some examples:
- Clear masks make it easier for all people to read facial expressions and can alleviate anxiety in customers and even support deescalating situations.
- Clear masks make communications easier for people whose primary language is not English.
- Clear masks make it easier for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities to read facial cues and communicate.
- Clear masks benefit small children by reducing anxiety due to being scared of masks and the need to be able to see facial expressions to feel safe.
A transparent mask allows you to see more of a person’s face, which may have an added mental health benefit given the increased isolation and anxiety that people are experiencing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Departments who are interested in ordering clear face masks for their employees should contact fleetstores@kingcounty.gov
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Reminder: Need to see a health care provider during the pandemic? Try telehealth.
To protect themselves from the coronavirus, many people have chosen to delay non-emergency doctors’ visits and therapy appointments, hoping they can pause their medical needs until the pandemic is over. Unfortunately, we now realize the virus is likely here to stay for many more months. And so, we are faced with the challenge of developing strategies for safely navigating our new reality.
Fortunately, King County employees and family members enrolled in Kaiser and Regence medical plans have access to telehealth services that allow you to virtually access board-certified, trained medical providers from your home, using a tablet, smart phone, or personal computer. Visit the Balanced You blog for more information.
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Featured Job: Administrative Specialist III – Medical Examiner
Salary: $25.37 – $32.16 Hourly
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT)
Department: DPH – Public Health
Job Number: 2020ML11869
Division: Prevention
Closing: 7/30/2020 11:59 PM Pacific
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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Facilitating Effective Meetings online webinar, August 10 and 11
A common challenge faced by individuals in business is how to lead and facilitating meetings that are interesting and solicit active engagement. This two-day training covers the skills used by a facilitator to design and run an effective meeting. How to be a better participant is also discussed. Topics include specific facilitation skills, group decision making skills, and how to deal with disruptive behaviors.
This webinar will be led by notable trainer and meeting facilitator Lenny Borer, who specializes in classes on communication and problem solving skills, meeting facilitation, instructor training and giving business presentations.
- Monday, August 10, and Tuesday, August 11, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Register here. Participants must attend both days.
The webinar is $65 and space is limited. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
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Celebrating ADA30: A Discussion on Youth Employment from the ADA Generation webinar, July 24
The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) will host a webinar on “Celebrating ADA30: A Discussion on Youth Employment from the ADA Generation” on July 24 from 1 – 2 p.m. Eastern Time.
During this webinar, young people with disabilities who grew up after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), known as the “ADA Generation,” will discuss their experiences in the workplace and offer ideas to help employers attract young people with disabilities. They will address policies and programs of particular interest to younger workers with disabilities; including internship, apprenticeship, and mentorship opportunities, and how to ensure they are accessible. They will also touch on how young people with disabilities view disability disclosure and self-identification.
A representative from the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire will review key findings of the “2020 Kessler Foundation National Employment and Disability Survey: Recent College Graduates.”
Register here for the webinar, and read key findings of the new Kessler Foundation survey here.
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King County IT GIS team receives SAG Award for ESJ work
The King County Information Technology GIS For Equity & Social Justice Team received Esri’s Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award on July 13, 2020, at the annual Esri User Conference. Selected from over 300,000 eligible candidates, King County Information Technology received the award for its innovative application of mapping and analytics technology, as well as thought leadership in the field of GIS for Equity and Social Justice.
King County’s GIS for Equity and Social Justice program was developed to create methodologies, training and ultimately solutions that leverage or innovate GIS technology to Advance Equity and Social Justice. This includes a GIS for ESJ workshop, the GIS for ESJ lifecycle, and GIS for ESJ best practices. King County’s Project Equity Performance Management (EPM) Methodology and Tools utilized GIS solutions to understand where the needs are greatest. It identifies place-based investment targets and needed performance goals. This replicable process leverages geovisual dashboards that empowered stakeholders, regional partners and communities. Stakeholders apply GIS data, analysis and visualization to conditions in each phase of the GIS for ESJ lifecycle.
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Making Life Easier for King County employees
King County provides mental health programs to help employees and their family cope with the personal outcomes of tragedies, stress, change, or trauma. The Making Life Easier Program (MLE) is one free resource that is available for employees to use when experiencing difficult situations.
MLE offers support with various services, such as free mental health counseling to address any issue, financial advising, credit and legal consultation, support for alcohol and drug dependency, and childcare and elderly services. Interactions are confidential and the program’s flexibility lets you request a counselor by race, ethnicity, and language, as well as change counselors as needed. For more information on the MLE program, including directions for signing up, visit the Balanced You blog.
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Pet of the Week: Rocko
Hi! My name is Rocko and I am available for adoption. My personality color is GREEN. I am an adaptable dog who loves to go with the flow! I am outgoing and carefree, and I just can’t wait to find my forever home! I’m just a sweet old man looking to live the rest of my days with someone who will spoil me! I lovvveee doggie treats! Please read the shelter process to find out how to meet Rocko.
Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Have you or someone you know adopted a pet from RASKC? Let us know. We’d love to tell your story.
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Featured Job: Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Counselor
Salary: $88,937.06 – $112,732.88 Annually
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT)
Department: DHR – Human Resources
Job Number: 2020EM11854
Division: Benefits, Safety & Well-Being
Closing: 7/26/2020 11:59 PM Pacific
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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Metro GM Rob Gannon stepping down, Deputy Terry White named interim GM
Rob Gannon
King County Executive Dow Constantine yesterday announced that King County Metro General Manager Rob Gannon is stepping down to take a position as chief financial officer for the city of Missoula, Mont.
“I want to thank Rob Gannon for leading King Country Metro with his steadfast service, his core commitment to providing transit where needs are greatest, and his vision for an agency devoted to overall mobility,” said Executive Constantine. “When Metro won Best Large Transit Agency in North America during Rob’s tenure, it recognized what King County residents already knew: that one of the great advantages of living here is a safe, equitable, and sustainable mobility agency that connects all our residents to community and opportunity.”
Gannon oversaw the transformation and restructure of Metro from a transit division to a full King County department. Under his leadership, Metro outlined a path for operating and growing transit to reduce congestion, tackle the climate crisis, and make mobility accessible and affordable for everyone—especially communities of color, people with lower incomes, and customers with disabilities.
Executive Constantine has appointed Deputy General Manager Terry White to become Interim General Manager when Gannon steps down at the end of July. Chief of Staff Michelle Allison has agreed to serve as interim Deputy General Manager.
White began his Metro career in 1987 and possesses both an unparalleled knowledge of the agency, and a heartfelt and highly personal connection to its employees and customers. White oversees all of Metro Operations, which includes bus, rail, and marine service, facilities, and vehicle maintenance. White also has served at Metro as a transportation planner, customer service administrator, communications superintendent, and managing director of bus operations.
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