Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.

TDI
Founded 1968
Focus Deaf issues, promote equal accessibility
Location
Area served
United States of America
Method Donations and Grants
Key people
 Sheila Conlon-Mentkowski, President
Jan Withers, Vice President
Website www.TDIforAccess.org

TDI (originally known as Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland and was founded in 1968. Its original purpose was to promote widespread distribution of Telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY) and publish a telephone directory of those that used TTY. The organization has evolved to serve as an advocate of equal access in telecom and media for deaf and hard of hearing people. In the 1990s and 2000s, this included encouraging pay telephone providers to incorporate TTY keyboards into pay telephones.[1][2]

Today, TDI is an advocacy organization which publishes the TDI World quarterly magazine and the TDI National Directory and Resource Guide. They are funded through donations and memberships.

Mission statement

"TDI provides leadership and advocacy in achieving equal access to telecommunications, media, and information technologies for deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened, and deaf blind people."

Awards

Every other year, TDI issues industry awards to recognize individuals, organizations and corporations for their efforts to promote equal access to telecommunications, media and information technologies.[3][4]

H. Latham Breunig Humanitarian Award

This award is given biennially to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the program or activities of TDI.

Previous Recipients

  • 1977 – H. Latham Breunig
  • 1979 – Gordon L. Allen
  • 1981 – Paul Taylor
  • 1983 – Lester Zimet
  • 1985 – Robert McClintock
  • 1987 – Charles Archer
  • 1989 – I. Lee Brody
  • 1991 – Steve Brenner
  • 1993 – Patty Hughes and Karen Peltz Strauss
  • 1995 – Dr. Judy Harkins
  • 1997 – Alfred Sonnenstrahl
  • 1999 – Dr. Roy Miller
  • 2001 – Swidler Berlin Shereff & Friedman, LLP
  • 2003 – Pamela Holmes
  • 2005 – Daniel Sutherland
  • 2007 – Sheri Farinha-Mutti
  • 2009 – National Technical Institute for the Deaf at RIT
  • 2011 – Eliot Greenwald

James C. Marsters Promotion Award

This award is given biennially to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to improving accessibility to telecommunications and media in the United States through efforts in promotion, marketing, or public relations.

Previous Recipients

  • 1995 – James C. Marsters
  • 1997 – Carol Finkle
  • 1999 – Cheryl Heppner
  • 2001 – Harry G. Lang
  • 2003 – Media Access Group at WGBH, National Captioning Institute, and VITAC
  • 2005 – Donna Platt
  • 2007 – Nanci Linke-Ellis
  • 2009 – AT&T and Verizon
  • 2011 – ZVRS

Andrew Saks Engineering Award

This award is given biennially to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to improving accessibility to telecommunications and media in the United States through efforts in design, electronics or engineering.

Previous Recipients

Karen Peltz Strauss Public Policy Award

This award is given occasionally to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to improving accessibility to telecommunications, media and information technology in the United States through efforts in public policy development.

Previous Recipients

2007 – Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) 2009 – Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) and Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts) 2011 – FCC Commissioner Michael Copps

Robert H. Weitbrecht Telecommunications Access Award

This award is given biennially to an individual who has made outstanding contributions by any means to improve accessibility to telecommunications and media in the United States.

Previous Recipients

  • 1989 – Bill White
  • 1991 – Judy Viera
  • 1993 – Dick Brandt
  • 1995 – Robert Weitbrecht
  • 1997 – Toni Dunne
  • 1999 – Ed Bosson
  • 2001 – Richard Ellis
  • 2003 – Sprint/CSD and MCI Global Relay
  • 2005 – Research in Motion and Motorola
  • 2007 – Brenda Battat
  • 2009 – Pat Graves
  • 2011 – Apple, Inc.

I. Lee Brody Lifetime Achievement Award

This award is given biennially to an individual who devoted significant time and energy over an extended number of years to improving accessibility to telecommunications and media in the United States.

Previous Recipients

  • 1997 – I. Lee Brody
  • 2001 – Dr. Benjamin Soukup
  • 2003 – Dr. Robert Davila
  • 2005 – Howard “Rocky” Stone
  • 2007 – Larry Goldberg
  • 2009 – Dr. Judy Harkins
  • 2011 – Ed Bosson

References

  1. ↑ De Witt, Karen (December 12, 1990). "Making Pay Phones Friendly to the Deaf". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  2. ↑ Jones, Chris (July 15, 2003). "Conference in Las Vegas Highlights Telecom Devices for Deaf". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  3. ↑ "TDI Awards".
  4. ↑ "Past recipients of TDI Awards". Archived from the original on 2012-05-10.


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