Hearing Loss Organizations Provide Recommendations to Obama Administration - Part Two

Editor: I'm so excited by the advocacy efforts of some of the hearing loss organizations and by what appears to be a very receptive climate within the Obama administration. A meeting to discuss hearing loss issues was convened before the Obama inauguration, and the hearing loss organizations presented a comprehensive list of recommendations. Here's the release from TDI, one of the organizations in the impromptu coalition.

This is part two of two parts.

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January 2009

Here's Part One

Below is the first page introducing the document with all of our recommendations. The full PDF document is online at
http://www.tdi-online.org/pdfs/obamatransition.pdf

PROPOSAL FOR LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY
TO ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR
DEAF, HARD OF HEARING, LATE-DEAFENED AND DEAF-BLIND AMERICANS

Submitted on December 11, 2009

This proposal for leadership and public policy to ensure equal access and equal opportunity for deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened and deaf-blind Americans has been submitted to the Obama-Biden Transition Team by the following organizations:
* Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.
* American Association of the Deaf-Blind
* Association of Late-Deafened Adults
* California Coalition of Agencies Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
* Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc.
* Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf
* Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network
* Deaf Seniors of America
* Hearing Loss Association of America
* National Association of the Deaf
* Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.

We look forward to working with the Obama-Biden Transition Team and exchange information in mutual support of the goal to improve the quality of life for all Americans. Our focus addresses the human and civil rights of approximately 36 million individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened and deaf-blind across a broad spectrum of areas outlined below:
* Promoting civil rights through legislative, administrative, and enforcement actions.
* Improving the quality of education and related services, and ensuring appropriate transition, post-secondary education and vocational rehabilitation services.
* Increasing employment opportunities through new initiatives and the provision of reasonable accommodations in the workplace.
* Ensuring effective early intervention systems, access to health care, including substance abuse and mental health care, and insurance coverage for hearing health care, including hearing aids, other assistive technology and comprehensive rehabilitative services.
* Increasing the availability of safe and accessible housing.
* Providing equal access to telecommunications, information services and video programming, realizing the potential of broadband services, and enabling public safety improvements through accessible emergency communications.
* Ensuring accessible transportation information, services and facilities.

As President-Elect Obama said during his election victory speech in Chicago, "... disabled or not disabled, we are the United States of America!" We continue to stand ready to serve as a partner and resource to further the goals of the incoming administration in accordance with the principle of "Nothing About Us Without Us." Please do not hesitate to contact and include us as we, together as a nation, move forward to address the needs of all Americans from cradle to grave through the delivery of consumer-directed policy and services, incorporation of universal design, and by embracing the diversity of our experiences, abilities and cultures.

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