Human Services Testimony (3.7.24)

Chairs Lesser and Gilchrest, Ranking Members Seminara & Case, members of the Human Services Committee — My name is John Board, and I’m testifying in strong support of House Bill 5241: An Act Establishing a Bureau Coordinating Services for Deaf, Heard of Hearing or Deafblind Persons.

This bill aims to revive the Bureau of Services for Individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deafblind within the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS). This legislation is based on the need to implement the recommendations from a 2023 study.

The key findings included:

• Improve access to government programs and services, including points of contact at local, regional, and state levels to provide adequate resources for the community. DADS should be the lead state agency for community action and concerns including but not limited to: (a) referral services, (b) establishing a state registry of interpreters [and requirements], © professional development opportunities, (d) working with media companies (social and television) to improve captioning and interpreting services.
• Healthcare institutions need to: (a) strengthen employee training, and (b) have qualified interpreting services readily available.
• American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation: Increase the quality and quantity of interpreters by: (a) developing ASL interpreting standards, and (b) implementing an education scheme [see Board Proposal, Senate Bill: 665 (2023)] to grow the interpreter population steadily. There is a particular need in healthcare/medical, mental health, and legal professions.
• Emergency Communications: There is an overwhelming consensus that the State lacks services for the community in emergency services both with communications and interactions with emergency services providers (Police, Fire, EMS).

Currently, thirty-seven (37) state agencies primarily serve deaf or heard of hearing individuals across the nation; and in our region Connecticut is the only state that does not have a state agency.

I’d also like to take a moment to thank Representative Chris Poulos, my former Spanish teacher and student government advisor from high school, for taking on this important issue given his personal experience in his classroom.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to highlight Senate Bill 655 from last year which dealt with increasing funding for ASL education in our K-12 education system, and the need to pass this important structural reform to help our community thrive.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 360 million individuals worldwide suffer from hearing loss, which equates to five percent (5%) of the world’s population. In our Nation, ASL is the sixth most common language.

When students learn ASL there is an increase in the development of their oral language skills, and when hearing students are taught a sign they use all four traditional pedagogical modalities — inesthetic (moving), visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), and tactile (touching). ASL signers, tend to have incredible spatial reasoning.

If we as a country believe that it should be possible for all to communicate, then shouldn’t we make it possible for ALL to feel accepted and be able to partake in discussions with ease?

In conclusion, the re-establishment of a Bureau of Services for Persons Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deafblind is a crucial step toward promoting equity, accessibility, and inclusion for all individuals, regardless of their hearing abilities. I urge you to support this bill, consider Senate Bill 665, and ensure its swift passage for all individuals across our state.

Thank you for considering in support of this important legislation and concept.

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Policy: Funding American Sign Language in Our K-12 Schools

Policy Statement: American Sign Language (ASL) should be fully funded (between federal, state, and local opportunities) and posted in a course of study handbooks for local boards of education to provide students the shot to experience this world language.

Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 360 million individuals worldwide suffer from hearing loss, which equates to five percent (5%) of the world’s population. In our Nation, ASL is the sixth most common language.

Research Findings: The General Statutes make three (3) references to ASL: (1) Section 10–5 outlines that high school graduates are eligible for a “seal of biliteracy” on their diploma if they achieve a high level of proficiency in English and one more foreign language. (2) Section 10–16b explains that ASL shall be included in the “prescribed course of study”. (3) Section 46a-33c establishes the registration (licensing) standards for persons providing interpreting services.

Policy Recommendation: Funding for this program would come from the Department of Aging and Developmental Services (DADS), with the creation of an “Employment Opportunities — Deaf & Disabled” line item. Here is the link to a rundown of funding splits.

Summary: Under the draft language of Senate Bill 665, starting in August 2024 local boards of education that have opted into this three-year state-funded pilot program, by formally notifying the Commissioner of Education, would be able to offer one credit-hour worth of ASL per high school per school district; thus, allowing for students to earn the seal of biliteracy by taking an ASL-I, ASL-II, and ASL-III course. I have made a rough attempt at the runs for this program (if you want to see them, let me know), which would be a maximum estimated forty-two million dollars ($42,000,000.00) over the next two biennium budgets to fund the pilot program. These dollars shall be passed to a local board of education, who have opted-in, via the “American Sign Language Education Grant”. I have also reached out to our federal delegation and Secretary Cardona to see if there would be interest in helping to support such a program. Superintendents have also suggested a workforce development angle.

Contact Information: John Board, JohnBoardCT@gmail.com, (203) 837 6241.

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As drafted for verbal testimony.