At last week’s Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission (IDHHC) meeting, members of the Deaf community shared their concerns about the issues surrounding the IDHHC. These issues include, but are not limited to the following:
- IDHHC does not adequately explain information and legal rights to Deaf consumers;
- IDHHC often does not follow through on their responsibilities, leaving consumers with no other place to turn;
- IDHHC has not promptly responded to public inquiries and complaints (e.g., interpreter complaints to be handled by the Licensure Board);
- IDHHC has not developed and advocated for legislation, regulations, policies and programs to the General Assembly to services and opportunities for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals;
- IDHHC continues to mislead the public about budget cuts (e.g., prior to the budget fiasco, IDHHC gave more than $100,000 back to the state in consecutive years); and
- An assistant director is not needed for an agency of seven (currently five) – this is money not well spent and can be allocated elsewhere.
The Commissioners will hold a special meeting in October to discuss the concerns received during last week’s meeting; meanwhile, the IAD will continue to put pressure on the IDHHC to ensure positive change happens!
***Please note: captioning of the attached video will be available later this evening.***
