MN Commission Serving Deaf/Hard
of Hearing has Success in Legislature
by Mary Hartnett
Six
out of the seven MN Commission Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing
People (MCDHH) approved legislative initiatives passed in the 2005
legislative session. MCDHH successfully lobbied for $1 million in
new funds for deaf, deaf blind and hard of hearing services and programs
and policy changes were made that strengthen protections for consumers.
The commission also worked, with the MN Association for Deaf Citizens
in the lead, to pass a tuition assistance bill for deaf students.
MCDHH and the Coalition for Children with Disabilities were unable
to restore funding that was cut to special education in 2003 (we’ll
try next time!). Thanks to CSD for extra support this session.
Details are below. Kudos to all MCDHH appointed commission members
and members of the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind communities,
their families, supporters and all those who testified and provided
technical assistance for helping to make this happen.
Captioning Bill Gives $600,000 over
2 Years for
Real-time Captioning
MCDHH initiated and advocated
for legislation that creates a fund for real-time captioning of live
news programming in Alexandria, Duluth, Mankato, Rochester and TPT’s Almanac.
The funds will make one hour of real-time captioning of news broadcasts
available 365 days a year in 4 cities, plus 110 hours of live news
on public television. Federal law requires that only the top 25
news markets provide real-time captioning for live news broadcasts;
the Twin Cities is the only MN area required to provide them. Now
all deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind people (with enough functional
vision or adaptive equipment) will be able to enjoy the news daily
throughout the state. Thanks to Sen. Metzen and Rep. Knoblach,
our chief authors, and to Rep. Gunther, Rep. Westrom and Sen. Ellen
Anderson for their help. Thanks to Toni Fairbanks, Marian Lucas
and Jamie Taylor for testifying. Thanks to Bill Struzinski at Capitol
Hill Associates.
Hearing Aid Consumer
Protection Bill Passes
This law: 1) extends the money-back
guarantee period by 15 days (from 30 to 45 days); 2) helps consumers
understand the deadlines they have to file a complaint and to return
a hearing aid; 3) requires that old hearing aids given to a dispenser
or audiologist be returned upon request if the new aids are returned;
4) requires that the audiogram administered by the dispenser
to select the hearing aid be provided to the consumer upon request;
5) sets the maximum amount that is charged to the consumer for
fitting and processing a hearing aid(s), if returned, to $250
(instead of 10% of the cost of the aid). Thanks to Sen. Sams and
Rep. Clark, our chief authors, and to Rep.s Wilkin, Bradley and Abeler
for their help and thanks to Sen. Becky Lourey. Thanks to Merilee
Knoll and Diana van Deusen for testifying. Thanks also to Keith Weigel
at AARP, the MN Speech and Hearing Association and the MN Academy
of Audiologists.
All New Construction of MN
Schools Required to Follow New Classroom Acoustic Standards
The new
law requires that all school districts have to include in their design
for new schools how they complied with the American National Standard
Institute’s recommendation of a maximum of
35dB background noise and .6 to .7 seconds reverberation time. Studies
show that kids have a six month to two year language acquisition
delay because of classroom noise. The cost is estimated at $65,000
and was included in the education budget. Thanks to the Coalition
for Children with Disabilities and Capitol Hill Associates for their
support. Thanks to Dr. Peggy Nelson, Mike Nixon, Rhonda Sivarajah
for testifying. Thanks to our chief authors Sen. Wiger and Rep. Abeler
and to Rep. Buesgens, Sykora and Erickson and Sen.s Kelley and Stumpf
for their help with special thanks to Rep. Krinkie.
MN Employment Center for Deaf
and Hard of Hearing People (MEC)
When the funds were cut in
2003 an estimated 44 deaf and hard of hearing people who have multiple
disabilities lost their job supports and probably lost their jobs.
MEC received an additional $300,000 for the biennium and will be
able to rehire staff to provide the supports and increase the number
of people who get and keep their jobs. Thanks to chief authors Rep.
Bradley and Sen. Dibble and thanks to Rep. Gunther and Sen. Bakk
and Sen. Anderson for their help. Thanks also to Lynne Osterman.
Interpreter Shortage Study
The
Department of Commerce agreed to study interpreter shortages in health
care settings and will include deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind
consumers and sign language interpreters as members of the study
group in the study. This was not included in the legislation, but
was agreed to by all parties. A report will be made with recommendations
to the legislature before or during the 2006 legislative session.
Thanks to chief authors Sen. Higgins and Rep. Abeler. Special thanks
to John Gross of the Department of Commerce. Thanks to the Children’s
Defense Fund, the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, the MN
Council on Chicano Latino Affairs and the Council on Black Minnesotansfor
their support.
Collaboration with the MN
Assoc. of Deaf Citizens (MADC):Tuition Assistance for Deaf Students
Passes
MADC took the lead and got
a bill passed that gives tuition assistance to deaf students of any
age who qualify for Pell grants. The tuition assistance program provides
the remainder of the tuition. Thanks to chief authors Rep. Abeler
and Sen. Sandy Pappas. Mike Cashman deserves credit for this one.
Mary Hartnett is theExecutive
Director MN Commission Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing People
444 Lafayette Rd N. St. Paul, MN 55155-3814, mary.hartnett@state.mn.us 651-297-7305
(V) (TTY)
