Nevada Commission for Deaf & Hard of Hearing - Empowering Communities
The Nevada Commission for Persons Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing advocates for equal access to resources, services, and opportunities within the community. Their mission includes supporting individuals with hearing difficulties, promoting independence, and ensuring effective communication.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
You are allowed to download the files provided on this website for personal or commercial use, subject to the condition that they are used lawfully. All files are the property of their respective owners.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Richard Whitley Director Steve Sisolak Governor State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Nevada Commission for Persons Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Speech Impaired ADSD Khianti Thomas, Executive Director and Eli Schwartz, Chair 3/14/2025 Helping people. It s who we are and what we do.
Agenda 1. Statistics of Nevada 2. Overview of the Commission 3. Duties and Responsibilities 4. Commission vs. CAS Program 5. Legislative Process 6. Questions 7. Contact Information 2
According to the 2018 Census, 3.9% identify as having a Hearing Difficulty - The language does not explicitly state Deaf . Therefore this data is all encompassed of (d/Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late Deaf and anyone that may use assistive technology i.e. Cochlear Implant, Hearing aids etc.; ) According to the 2018 Census there are currently 117,060 individuals that identify as having a Hearing Difficulty in the state of Nevada Clark County: 79,802 (3.6%) Washoe County: 17,572 (3.8%) Current Statistics in Nevada 3
Nevada Current Statistics Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 ACS: 1 Year Estimates 4
Overview of the Commission: The Commission for Persons Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing was created in NRS-427A.750 and 427A.797 Mission Statement Vision Statement The Nevada Commission for Persons Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Speech Impaired will advocate for and support the goal that all Nevada citizens have equal and full access to resources, services and opportunities in all aspects of community life. All Nevada residents who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Persons with speech disabilities along with their families and professionals who support them have timely access to information, effective communication, education, and services that promote choice and independence. 5
Our Focus To resources, services, and opportunities in all aspects of community life. Access Public Programs, Non- profit Organizations, and Partnerships Businesses Promoting system change, self-advocacy Advocacy 6
The priorities for the work of the division to address the needs of the community Determine Effectiveness of existing programs and proposed legislation that serve the needs of persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired. Evaluate Efforts of public and private organizations that serve the needs of the community. Including but not limited to community-based services in areas of education, employment health, housing, welfare and recreation Coordinate Duties: Practices concerning interpreting and real time captioning, programs, activities, services, and procedures as they are aligned with the current NRS. Ensuring state and local entities are compliant with laws and regulations. Recommend/ Review Information relating to the needs of the community from collaborative partners /agencies and stakeholders to better support the mission of the commission and make informed decisions. Collect Conduct workgroups, meetings, hearings, conferences and special studies Advocate 7
What is the Difference? Communication Access Services Program Relay Nevada Telecommunications Equipment Distribution and Access to Services (Advocacy) DCN The Commission Advocate for the DHH citizens of Nevada Make recommendations to the Governor, State agencies, and Local govt. 8
How Do I Make My Voice Heard? Participating In the Process 9
Participating in the Process Help inform the Deaf Commission of system challenges! Attend Commission meetings, provide public comment at designated times. Nevada Legislature Attend Interim Committee meetings Follow Bill Draft Requests (BDRs) important to you Provide public comment at Legislative meetings Contact your district representative to educate about issues and solutions 10
The Legislative Cycle July Feb Sep Oct Dec Feb June Odd Year: Interim Committees begin Even Year: Department Budget Building Even Year: Governor Final Budget Build Odd Year: Legislature begins (1st Monday of February) Odd Year: Session is completed Website: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/ 11
Questions? 12
Contact Information Khianti Thomas Executive Director Eli Schwartz Chair Kthomas@adsd.nv.gov NVdeafcommission@gmail.com T: (702)-486-3368| M: 702-757-7859 Website 13
