My ADA Story: ADA Business Success

By NC Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DSDHH)

DSDHH Deaf/DeafBlind Services Coordinator Ashley Benton, flanked by a Support Service Provider (SSP) and a sign language interpreter, leads a DeafBlind training.

It really makes a difference to North Carolina’s Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind individuals when they are being served by professionals who actually are part of their communities. Approximately one-third of the employees at the NC Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DSDHH) are themselves Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind. 

Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), DSDHH is better able to model and apply its mission, which is to ensure that all Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind North Carolinians have access to communication and receive information equivalent as everyone else. 

Over the years, DSDHH has built up a process that makes sure there are accommodations, such as sign language interpreters and adaptive telecommunications equipment, for all staff from day one.  Here are examples of how ADA-mandated accommodations have allowed DSDHH staff to deliver their services to the community, benefitting many thousands of consumers:

• In response to the passage of NC S.L. 2017-191/HB 84, our staff has hosted several Different Different World activities with law enforcement officers to improve their interactions with Deaf/Hard of Hearing/DeafBlind community members, especially during traffic stops.

• During recent hurricanes, we had staff who came in shelters to advocate and ensure stranded consumers have access to communication equipment such as a personal amplifier device for instance.  Shelter volunteers were enlightened by this invisible Hard of Hearing population.

• In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we had staff that developed great collaborative relationships with the local news or mayor’s offices to ensure captioning and/or sign language interpreters are visible.

If it were not for the ADA-mandated accommodations, our staff would not be out there interacting with law enforcement officers, emergency personnel, government representatives, rendering what’s an invisible population visible, and serving as role models to them.  Because of their exposure to us, they learn that with the right information and accommodations, we can take care of ourselves.  This motivates our partners to respond in ways that benefit Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind communities.
 

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the ADA

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