The Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing Celebrates 35 Years of Serving Arizona
The Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing (ACDHH) will celebrate 35 years of service in Arizona by honoring two individuals and two organizations that have advocated on behalf of Arizonans who are deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind, at a dessert reception on March 22 from 3-5 p.m. at the ACDHH offices located at 100 North 15th Avenue, Phoenix.
The event will recognize two individuals and two organizations that have helped ACDHH improve the quality of life for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind residents with first-ever Advocate Awards.
“Much has been accomplished by the Commission over the past 35 years and we couldn’t do what we do without the support of organizations and individuals committed to this mission,” said Sherri Collins, executive director of ACDHH since 1998. “Our 35th anniversary is a perfect time to honor those accomplishments.”
ACDHH will honor the following with the 2013 ACDHH Advocate Award:
Jeanne HollabaughDonna LeffRose Daly-Rooney, Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Civil Rights DivisionMichael Trailor, Director of Arizona Department of Housing
Established in 1977, ACDHH has touched the lives of thousands of deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind individuals and their family members by providing them with resources to improve the quality of life.
Some of their major milestones include:
– Newborn Hearing Screening Legislation – Advocated for Senate Bill 1250 requiring hearing test results be reported to the Department of Health Services and the Newborn Screening Program.
– Sign Language Interpreter Legislation- Served as the lead and advocated for Senate Bill 1151, which created statewide standards for sign language interpreters.
– Helped to open Apache Trails, the first fully equipped deaf friend apartment complex in the state.
– Advocated for the installation of closed-captioning and video-description technology in Harkins Theaters company-wide.
– Established healthcare curriculum to train hospital staff, doctors and other healthcare workers to communicate better with patients who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind.
ABOUT ACDHH:
Established in 1977 to improve the quality of life for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind residents, ACDHH serves as a statewide information referral center for issues related to people with hearing loss and aspires to be a national leader in communication access, support services and community empowerment throughout the state. The purpose of the organization, and its commissioners, is to ensure, in partnership with the public and private sector, accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing to improve their quality of life. Commissioners include Chairman Chris Schneck, Juliann Wasisco, Sherry Appleby, David Curry, Tina Duresky, Robert Hill, Robert Kirschbaum, Sue Kay Kneifel, Tom Muller, Maureen D. Sydnor, Kathy Ann Roadlander and Roslyn R. Seibold.
