| Dear Disability Advocate, Governor Hochul just received legislation on her desk to establish a State Commission for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. She has nine days within which to decide to sign it or veto it. Please copy and paste the letter below to her website at https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form, and let her know you’re counting on her to sign this critical legislation. Thank you! R U T H L O W E N K R O N, E S Q. Director, Disability Justice Program N Y L P I New York Lawyers for the Public Interest 151 West 30th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001-4017 Tel: (212) 244-4664 Fax: (212) 244-4570 TTY: (212) 244-3692 RLowenkron@NYLPI.org http://www.nylpi.org Dear Governor Hochul, We who support the nearly four million New York State residents with measurable hearing loss, urge you to sign the legislation (A6710, and S1852) to establish a State Commission for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. New York State needs ongoing policy and decision-making informed by individuals and families with lived experience. Professionals, lawmakers and ex-officios involved in policy and decision making are, more often than not, individuals without lived experience. New York State needs assessment, planning and delivery statewide of coordinated services to match the different needs of adults and children who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing in the areas of healthcare, housing, employment, education, social services and services for the elderly. One of every three people over age 65, and one of every two over 75, has a measurable hearing loss. New York State needs a central source of technical assistance to assure the delivery of effective communication to and with our three communities — by such means as captioning, assistive listening systems, properly trained and certified sign-language interpreters and tactile interpreters. Please demonstrate your continuing commitment to New Yorkers with disabilities by signing the approved legislation to make New York the 39th state with a commission or agency for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. Thank you. |