Deafness Advisory Council Sets Five Year Plan

April 18, 2008

Representatives and advocates from Maine’s Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and late deafened community met last night to iron out the final details of the group’s five-year strategic plan.

The document will be presented to Bureau of Rehabilitation Services in July and sets the agenda for increasing access for a range of state and community services for the 102,000 Mainers who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and late deafened.

Services specifically highlighted in the strategic plan include:

• senior citizens;
• employment;
• education;
• public safety/judicial;
• leadership/advocacy;
• public/state accessibility;
• access to legal and medical services;
• mental health;
• parent/family support; and
• services to people who are deaf and have a vision loss or a developmental disability.

Sets agenda for increasing access to Maine Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and late deafened.