Interest groups in the United States contribute to the political system by bringing important issues and relevant information to our nation’s legislators. Through federations, associations and coalitions, large groups of people pool their collective strength, hoping the government will respond in their favor.
People with hearing loss are not without representation in political spheres thanks to a coalition formed in 1993, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network (DHHCAN). Claude L. Stout, chair of DHHCAN, credits the National Association of the Deaf with recognizing that a more effective political voice in Congress could be achieved by uniting with other groups and creating the coalition.
Representing the special interests of deaf, hard of hearing (D/HH) and deaf-blind citizens in public policy and legislative issues, DHHCAN’s membership is composed of nonprofit organizations with a national scope, whose boards of directors and memberships consist of 51 percent people who are D/HH. There are currently 16 coalition members who meet 10 times a year to plan campaigns promoting greater rights, quality of life, equal access and self-representation for their constituents.
Current DHHCAN projects include working with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enforce television closed-captioning regulations. Publishing consumer information and filing petitions with the FCC to require the enactment or enforcement of captioning regulations are just some of the ways that DHHCAN helps to ensure full access to television programs for D/HH individuals (see “DHHCAN Caption 2006 Information and Action Guide” on p. 36).
Another significant effort is the publication, “Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Communication Access Lessons Learned since 9/11 and Recommendations,” prepared jointly by DHHCAN and the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Persons. It documents various weaknesses in our country’s emergency preparedness infrastructure that may compromise the safety and security of D/HH and deaf-blind persons in the U. S. The widespread difficulties experienced by D/HH individuals on September 11, 2001, heightened concern about gaps in homeland security and emergency preparedness plans that do not adequately address the special needs of people with hearing loss and non-English speaking persons. The report makes specific recommendations for broadcasting, manufacturing and federal regulation of televisions, the Internet, telecommunications, telecommunications relay services and text devices (pagers, PDAs, cell phones, text radios, etc.). The report reminds us of our recent experiences such as anthrax outbreaks, sniper shootings and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and underscores the need for these recommendations to be considered and implemented.
Stout identifies equal employment opportunity as the greatest area of need for D/HH. Stout, who earned an M.B.A. from Gallaudet University, estimates that 50 to 70 percent of D/HH are either unemployed or underemployed. He would like to see more educational opportunities for D/HH and greater awareness and sensitivity for the potential of D/HH in the mainstream workforce.
At the helm of DHHCAN for more than seven years, Stout knows firsthand the power wielded by a coalition speaking as a united voice for change and has seen the positive response from the FCC as well as the Departments of Justice, Education and Transportation. Stout reflects, “Under today’s political realities, we have functioned well as a united political force. When we have spoken with one voice, the government has taken our views seriously and responded with appropriate action that met our expectations.”
