Oppose House Bill 1367 (Now in Senate)

Indiana does have an Outreach Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing. It is unbiased. Outreach Services receives a portion of funds from Indiana School for the Deaf at no additional cost to the state. Outreach Services has continued to provide exemplary services fitting each family’s needs. Outreach provides (both hearing and deaf employees) audiologists, language and literacy specialists, speech therapists, activities designed for both languages, provides training on all ranges of deaf and hard of hearing issues, education and resources. At all trainings, deaf and hearing are equal participants and certified interpreters proficient in both languages are provided. Outreach Services works with Depts. of Health and Education to provide early intervention through SKI-HI curriculum and to ensure students who are deaf and hard of hearing are receiving quality education.

Fun fact: Outreach Services met with families, providing all options: 90% of the families opt for Spoken English only. How it is that Outreach Services is biased?

House Bill 1367 is currently in the Senate and is an ‘emergency’ bill. The Bill seeks to remove Outreach from Indiana School for the Deaf, creating a ‘new’ agency claiming to be unbiased, recreating a new staff and resources. The sole ‘administrator’ for this agency is the Office of Management and Budget. It has been clear from day one that the bill in its infancy has been vague in the fiscal and educational accountability. It has been clear with the amendments that it continues to be proportionally in favor of certain organizations which oppose American Sign Language. This bill is an over legislation on policies that operate agencies and the flow of communication that may or may not be prevented by certain laws such as HIPAA. The ‘emergency’ is to pass this bill, have a transition plan in place by October 1, 2012 and implement this plan June 1, 2013. Families continue to fall through cracks and policies (flexible ‘rules’) will be trapped by this legislation (fixed ‘rules’).

We have finally in the last decade or two have begun to emerge from the shadow of the Dark Age (mid 1800’s-1960’s) to become fiscally independent and with quality education. Many of us are bilingual users, American Sign Language and American English.

This bill if passed will set us back, technology or not, another 100 or so years.