George Mason University-Governor’s Proposed 2012-2014 Biennial State Budget Hearing

I was at George Mason University this past January 6th for the Regional Budget Hearing at the Johnson Center. Gary Viall, the Chair of the Virginia Association of the Deaf (VAD) and Cheryl Heppner, the Executive Director of Northern Virginia Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons (NVRC) testified that the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities worked very hard for many years to have Virginia Dept. of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) established.

However, Governor McDonnell proposes to consolidate three state agencies, VDDHH, Virginia Dept. of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) and Virginia Dept. for the Aging (VDA) into one central agency.

Of course, we are opposed to the idea because VDDHH is a vital agency for our citizens that would lose its identity in such a merger. It is the only agency on the state level that provides special services to individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. They’re staffed by specialists and possess the knowledge, communication skills and understanding of crucial needs of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people that one would be hard put to find elsewhere in state agencies.

Let’s hope that this provision will be eliminated from the Governor’s package.

“Advocacy, advocacy, advocacy…and not necessarily in that order!”

By Doreen Solar, Deaf Outreach Coordinator

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