To watch the video and view in American Sign Language, please click here

To fight these inequities, and sign the petition: StandWithTheDeafCommunity

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What would you do if every day, you did not have full access to easily communicate? 

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What would you do in an accident, if emergency services could not locate you? What would you do if you were required to have two phone numbers, one for calling and one for texting? What would you do if this was the experience of your family member or friend…every single day? 

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 What would you do?

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It goes without saying that communication access is a human right. However, not all of us have this full right, in particular the deaf and hard of hearing community. 

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More than 30 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) promised the deaf community “functional equivalence in communication accessibility.” This promise, however, is far from being delivered and the inequities that the deaf and hard of hearing community still face today are a sobering reminder of how deeply our world continues to marginalize this community.

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It is beyond unacceptable that in the 21st century equal communications access for a community of people who pay their taxes and contribute to society like everybody else is elusive. It represents a significant lack of awareness and understanding from the hearing community and key decision makers.

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has the power to help change this. Leaders of the deaf community and its allies are pushing the FCC to listen, do more, increase investment in the deaf community and  enforce the positive change the ADA promised decades ago. However, through the current telecommunications program structure that is in place, the deaf and hard of hearing community is not being provided with the same communication access that hearing people take for granted, each and every day. 

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Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the FCC to manage, improve, and maintain communication services for the deaf community. However, as action and funding have slowed, the equivalence gap has only widened. To put it simply, the current program structure is broken and something must change. 

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A barrier-free and inclusive society should be accessible to everyone. Simply meeting minimum standards is not good enough. There needs to be more education. The deaf and hard of hearing community deserve equal human rights and it is past time for a solution. 

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Sherri Turpin, CEO of ZP Better Together says, “For the first time in decades, our nation is so close to doing the right thing for the deaf and hard of hearing community. I will continue to push the FCC to stand up and invest in this community – to deliver on the ADA’s  promise – I will push our hearing allies to stand boldly with the deaf community in support of their absolute right to live in a more inclusive and equitable world.”

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So what can you do?

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You can listen, take action, and educate those around you. As a society, we need to stand boldly together with and for the deaf community and fight to bridge our two worlds so that the lifelong opportunities for the deaf community are no different than those for the hearing. By doing so, the impact would be ground breaking for all of us.

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Sign the petition:

standwiththedeafcommunity.nationbuilder.com

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