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Commissioners urge better accessibility at conferences, call for more EHDI representation
Summary
Commissioners raised accessibility concerns for deafblind professionals at conferences and called for stronger community representation on the EHDI Council.
Commissioner Dr. Wimberley described repeated accessibility challenges for deafblind professionals attending conferences and asked the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf (LCD) to partner with the Department of Education to improve adult‑level interpreting and on‑site accommodations.
"We have to carry our own background to those events," Wimberley said, describing the burden of moving portable visual backgrounds between sessions and the need for larger, consistent backgrounds so deafblind participants can fully engage. Wimberley said interpreters placed in adult conferences are sometimes trained for K‑12 settings and "we need to have adult expectations."
Chairperson Dr. Delgado, who also serves as vice chair for the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Council, said she wants to see increased representation of deaf, deafblind and hard‑of‑hearing people on that council. "We are making decisions about deaf babies, deaf blind babies. We need you all to participate and support us in that endeavor," she said, and announced that the next EHDI meeting is scheduled for July 25 from 12:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Commissioner Crosby reported on the Louisiana Association for the Deaf conference and recognized the Louisiana Relay Administrative Board and LCD for community grants and programming. Nancy Ralls of the Special School District and the Louisiana School for the Deaf offered public comment praising improvements to LEAP scores and thanked volunteers.
Why it matters: Improved conference access and broader representation on advisory councils affect equity in decision-making and information access for people who are Deaf, DeafBlind or hard of hearing.
What’s next: Commissioners asked LCD staff to pursue partnerships with education partners to improve conference accessibility and to encourage greater community participation on the EHDI Council.
