Information & Referral

The surveys of state agencies’ governance, services, budget, and staff has identified a common service provided by all state agencies: requests for information and referral. There are many national, state, and local information and referral organizations for the general public usage however only several organizations can offer niche expertise on resources to address issues affecting deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind people. State agencies of the deaf and hard of hearing are often overlooked despite its repository of invaluable resources.

It is our vision to heighten public awareness about our resources and to pool our limited staff and funds to develop a national database of fact sheets, articles, research, rosters, and other publications. We envision using the national standards of the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS). We hope the national database will include the topical list below. While we have yet to realize our vision, here we recommend a few resources organized as ‘topics’ to help you get started to meet your needs. Don’t forget to check out your state agency’s website for additional resources or contact us to submit a request for more information and referral.

Resources Related to Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind

Want more information? There are several resources on a some niche topics you may want to check out:

Resources Related to Disabilities

Use keyword or related search features to locate niche topics:

Resources Related to General Information

Use keyword or related search features to locate niche topics:

TOPIC

Each topic shall have the following resources:

I. Introduction / Background
II. Fact Sheets / Questions and Answers
III. Articles & Resources & Issues
IV. Legal (See LEGAL section below)
V. Organizations <with hyperlinks>
VI. Websites

ORGANIZATIONS

I. Type – Government, For Profit, Nonprofit
II. Proximity – International, National, U.S. region, State, City, County
III. Audience – D, HH, DB, Speech Disabled, Parents, Professionals, General Public
IV. Specialization – by General/DetailedTopical List

GENERAL TOPICAL LIST

Assistive Technology
Benefits/Assistance – Financial
Benefits/Assistance – Public
Captions
Careers in Deafness
Communication Methods & Tips
Court
Crisis Intervention
Deaf Community
DeafBlind
Demographics & Statistics
Developmentally Disabled
Disabilities
Diversity
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Education
Emergency Management
Employment
Entertainment
Families & Children
Hearing Aids
Hearing Loss
Housing
Human & Social Services
Interpreting
Law & Regulations – Federal – Disability
Law & Regulations – State – Disability
Law Enforcement
Legal Referral
Medical/Rehabilitation
Media
Mental Health
Recreation
Religion
Service Animals
Senior Citizens/Aging
Sign Language
Telecommunications
Transportation

DETAILED TOPICAL LIST

Assistive Technology

Alert Signalers: doorbells, light flashers, etc.
Alarms: smoke detectors, fire alarms, etc.
Assistive Listening Systems: FM, Audio Loop, Infrared, etc.
Weather / Disaster: radio receivers, paging systems, etc.
Telecommunication Equipment: TTY, amplifiers, videophones, pagers, etc.
Other

Benefits/Assistance – Financial

Hearing Aids
Assistive Devices
Telecommunication Equipment Distribution
Housing / Utilities
Payee Services
Credit Counseling
Discount Programs for Elderly / Disabled People
Tax Preparation
Other

Benefits/Assistance – Public

Identification cards
Birth & Death Certificates
Social Security Disability Benefits
Medicare / Medicaid
Other Medical Assistance
Food Assistance & Banks
Low Income / Welfare Benefits & Assistance
Tax Credits for Disability
Other

Captions

About Captioning
Captioning Standards
Captioning Software
Computer Assisted Real-Time Transliteration (CART)
Captioned Films / Movie Theaters
Captioned Television / Cable Broadcasting
Captioned Videotapes / DVDs / CDs
Captioned Websites
Other

Careers in Deafness

Volunteer & Internship Opportunities
Job Opportunities
Interpreting
Deaf Education
Mental Health
Social Work
Deaf Studies/ASL Instruction
Other

Communication Methods & Tips

Deaf Communication Methods & Tips
Hard of Hearing Communication Methods & Tips
DeafBlind Communication Methods & Tips
Oral / Aural
Speech / Lip-reading
Cued Speech
Minimal Language Skills
Sign Language
Language Acquisition & Development
Other

Court

Civil
Criminal
Jury Duty
Reporting
Probation
Other

Crisis Intervention

Domestic Violence
Sexual Abuse / Assault
Children / Adult Protective Services
Suicide
Other

Deaf Community

About Deaf Culture & Deaf Community
Deaf Awareness
Cultural & Pathological Views
Community & Social Events (Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind)
Other

DeafBlind

About DeafBlind
Braille
Medical Information on DeafBlind
Orientation and Mobility
Support Service Provider
Other

Demographics & Statistics (deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind)

Developmentally Disabled

About Developmentally Disabled
Residential Placement Services
Other

Disabilities

About Disabilities
Dual / Multiple Disabilities
Physical Disabilities
Other

Diversity

Minorities / Ethnicity
□ GLBT / Sexual Orientation
Other

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Treatment Facilities & Services
Support Groups

Education

Oral Schools (K-12)
Residential Schools (K-12)
Mainstreaming Schools (K-12)
Home School (K-12)
Special Education (K-12)
Inclusion
Assessment Testing (e.g. SAT / GRE)
Financial Aid
Colleges / Universities
Disability Services at Colleges/Universities
Continuing / Adult Education
Adult Literacy
Other

Emergency Management

911 TTY
Emergency Preparedness / Homeland Security Plans
Emergency Disaster Notification
Weather Alerts / Warning Systems
Other

Employment

Employment Issues
Vocational Rehabilitation
School to Work Transition
Job Coach/Mentor
Job Preparation / Search
Job Training
Job Opportunities
Job Interviews
Other

Entertainment

Arts
Museums
Theaters
Music
TV/Film
Poetry
Comedy
Other

Families and Children

Parent / Infant
Parenting Classes
Newborn / Infant Hearing and Screening
Early Intervention
Adoption / Foster Care
Child Care
Summer Camps
Youth Leadership / Recreation / Social
Parent or Youth Peer Support & Mentorship
Other

Hearing Aids

About Hearing Aids
Manufacturers
Hearing Aid Compatibility with Technology
Hearing Aid Care
Financial Assistance
Other

Hearing Loss

About Hearing Loss
Etiology of Deafness
Preventing Hearing Loss
Coping Strategies
Other

Housing

Landlord and Tenant Relations
Realtors, Lenders
Homeless Shelters
Low Income / Subsidized Housing
Assisted Living Centers
Retirement & Nursing Homes
Transitional Housing
Other

Human & Social Services

Directory of Services
Case Management
Low Functioning Deaf
Independent Living
Immigration Services
Disability Rehabilitation
Fundraising / Grants
Consultation
Regional Service Centers
Other

Interpreting

About Interpreting
How/Where to Request Interpreters
How to Use Interpreters
How to Become an Interpreter
Interpreter Mentorship
Interpreter Training Programs (ITP)
Interpreter Code of Ethics
Interpreter Certification Process
EducationalInterpreters
Trilingual Interpreters
Community Interpreters
Legal Interpreters
Tactile Interpreters
Medical Interpreters
Platform Interpreters
Religious Interpreters
Theater Interpreters
Other

Law & Regulations – Federal – Disability

Americans with Disabilities Act
Air Carrier Access Act
Architectural Barriers Act
Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act
Fair Housing Act
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
National Voter Registration Act
Rehabilitation Act
Telecommunications Act
Section 508
Voter Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act
Other

Law & Regulations – State – Disability

□ Newborn / Infant Hearing and Screening
□ Early Intervention
State Agencies on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Telecommunication Relay Service
TTY Equipment Distribution
Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights
Interpreting – Court
Interpreting – Certification & Licensure
Interpreting – ITP in Post-Secondary Education
Interpreting – Arrests
ASL as a Foreign Language (K-12)
□ Hearing Aid Insurance
Fair Housing
Smoke Detectors
Service Dogs
Assistive Technology
Other

Law Enforcement

Police
Arrests
Prison / Jails
Other

Legal

Advocacy
Attorneys
Legislation
Laws & Regulations
Policy & Procedures
Business & Tax Credits
Court Rulings
Legal Rights
Legal Assistance
Filing Discrimination/Complaints
Arbitration & Mediation Services

Medical / Rehabilitation

Medical / Health Disorders (Ear, nose, throat)
Communication Disorders
Speech Pathology
Cochlear Implants
Genetics Research
Audiology
Hearing, Speech & Language
□ Hospitals & Doctors
Prescription Drugs
Other

Media

Mailing lists
E-Group listservs
Publications – Magazines, Newspapers, Newsletters
Other

Mental Health

Counseling & Therapy
Treatment Facilities and Services
Support Groups
Other

Recreation

Sports
Hobbies & Crafts
Travel
Other

Religion
Service Animals

Service Animal Training Programs
Hearing Guide Dogs
Seeing Guide Dogs
Other

Senior Citizens / Aging

Progressive Hearing Loss
Aging Services
Other

Sign Language

History of American Sign Language
Views on American Sign Language
Sign with Your Baby
Sign Language or ASL Classes
Sign Language Research
American Sign Language Teachers & Standards
Other

Telecommunications

About Telecommunications
Broadband – Cable, DSL, etc.
Telecommunication Relay Service (TRS)
TRS through Pagers
Captioned Telephone (CapTel)
Video Point to Point (P2P)
Video Relay Service (VRS)
Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)
Video Remote Captioning (VRC)
Internet
Universal Access & Service
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
Wireless
Other

Transportation

Driver’s Education
Drivers’ Licenses
Automobiles
Public Transit Services
Airlines & Air Travel Service Problems
Airport Access & Security Screening
Ferries
Trains
Other