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