MISSION STATEMENT
To promote, advocate and educate for complete and equal access to all HIV/AIDS services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the areas of prevention, education, testing, counseling, support and other services currently available to the general population.

---

Enhancing One-On-One Communication
Deaf & Dying - Part 1 | Deaf & Dying - Part 2

---

The task force on AIDS and the Deaf Community was established in November, 1994. It is comprised of both public and private agencies, including the Hartford Health Department, Red Cross, Family Services Woodfield, Concerned Citizens for Humanity, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, Mental Health Program for Deaf and hard of hearing persons, American School for the Deaf, Department of Public Health-AIDS Division, Commission on Deaf and Hearing Impaired, AIDS Project Hartford, as well as consumer advocates

In keeping with our mission statement, some accomplishments thus far:

• Red Cross training of Deaf and hard of hearing consumers to be instructors in the community.
• Collaborate with CCfH in creating an innovative project to the Deaf and hard of hearing community through the use of high visual images.
• We surveyed a number of agencies who advertised TTY (a device allowing for phone accessibility for Deaf people) accessibility and found 9 out of 10 of the agencies either hung up on the caller, a voice message replaced TTY access, or the TTY number had been disconnected without a forwarding number.
• Guest speakers to educate and enhance the knowledge of Task Force members on the needs of the Deaf community; they include: a Deaf consumer with AIDS, Deaf Latina case manager from Boston serving HIV/AIDS Deaf consumers, AIDS Legal Network.
• Public awareness representation at Pro Visions, Connecticut Association of the Deaf conference, The "Big E" Deaf house, Hartford Public Access Television, articles in newsletters for C.D.H.I, Connecticut Association of the Deaf, Hartline (AP/H).
• Workshops for gay, Deaf males on AIDS and safer sex.

A Task Force sanctioned survey by University of Hartford students found that in Hartford alone, 56 Deaf/hard of hearing persons were identified as having HIV/AIDS. AIDS disproportionately affects almost 10 times the number of Deaf people than non-Deaf persons.

This disproportionate number clearly reflects, in part, that the Deaf and hard of hearing does not have fair and equal access to services. To that end, the Task Force recommends the following:

1. Inclusion of Deaf and hard of hearing statistics on HIV Counseling and Testing forms.
2. The establishment of a case manager skilled in American Sign Language.
3. Funding:
• To interpret and caption videos related to HIV/AIDS.
• To create and purchase Deaf specific materials
• Provide training for on-going education for Task Force members and community advocates.
• Establish a designated TTY, 24-hour hotline.
• Create a list of accessible resources for both Deaf consumers and professionals. Re: Deafness and HIV/AIDS.
• All HERR contracting agencies will have available a person knowledgeable of resources accessible to the Deaf community.
• Provide financial assistance (if necessary) for interpreting services, for support groups, case management, and educational workshops.

---

The following organizations have made a commitment to providing accessible services to the Deaf community:

Organization	Contact Person	Phone Number
AIDS Project Hartford	Michelle Peters	860-951-4791 V/TTY
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services	Doreen Simon-Marques - Hartford	860-233-8249 V/TTY
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services	Sandy Inzinga - New Haven	203-974-3023(V) 203-974-3013(TTY)
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services	Barbara Cassin - Norwich	860-887-3546 V/TTY
Capitol Region Mental Health	Erich Anderson-Krengel	860-297-0805 TTY
American Red Cross	Tracy Cassalia	860-678-2836 FAX 860-678-2894
Dept of Public Health, AIDS Div	Chris Andresen	860-509-7801 V
Family Services Woodfield	Ivelisse M. Velez	203-696-0560 V/TTY
Hartford Health Dept AIDS Prgm	Dalia Belliveau	860-772-6748 TTY