Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Meet the ODHH staff on June 28th!

The staff from ODHH will be at the Wisconsin Association of the Deaf (WAD) Conference in Middleton, Wisconsin, on Friday, June 28th.

Click here to find out more  (Exit DHS)

Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week is June 23 - June 29

"We don't need to see or hear in order to touch the world around us."
	Who Was Helen Keller? As a result of meningitis, Helen Keller became deaf and blind when she was just 19 months old. Her teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped to unlock the gates to the world for Helen, allowing her to become an international celebrity from the age of eight. Helen Keller called herself a "world citizen," travelling the globe, meeting with some of the most powerful people of the times and advocating for others. Upon her graduation from college in 1904, Helen published 14 books and met every President of the United States from Calvin Coolidge to John F. Kennedy. Movies and plays were made about her life and experiences. She remains an iconic figure and an everlasting symbol of how barriers can be overcome.
Helen Keller reading braille. Photo courtesy of www.helenkellerfoundation.org. Click on photo to visit their website.	Find Out More About Deaf-Blindness Find Out More About Helen Keller (Exit DHS)
What is the National Deaf Blind Equipment Distribution Program? (Exit DHS) This is a program working to ensure that every person with combined hearing and vision loss has access to modern telecommunication tools and the training necessary to use them, granting every individual the opportunity to interact with the world as an involved, contributing member of society. The program  provides outreach, assessments, telecommunications technology and training free of charge to those who meet federal eligibility guidelines. Find out more at www.iCanConnect.org (Exit DHS)

All external hyperlinks are provided for your information and for the benefit of the general public. The Department of Health Services does not testify to, sponsor, or endorse the accuracy of the information provided on externally linked pages.

What is ODHH?  What does the staff do?  How can we help you? Brochure (PDF, 231 KB)

Accommodations & Assistive Technology — A listing of public/private access information.

Benefits — Need help with Social Security, Medicare or others?

Communication Access — Tips for everyone on communication.

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) — This service is gaining popularity for communication access.

Complaints or Rights? — A broad list of complaint processes are shown here. A listing of links will guide you to the right place.

Council (Exit DHS) — ODHH has an advisory council.

Counseling Services — There are a few counseling services specifically tailored for the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf blind community.

DeafBlind Resources — Several links are included to help you to find information.

Demographic Reports — Over the years, various large-scale research organizations (including the Census Bureau) have used survey questions to find out how many people identify themselves as having health problems, functional limitations, impairments or disabilities.

Hearing Aids/Cochlear Implant — Information about hearing aids, cochlear implant, hearing health and hearing loss is presented.

Hearing Loss — Hearing loss affects approximately 28 million Americans.

Inservice/Training Request — Provides free in-services/trainings to interested parties on a variety of topics including: hearing loss, accessibility, cultural sensitivity, telecommunications and assistive technology devices, touching upon the rights and laws.

Job Training and Resources — Provides employers with resources tailored to meet the needs of persons, wishing to hire, in the process of hiring or interviewing, or currently have working for them, deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing persons. 

ODHHNet — ODHHNet provides timely and relevant information to individuals who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing along with their family members, advocates, professional associates, public and private agencies via an e-mail list-serve.

Resource Information — Resource list has been developed  to help you find an appropriate agency, program, or office in your area.

Service Fund — Pays for communication access (sign language interpreters or CART) services for deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing persons in certain situations not covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Sign Language Interpreting —
Needed to know how to schedule an interpreter or who is the right person?

Technology Accommodations — A range of technology information is available.

Telecommunications Assistance Program — TAP provides funds to people who meet income and hearing loss eligibility criteria as a means to assist in the purchase of specialized telecommunication devices, such as a TTY.

Tribal Information  — Who to contact in my tribal region?  What services are provided?

Wisconsin Interpreting and Transliterating Assessment — The assessment provides candidates with an individual assessment of interpreting and transliteration skills, supporting professional growth; whereas providing consumers with a measure of the interpreter’s skills in terms of providing communication access.

Contact Us — There are five regional offices in Wisconsin.

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Last Updated:  June 18, 2013