Background
The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf (LCD) was established by Act 629 in 1980 by Louisiana legislature, to serve as the principal agency of the state providing leadership to promote the general welfare of d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing individuals. LCD is funded through a telecommunications tax on all local and wireless phone lines in Louisiana.
In 2017, LCD moved from under the Office of the Secretary in the Louisiana Department of Health to the Bureau of Family Health. With this move came new legislation which added wireless phones in addition to landlines to the Telecommunications Tax for the Deaf fund, thereby increasing LCD’s overall budget and began new consideration of LCD’s purpose. In 2019, LCD prioritized modernizing LCD’s statute, RS 46:2351-2355, to ensure the law reflected the current needs of the d/Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing communities in Louisiana. In order to be informed of what revisions were necessary, LCD engaged in a 6 month community-focused engagement and as a result developed a new mission, vision, and values, along with a three year strategic plan approved in 2021. During the 2022 Regular Legislative Session, LCD’s statute revisions were authored, submitted, and signed into law as Act 128.
Our Mission
ENGAGE: We are committed to informing the community in an inclusive manner that actively draws people. We will be proactive in reaching people that we have not connected with before.
EMPOWER: We aspire for Deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing people to confidently say that they have the information and tools they need to succeed and advocate for themselves. We define success as Deaf people being independent.
ENRICH: The deaf community advances from not just surviving or living, but thriving! In attaining this mission the Deaf person has maximized their life potential. They lead fulfilled lives through accessible information and resources to support their individual goals.
Our Vision
A Louisiana that embraces that inclusion of a diverse deaf community through full access to information, communication, and opportunities.
Our Values
ADVOCACY: We wholeheartedly believe that your best advocate is you. Our work is centered in ensuring stakeholders become independent and confident self-advocates by providing information, education, and encouragement along the way.
ACCOUNTABILITY: We aim to eliminate long-standing misconceptions and barriers in systems and practices by taking the time to educate, collaborate with, and hold agencies, organizations, institutions and ourselves accountable when d/Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing needs are not met.
EQUALITY: The community we serve is incredibly diverse. We strive to serve the full spectrum of the community by addressing inequity and challenging biases where they exist.
ACCESSIBILITY: True accessibility is not an afterthought, but must be built-in from the beginning. This starts with defining what it means to be accessible, educating others, modeling best practices, and empowering those we serve.
SUSTAINABILITY: We are resolute in making Louisiana nationally known as a place where d/Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing community members thrive. We achieve this by partnering with state agencies, service providers, consultants, employers, community members, and other stakeholders.
LCD’s mission is to engage, empower, and enrich the lives and opportunities of Louisiana d/Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing individuals. To do this, we perform the following actions:
🌍
Provide services and programs to people who are d/Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing to support communication access to information in order to navigate the world around them.
📣
Promote these services so people understand what they are and how to access them.
📊
Evaluate the program through stakeholder involvement and find ways to improve experiences for everyone continuously.
🗣️
Advocate for the needs and rights of people who are d/Deaf through informing, advising, and educating others.
📜
Establish standards for the state’s American Sign Language Interpreter workforce, support ongoing training and professional development, and maintain a registry of interpreters within Louisiana.
Authorizing Laws:
LCD’s strategic planning was a multi-phased, stakeholder-driven process that began December 1, 2020 and ended with Commission Board approval on July 9, 2021. Learn about the six identified priorities LCD will focus on over three years.
The six identified priorities for 2021-2024 are:
🤝 Enhance Community Engagement
🌍 Modernize the Telecommunications Access Program
😃 Address Gaps in Mental Health Services
📣 Address Racial Disparities in LCD Services
🗞 Establish Interpreting Standards and Systems
🚗 Improve Services for DeafBlind citizens