DC Council passes second vote to establish DC Office of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing with $836k budget

THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):

The DC Council unanimously passed a second vote to establish the DC Office of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing in a 13-0 vote. The office would have six full-time staff with a budget of $836,000. Here is an interview with Graham Forsey, the DC Association of the Deaf (DCAD) President. 

THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):

Hello! Can you introduce yourself and your position, and tell us what just happened in DC? 

GRAHAM FORSEY: 

Thank you. My name is Graham Forsey, President of the DCAD. I’m thrilled that the DC Council passed a bill to form the ODDBH. That’s short for the Office for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing. Today was the second and final vote. It was 13-0. So we’re all done and thrilled! 

THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX): 

The formation office comes with a $836,000 budget to hire six full-time staff. Can you explain what it will look like going forward? When will the office be formed? 

GRAHAM FORSEY: 

Yes, it’s $836,000. It’s actually an estimate. The actual amount could be modified a bit. Yes, we are hoping for at least six staff: the director, the assistant director, program specialist, public affairs specialist, secretary, and ASL interpreter. Will we start the office right now? Unfortunately, no. After this second vote, the bill goes to the mayor, who can sign it or veto it. But if it is vetoed, at least nine votes from the DC Council will override it. We got a 13-0 vote, so that’s pretty good. It basically means she has to sign it. The next step is a 30-day review from the U.S. Congress. It is because D.C. is a federal territory rather than a state. This part usually receives no response, and after 30 days, it becomes a law. The law is on paper alone, but you need the money. This part is usually sorted out in June of every year for the fiscal year that begins in October. So, it means we might see the office formed in October 2021, if all goes well. 

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GRAHAM FORSEY: 

When all goes as planned, D.C. will be the “37th state” to have an office for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing. DC also will be the first to have “DeafBlind” in its name. 

I’m really excited! I know the potential, the scope, the opportunities — the sky's the limit. For example, we could have an ASL interpreter for the first job interview. Or we could provide a grant for different deaf organizations to support them. Really, I don’t know the possibilities. What is important is equitable outcomes. These are two key words to make sure there is an equal playing field for all, regardless your background, disability, race, sex, or all the other isms — it’s important to have an equal playing field. Aim for equity. I’m so grateful to many people who worked on this bill. I’m not the only one. There were many others such as Brianne Burger, Sean Maiwald, Robb Dooling, and many other deaf organizations in the DC area. At least 10 different organizations were involved in this process during the October testimony and via email correspondence. This year, we finally passed the second vote and we’re hopeful about the future with it becoming law, establishing the office, and then that’s when the hard work begins! 

THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):

That’s the key, to have the right people and to not give up, to be persistent. And once you get through, you don’t just relax. You wrote a bill, made recommendations, had meetings, invited others, and then you finally got the testimony set up, the first vote, and the second vote. Wow. It’s not like you sent one email and got everything done. You had to do all those things. 

GRAHAM FORSEY: 

Yes, there are 13 other states that can do the same. There are 13 or 14 states left to go. I encourage them to contact their representatives and show them the bill. I have it here. I’m happy to share it. Kim from the NAD is available if you need a workshop on how to work with legislators in your state. We can show you different versions of bills and you can modify it to fit with your state. A lot of us are ready to support you. Someone has to do it. If not you, then who? Don’t wait, go ahead and roll your sleeves and get into it! You can make it happen. 

THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):

Congratulations, D.C.!