Illinois Deaf And Hard Of
Hearing Commission
www.idhhc.state.il.us
1630 South Sixth Street
Springfield, IL 62703
887.455.3323
OVERVIEW
Agency Mission
To advance the interests of all Illinois citizens with a
hearing loss by advocating for systemic
improvements, promoting cooperation and
coordination among entities serving people who are
deaf and hard of hearing, and disseminating
information to eliminate negative stereotypes
surrounding hearing loss.
Strategic Priorities
• Improve access to state programs and services
for all deaf and hard of hearing citizens.
• Monitor and evaluate programs receiving state
funds to ensure communication access for deaf
and hard of hearing citizens.
• Increase public awareness of the Interpreter for
the Deaf Licensure Act.
Summary of Agency Operations
The Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission
(IDHHC) represents the interests of the deaf and
hard of hearing population by advocating for the
improvement and coordination of services to ensure
full communication access. This includes monitoring
state-funded programs and providing technical
assistance to public and private entities to decrease
communication barriers. IDHHC administers the
Interpreters for the Deaf Licensure Act of 2007. The
commission educates and informs consumers about
licensure requirements and further protects
consumers by evaluating the safety, soundness and
professional integrity of licensed interpreters.
Additionally, the commission investigates consumer
complaints when warranted relating to violations of
professional standards of practice. Upon request the
commission provides training and presentations
regarding hearing loss, the use of sign language
interpreters, and the rights of deaf and hard of
hearing consumers.
Further, IDHHC maintains a list of directories
specifically for services to deaf and hard of hearing
consumers, a lending library with materials related to
hearing loss, and distributes a resource manual for
parents of newly diagnosed infants with hearing loss.
Agency Resources Employed
FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010
Actual Enacted Recommended
General Funds 703.9 788.8 744.3
Other State Funds 0.0 100.0 135.0
Federal Funds 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 703.9 888.8 879.3
Actual Estimated Recommended
Headcount (FTE) 6.0 7.0 8.0
Appropriations ($ thousands)
Fund Category
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• IDHHC in partnership with the State Board of
Education and the Department of Human
Services, Bureau of Early Intervention have
submitted the report from the Joint Task Force on
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education Options.
• Collaborated with Central Management
Services in reviewing and enhancing the
communication access policy during testing in the
civil service exam.
• Collaborated with the Department of Human
Services Division of Rehabilitation (DHS/DRS) in
reviewing the manual communication bi-lingual
program and the assessment that is used to
determine the communication skills of future
employees hired by DHS.
KEY BUDGET INITIATIVES
• Implement the Interpreter for the Deaf
Licensure Act and refine procedures to assure
an efficient operation.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Estimated Projected
FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010
Public inquiries addressed 12,000 12,000 17,000 15,000 15,000
Library materials loaned 300 300 200 200 100
Promotional items and materials distributed 20,000 20,000 10,000 10,000 7,500
Interpreter registry 950 950 1,000 1,000 600
Workshops presented 50 50 60 60 30
Performance Metric Actual
7 - 36
