The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is the Commonwealth’s primary department assisting deaf and hard of hearing people to maintain their independence and enhance their quality of life. The Commission provides specialized services for consumers and technical assistance for other departments. The approximately 40,000 deaf individuals and 456,000 hard of hearing individuals in Massachusetts are eligible for the Commission’s services.

The Commission’s programs include bilingual case management; information and referrals for consumers and their families; technical assistance to assist other departments in delivering services to deaf, late deafened, and hard of hearing clients; statewide interpreter and Computer Aided Real-time Technology (CART) referral service; after-hours emergency interpreter service for medical, mental health, and public safety emergencies; communication access and assistive technology training and consultation; and various independent living services, including skill training, peer mentoring, self-advocacy training, community education, and emergency intervention.

In Fiscal Year 2000, the Commission will provide:

• specialized case management services to 160 families of deaf and hard of hearing children;

• case management services to an additional 120 elderly clients;

• additional interpreter services to approximately 1,500 individuals and CART service to approximately 200 individuals;

• assistive technology and related training to an additional 150 individuals to enhance communication access and maintain independent living and employability; and

• independent living services to an additional 600 individuals and technical assistance to local service providers to address compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Fiscal Year 2000 recommendation includes additional funding of $65,660 to expand case management services to elderly clients (4125-0100); $40,686 to expand informational resources (4125-0100); $21,000 to expand administrative support services (4125-0100); and $75,000 to expand assistive technology services (4125-0100).

In addition, these recommendations include $22,055 to improve salaries for the Commission’s lowest paid, contracted, direct care workers. In Fiscal Year 1999, this funding was appropriated as part of a reserve account in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.

Budgetary Direct Appropriations

MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
4125-0100	For the operation of and services provided by the Massachusetts commission for the deaf and hard of hearing	5,756,609

Budgetary Retained Revenues

INTERPRETER SERVICES RETAINED REVENUE
4125-0101	The Massachusetts commission for the deaf and hard of hearing is hereby authorized to expend an amount not to exceed $138,000 for the provision of interpreter services, from payments received for said services and from monies received from private grants, bequests, gifts, or contributions; provided, that notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, for the purpose of accommodating timing discrepancies between the receipt of retained revenues and related expenditures, the commission may incur expenses and the comptroller may certify for payment amounts not to exceed the lower of this authorization or the most recent revenue estimate therefor as reported in the state accounting system	138,000

Intragovernmental Service Spending

INTERPRETER SERVICES INTRAGOVERNMENTAL CHARGEBACK
4125-0122	For the cost of interpreter services provided by staff of the Massachusetts commission for the deaf and hard of hearing; provided, that notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, for the purpose of accommodating timing discrepancies between the receipt of retained revenues and related expenditures, the commission may incur expenses and the comptroller may certify for payment amounts not to exceed the lower of this authorization or the most recent revenue estimate therefor as reported in the state accounting system	200,000
	Intragovernmental Service Fund 100%

Federal Grant Spending

MASSACHUSETTS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP
4125-0103	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Massachusetts Assistive Technology Partnership	405,981