CSDHH MISSION: To ensure equal access for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing by providing services to enhance communication through community outreach and advocacy.

CSDHH Overview

Communication Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CSDHH), formerly Guilford County Communication Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (GCCCDHH) began in 1975 with a mission to make services more accessible to Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind (D/HH/DB) residents of Guilford County. A 9 member Board of Directors governs CSDHH. Per our by-laws, 1 Board member is appointed by the Guilford County Commissioners.

According to a formula from Gallaudet University, approximately 8.6% of the population has a hearing loss and .49% of the population has a profound hearing loss and can be designated as deaf. While this number may seem to be a small percentage of the total population of Greensboro, it is fair to say that each of these persons has at least one of the following in their support system: parent, spouse, child, care taker, friend, employer, physician, teacher, attorney, or social worker. Each of the aforementioned people can also benefit from our services. Our agency not only provides services directly to individuals who are D/HH/DB but also to others who are responsible for providing community-based services (medical, legal, therapeutic, educational, etc.) to these same individuals.

Our mission is to "Ensure equal access for the D/HH by providing services to enhance communication through community outreach and advocacy." The primary mode of communication for individuals who are D/HH/DB is American Sign Language (ASL). ASL is a visual language that is not based on the English language. In fact, English is considered a second language for native users of ASL and therefore communication via other modes (written English, speech reading, etc.) is most often not effective. For example, can you imagine receiving all information pertaining to an upcoming surgery by writing back and forth with your doctor in your second language? As part of our mission we educate physicians and other service providers about the need to communicate effectively with their patients, clients, employees, etc. in their native language. The need for clarity is beneficial in both expressive and receptive communication.

Our mission also involves educating the community about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its provisions regarding effective communication. You may be interested to know that according to the ADA it is the responsibility of the service provider to provide effective communication just as it is the responsibility of the service provider to ensure that physical barriers are eliminated. Improved building codes have helped ensure our progress towards removing physical barriers. However, provisions for effective communication have no "building code" or local ordinance on which it can depend. The need for education regarding effective communication surfaces each time a D/HH person requests services from a new provider.

Funding for this agency has been maintained through donations, fund-raisers, restricted grants from the state and private foundations and a Community Based Organization (CBO) grant with Guilford County. CSDHH also receives income from the coordination of sign language interpreting services, sign language classes and computer assisted note-taking services. The agency uses sub contractors to provide the aforementioned services. Area businesses, employers, physicians, etc. contact CSDHH to request an interpreter/note-taker/sign language teacher. CSDHH then charges the business for the service. The fee is used to pay the sub contractor and to pay CSDHH for coordination of the service, billing, postage, etc.