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ODHH was established in 2001 to provide expertise related to deaf and hard of hearing issues to Maryland citizens and to facilitate their ability of access resources and services. We hope that this website will help us to fulfill our mission by providing access to information and resources related to deaf and hard of hearing individuals in Maryland.

ODHH believes that all Maryland citizens who are deaf or hard of hearing should have equal and full access to resources, services, and opportunities for participation in all aspects of community life through the provision of appropriate accommodations.

Thank you for visiting us today! We look forward to serving you.

November News....American Legion Dorchester Post 91 Helps
Veterans with Hearing Loss Get Hearing Aids

Until October 2008, many of the veterans who were treated at VA clinics needed hearing aids, but were ineligible under VA federal guidelines to receive them. At a cost of $600 to $1,300 per two devices, the expensive hearing aids were in great demand and supplies diminished quickly.

Members of the American Legion Dorchester Post 91, in consultation with the VA Maryland Health Care System, decided to help by using part of the proceeds from their slot machines to assist veterans with hearing loss get the help they needed. Read more in our November newsletter on the right.

Text Messaging While Driving Ban Takes Effect 10/1

Beginning on October 1, 2009, it will be against the law to write or send a text message while operating a car or other motor vehicle while the vehicle is moving or in the travel part of the road. This means you cannot use your iPhone, Blackberry, or any other device to write or send emails or
messages while you are driving. Read more.

VHA Directive 2008-070

The Department of Veterans Affairs must provide audiology and eye care services, hearing aids and glasses to military veterans with any compensable service-connected disability. Public Law 104-262, the Veterans Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, changed eligibility laws to allow the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to furnish prosthetic appliances to veterans. However, that law further provided that VHA could not furnish sensori-neural aids (hearing aids and eyeglasses) except in accordance with guidelines that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) prescribes. Subsequently, the VA published regulations establishing such guidelines. In
2002, VHA issued Directive 2002-039 to establish uniform policy for the provision of hearing aids and eyeglasses. It is now VHA policy that all enrolled veterans and those veterans exempt from enrollment are eligible for medical services that include diagnostic audiology and diagnostic
and preventive eye care services, and that the prescription and provision of hearing aids and eyeglasses must be furnished to all eligible veterans in accordance with the parameters and criteria defined in VHA DIRECTIVE 2008- 070 dated 28 OCT 08. Full details of the directive can be
viewed at http://tinyurl.com/ykwhv4v.

H.R. 2506 - Veterans Hearing and Assessment Act

H.R. 2506 – The Veterans Hearing and Assessment Act - expresses the sense of Congress that tinnitus is one of the leading service-connected disability issues that is not being addressed.

The Act, introduced by Rep. Harry Teague of New Mexico, directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure that each member of the Armed Forces receives a hearing evaluation that includes a screening for tinnitus before the member is deployed and after the member returns from a deployment. Read more in our November newsletter to the right.

NTID Welcomes Veterans With Hearing Loss

A college specializing in technical education for students with hearing loss is reaching out to U.S.
troops who have suffered significant hearing loss as a result of exposure to gunfire and explosions
during their military service. The National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a college of Rochester Institute of Technology, has established the Military Veterans with Hearing Loss Project at RIT/NTID and plans to admit recent veterans with hearing loss. Those veterans can earn bachelor or graduate-level degrees at RIT with access services – such as real-time captioning and notetaking in the classroom – from NTID. Nearly 1,300 deaf and hard-of-hearing students attend NTID. They receive access services as needed in classrooms throughout the RIT campus. “It makes sense for us to welcome the men and women serving our country who could benefit from
the education and access services we offer,” said NTID President Alan Hurwitz. “Our talented faculty and staff have experience helping those who have suffered a sudden hearing loss. RIT/NTID would be a perfect option for veterans seeking to continue their education. We are happy to help serve the men and women who have already sacrificed so much to serve our country.” For more information, visit www.rit.edu/ntid/veterans.