Need:  American Sign Language Interpreters are becoming a rare commodity as changes in technology and a failure to develop a workforce impact the ability of people who are Deaf to interact with the hearing world around them. 
  
The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has seen the fill rate for interpreter requests plummet drastically in the last few years. 

The explosion in Broadband Technology has created opportunities for remote interpreting via a computer terminal and web cameras.  It also has provided job opportunities with benefits to a pool of people that were previously independent contractors.

The DPC has seen the fill rate for the 24 meetings per year go from 100% in 2004 to 40% in 2006.  We have begun to reschedule our Board meeting for the convenience of interpreters.

Proposal: Develop incentives for the Commonwealth’s state and community college systems to develop new degree programs in Deaf studies and American Sign Language; create a scholarship program for advanced studies; add an outreach and marketing component targeted at elementary and secondary education.