New York State Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Office Resources

The following schools and organizations offer services for members of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing communities.

Learn ASL

If you’re interested in learning ASL please visit your local community colleges or Schools for the Deaf in your area to see what courses are offered.

Interpreter Training program

• CMIST Response Team: Emergency Response Interpreter
  • This free day-long course is offered twice per year in January and in May for CEUs.
• Keuka College
• National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT)

Braille

• Helen Keller Services
• National Federation of the Blind

Hearing Loss

• Hearing Loss Association of America

DeafBlind

• New York State Commission for the Blind
• Guide Dog for the DeafBlind

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

• ACCES-VR (Vocational Rehabilitation)

Find training programs, earn certifications and find free continuing education opportunities:

• Best Practices for Working with an ASL Interpreter
• Best Practices for Working with a Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) Captioner
  • Find a CART captioner: NY State CART Captioner Resources
  • For more information on CART and other captioning options please visit the Hearing Loss Association of America's website.

Interpreter Training Programs

• National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT)
• Keuka College

Certifications

• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
• Board for Evaluation of Interpreters Certification Program
• Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment

Free Continuing Education Units for ASL Interpreters

• The Center for Atypical Language Interpreting (CALI) is addressing the growing demand for interpreters with the ability to adapt their language use and interpreting strategies to meet the linguistic needs of a broader range of Deaf and DeafBlind individuals.
• The Dive In project is identifying effective practices for supporting novice interpreters entering the field with a series of courses applicable to novice interpreters and students.
• A free day-long course is offered in January and May for CEUs by the Colorado Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, for more information visit the CMIST Response Team: Emergency Response Interpreter website.
• The Interpreter Educational Program (IEP) of the Universidad Ana G. Méndez, provides continuing education opportunities for sign language interpreters to raise their cultural and linguistic competencies as well as training them in three areas of specialty; Educational, Medical, and Legal Interpretation, and its application with the native language of the Deaf and Deaf-Blind in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican Sign Language (LSPR).

It is with and deep regret—that we announce the ending of:

• The Improving Rural Interpreter Skills (IRIS) Project aims to increase the quantity and quality of rural interpreters by cultivating educational opportunities and sustainable connections that support professional growth.
• Project Level Up aims to advance ASL-English Interpreters working in healthcare settings through online courses covering a variety of foundational and specialized content.
• Promoting Equity in Healthcare Interpreting (PEHI) aims to advance opportunities for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and DeafBlind patients to experience equitable healthcare by increasing the number and skills of ASL/English interpreters.
• Protactile Language Institute (PLI) has created a curriculum to support interpreter educators accessing the latest content for instruction about the DeafBlind community, Protactile language, and the evolving principles of PT.

Due to a non-renewal of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration, all programming associated with this grant has officially ended on September 30, 2025.

RID NY Chapters

• NYC Metro
• Genesee Valley Region
• Long Island
• Code of Professional Conduct

CART Certifications and Training Programs

• CART Captioning (Communication Access Realtime Translation) — The Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC) is NCRA's certification designed for entry-level captioners who would like to begin working in the broadcast or CART captioning fields.
• NCRA-Approved Court Reporting Programs

New York State offers assistance in social programs as well as discounts on transportation and admission to State Parks.

Social Programs

• NY ABLE Account
• Social Programs SSI/SSDI

New York State Attractions

• Attractions
• Access Pass
• Things to Do
• A Deaf-Friendly Weekend in Rochester

Transportation

• Public transportation

Numerous educational opportunities are available for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing community:

New York

• SED Special Education
• 4201 Schools
• NY State School for the Deaf, Rome
• PS47
• New York DeafBlind Collaborative
• BOCES list programs
• Contact a BOCES program
• Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech
• StrivRight/Auditory Oral School of New York
• Post Secondary Ed for students with Disabilities
• NYDBC Student Registration
  • The current roster for the 2023 count closes 12/1/24, however, children between the ages of 0 - 22 can be registered with the New York DeafBlind Collaborative at any point throughout the year. Please contact NYDBC at [email protected].

National

• Gallaudet University
• National Technical Institute for the Deaf
• National Deaf Center
• National Center for DeafBlind
• Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
• Education of the Deaf Act of 1986

The following organizations and state agencies offer resources to assist, enhance and connect employers with members of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing community.

• National Deaf Center
• Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults
• New York Employment Services System
• Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Employment Services
• Communicating with Deaf individuals at work
• New York State 55-b/c Program: Hiring individuals and veterans with disabilities

Employers

• State tax credit for employment of persons with disabilities
• Federal tax benefits for businesses who have employees with disabilities
• Best practices for working with an ASL Interpreter

Vocational Rehabilitation

• ACCES-VR
• Commission for Blind

Other Employment Services

• NYS DOL Career Centers: Find a center in your region.
• NY HELPS: New York State job opportunities.

Assistive technology, loans and tools are available for members of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing community.

• TRAID program Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities (Justice Center)
• NYS Commission for the Blind
• DeafBlind-HKNC I Can Connect
• Talking Book and Braille Library
• Captel Phone
• Assistive Listening Devices
• Hearing loops NYC
• Hearing loops NY State
• FCC Video Relay Service
• FCC provider for video phone providers
• NY Relay
• Office of General Services approved contractors
• Hearing Assistive Technology

Hearing Aid Information in NYS
There are several options that may help make hearing aids more affordable, depending on your hearing needs, insurance coverage, income, and age.

• Over-the-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aids: People with mild to moderate hearing loss may benefit from OTC hearing aids, which are sold without a prescription and usually cost less than prescription devices.
• Medicare Advantage Plan: (Part C) Coverage: Many Medicare Advantage plans help cover hearing aids, exams, and related services, but coverage and dollar limits vary by plan.
• Manufacturer Assistance Programs: Some hearing aid manufacturers offer free or low-cost hearing aids to people who qualify based on income, hearing loss, and location. These include the Starkey Hearing Foundation and Starkey Cares.
• Community and Civic Organizations: Local organizations may offer free or low-cost hearing aids, including refurbished devices, depending on available funding and resources. These include Kiwanis International, Lions Clubs International, Sertoma International.
• Help America Hear: This nonprofit provides new prescription hearing aids and custom ear molds to individuals and families with financial need.
• Olive Osmond Hearing Fund: This program may provide free hearing aids, for children and currently serves children in New York State only.

Help and assistance is available from New York State and support organizations below:

State Assistance

• Early Intervention Services

Education

• Educational resources
• NYDBC Student Registration
  • The current roster for the 2023 count closes 12/1/24, however, children between the ages of 0 - 22 can be registered with the New York DeafBlind Collaborative at any point throughout the year. Please contact NYDBC at [email protected].

Support organizations

• Hands and Voices
• American Society for Deaf Children
• Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
• National Beacon Center for Early Language System Accountability and Data
• New York Parent Association for the DeafBlind
• Hands United
  • Supporting immigrant families with children who are Deaf or hard of hearing

Federal Government

• Department of State Daily Press Briefing
• White House Daily Press Briefings
• National Association of the Deaf
  • For government resources in ASL
• FEMA Accessible Registering for Individual Assistance-ASL

Federal Agencies Direct Video Calling Lines

• Direct Video Calling (DVC) | Federal Communications Commission (fcc.gov)
• 988 Lifeline - U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• ASL Consumer Support Line - U.S. Federal Communication Commission (FCC)
• ASL Direct Video Line - U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• Disability Information and Access Line - U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL)

Local Government

• Deaf Equity Council in Rochester

State and New York City Government

• Governor Hochul live stream press briefings
• Governor Hochul archived briefings
• Mayors Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)
• ASL Direct-Video Calling Service for NYC residents
  • MOPD Video Phone: 646-396-5830
  • Department of Social Services Video Phone: 347-474-4231
  • Connects Public Transit Riders to Live ASL Interpreters

Research Institutions

• Center for Deaf Health Equity
• National Beacon Center for Early Language System Accountability and Data

Tax Credits for Employers

• State tax credit for employment of persons with disabilities
• Federal tax benefits for businesses who have employees with disabilities

• File a discrimination complaint with the Division of Human Rights or call the DHR hotline at 1-844-NO-2-HATE.
• File a language access complaint for State services or benefits with the Office of Language Access complaint form.

Find housing for individuals in the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing communities.

• Tanya Towers (NYC for Axis | psychiatric diagnoses)
• Rochester View Apartments (Rochester)
• Destiny Group home (DeafBlind Intellectual and Developmentally Disabled in Nassau County)

New York State Housing Programs

• Homes and Community Renewal (State program opportunity for building funding)
• Land Opportunity

Learn more about your rights:

Federal

• Know your rights-ADA
• IDEA
• Section 504 Rehab Act
• Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)
• 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act
• Education of the Deaf Act of 1986
• The Fair Housing Act of 1968

New York law

• New York State: IDEA
• UCS Courts
• Section 559 IAC
• NY Language Access law
  • Language Access Law OGS/OLA Office of Language Access (requesting interpreter services)
  • Person-First and Identity-First Language Glossary | Office of General Services
• Section 4201
• Assembly Bill A8560A - Law Passed and Signed by Governor Kathy Hochul Dec 2024
  • Requires hospitals to ask patients if they have a disability that requires accommodation under The Americans with Disabilities Act

Find mental health and addiction resources:

Mental Health

• Center for Hearing and Communication
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Suicide Prevention Hotline 988
• Deaf LEAD's: Deaf Crisis Line (DCL)
  • DCL supports callers who are facing a variety of challenges and are victims of crime.
• Office of Mental Health Guidance
• Office of Mental Health Communication Needs
• Office of Mental Health Supported Employment Services
• Tanya Towers NYC

Addiction

• Office of Addiction Services and Support (OASAS)
• Substance and Addiction Intervention Services for the Deaf (SAISD)

Several advocacy groups offer assistance to immigrants who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing to achieve their American dream.

• Office for New Americans
• Deaf Refugee Advocates
• Deaf Access Services Refugee Services
• Deaf New American Advocacy INC
• The Naturalization Process in ASL
• Hands United
  • Supporting immigrant families with children who are Deaf or hard of hearing

The following organizations offer support and resources catered to the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing community.

• Whole, Me Inc. (Central NY)
• National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
• Empire State Association of the Deaf
• Hearing Loss Association of America
• NY State Association of HLAA
• American Association of the DeafBlind
• Hands and Voices
• American Society for Deaf Children
• National Center for Deaf Health Research
• National Association of Interpreters in Education
• Ushers Syndrome Coalition
• The Charge Syndrome Foundation
• Center for Disability Rights (Albany, Corning, Geneva and Rochester)

Find professional development resources for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing community.

• New York DeafBlind Collaborative
• National Deaf Center
• National Center on DeafBlindness
• Continuing Education for Speech and Language Pathology
• New York State Speech-Language Hearing Association

The following schools and organizations offer trainings to become service providers for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing communities.

Learn ASL

If you’re interested in learning ASL please visit your local community colleges or Schools for the Deaf in your area to see what courses are offered.

Interpreter Training program

• National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT)
• Keuka College

Braille

• National Federation of the Blind
• Helen Keller Services

Captioning

• CART Interpreting (Communication Access Realtime Translation) — The Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC) is NCRA's certification designed for entry-level captioners who would like to begin working in the broadcast or CART captioning fields.
• NCRA-Approved Court Reporting Programs

Teacher of the Deaf Programs

• Hunter College
• RIT
• Columbia University
• NYS SED Requirements

Audiology Programs

• University at Buffalo
• Syracuse University
• CUNY
• Adelphi University, St. Johns University and Hofstra University

Speech and Language Pathology

• New York Speech Pathology Degrees, Online MSLP Included

To add additional resources, contact the Office for Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing by email at [email protected].