Overview
The NYSDDBHH Office acts as a hub of information for state agencies, local governments and organizations to better serve individuals of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing communities.
Learn more about their ongoing efforts:
You Belong Here
New York State is committed to creating an inclusive workforce where people with disabilities have equal opportunities to build meaningful careers and share their talents. In September 2024, Governor Hochul signed Executive Order 40, making Employment First the state’s priority and promoting Competitive Integrated Employment for all.
2025
October
On October 7, Chris Woodfill presented to the Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council (MISCC) and the DDBHH communities and the Olmstead Plan. Read Transcript here.
On October 8, the Chief Disability Office Team presented at Nancy M. Sills ‘76 Memorial Lecture on Aging Law and Policy: Disability Inclusion in Aging Law and Policy at Albany Law School.
On October 10, our office as well as Ben Thapa from the Chief Disability Office attended the Inauguration of the new President of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at RIT, Dr. Caroline Solomon. Congratulations to you Dr. Solomon! We look forward to our future collaborations together.
On October 22, Chris Woodfill was honored to be one of the panelists on the Helen Keller Service's NDEAM virtual event, Strategies to Success: Celebrating Value and Talent in DeafBlind, Blind, and Employees with Low Vision.
On October 28 and 29, the NYS Chief Disability Office hosted the 4th Annual DREAM Symposium! Thank you to all those who came out and supported our first ever Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing track! Thank you to our community members who traveled in from all over the state, vendors, presenters, panelist and all our ASL interpreters and CART Captioners who made this year such a success.
Other Accomplishments
Together with the Office of Language Access, the NYSDDBHH Office developed Best Practices for working with an ASL Interpreter.
September
The third Saturday of September, or September 20, is Usher's Syndrome Awareness Day! Thank you Governor Hochul for your proclamation recognizing and supporting the Ushers Syndrome Community.
September 23 is International Sign Language Day! We're celebrating with NYS Office of Language Access! See how the Word Federation for the Deaf is celebrating with their International Week of Deaf People. The theme for 2025 is No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights.
On September 27, our office attended and tabled at the Big Apple Festival in Staten Island.
August
On August 5-7, our office attended the National Association for State Agencies for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Annual Summit held during the Deaf Seniors of America Conference in Kansas City, MO. Chris Woodfill presented on Reframing Language Access (NY's Language Access Law).
On August 22, Chris Woodfill participated in Strong Hospital's Deaf Immersion day in Rochester to 130 medical students hosted by the National Center on Deaf Health Research.
July
On July 9, the Office attended Room for Everyone: A Library Accessibility Day of Learning hosted at the Cultural Education Center in Albany.
ADA 35th Anniversary Celebration at Empire State Plaza
On July 16, the 35th Anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act was celebrated at the Empire State Plaza Concourse. View a timeline of the American with Disabilities Act in New York State.
June
On June 3, Executive Director Christopher Woodfill attended the Advancing Disabilities Inclusion in NYS Workplaces hosted by the Yang-Tan Institute at Cornell University.
On June 11, the Office toured renovations at Albany International Airport to give feedback on new accessibility features.
On June 12, Executive Director Christopher Woodfill moderated a meeting at the United Nations for the World Federation for the DeafBlind to recognize June 27 as International Day on DeafBlindness. This pushed the United Nations to officially ratify June 27th as the International Day of DeafBlindness on June 16, 2025.
On June 27, Happy First International Day of DeafBlindness was celebrated.
On June 28, the Office attended the Deaf Asian Street Festival hosted by the Metropolitan Asian Deaf Association in Chinatown’s Columbus Park.
May
On May 2, the Office attended The Lexington School for the Deaf’s early screening of the new Apple TV+ documentary Deaf President Now codirected by Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim.
On May 16, the Office attended the Retirement Celebration of NTID’s Dr. Gerrard Buckley in Rochester. Thank you Dr. Buckley for your years of advocacy and leadership to serve our Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Students.
On May 28, the Office toured St. Joseph's School for the Deaf in the Bronx and met with former Superintendent Debra Aries and new Superintendent Mark Patrick. Thank you Ms. Arles for your many years of service to our DDBHH children!
On May 29, the Office attended the National Council on Disabilities meeting in New York City.
On May 30, the Office met with and toured NYC PS 47, The American Sign Language and English Secondary School. Thank you Mrs. Shama for hosting us!
On May 31, the Office participated in the Deaf Seniors Town Hall in Saratoga Springs, NY.
April
On April 9, The Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities invited Executive Director Chris Woodfill to present the Office at their virtual Deaf Town Hall.
OLA: National ASL Day
On April 15, the Office commemorated National ASL Day.
On April 16, Chris Woodfill participated in the Advisory Council on Postsecondary Education for students with disabilities.
On April 18, the Office met with the Apple Valley Task Force on Deafness to discuss challenges the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community are facing in the Hudson Valley. The meeting was held the new Deaf Community Room at the Resource Center for Accessible Living in Kingston.
March
On March 8, the Office attended the National Association for the Deaf Region 1 Virtual Association Day.
On March 11, Executive Director Christopher Woodfill presented to Albany Medical College medical students on the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing communities and how to utilize interpreting services.
On March 20, Executive Director Christopher Woodfill presents information about the New York State Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Office to the State Rehabilitation Council for the Commission for the Blind in Troy.
From March 21-23, the Office attended the Allies conference in Nashua, NH where Dr. Tom Holcomb presented about Deaf-Centered Interpreting and what allyship looks like.
February
On Feb. 6, the Office participated in the World Read Aloud Day at St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf in Brooklyn, NY.
On Feb. 12, the Office attended the Symposium for Education Leaders in New York State "Language Deprivation in Deaf Children" presented by Dr. Wyatte Hall at Fanwood School for the Deaf.
On Feb. 21, Executive Director participated in a video promoting the The Power of Language: International Mother Language Day.
January
Governor Hochul announces in her State of the State an ASL Interpreter Fellowship proposal, January 14, 2025.
2024
November
On Nov. 4, the Office attended the New York State Association for Education and Rehabilitation (NYS AER) of the Blind and Visually Impaired Conference in Saratoga Springs.
On Nov. 7 and 8, the Office attended the Deaf Executives Organizational Summit in New Orleans, Louisiana.
On Nov. 8, Executive Director Chris Woodfill provided welcoming remarks at the Deaf Seniors Services Coalition in Rochester. Chief Disability Office Associate Director Ben Thapa also attended.
Other Accomplishments
The Office maintains regular meetings with IAC State Agency designees, State representatives from the Empire State Association for the Deaf and the Hearing Loss Association of America NY Chapter.
The Office participated in state and city government meetings with the Workforce Development Interagency Coordinating Council, Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council, NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities National Access and Functional Needs hosted by the State of Colorado.
The Office partnered with the NYS Office of Employee Relations to translate all state mandated trainings into ASL in 2025.
The Office partnered with the Office of Language Access to support their work to have the second wave of NYS website content translated into ASL.
The first wave of ASL translated videos can be viewed on YouTube.
October
On Oct. 1 and 2, the Office assisted the Chief Disability Office hosting the third annual DREAM symposium (Disability Rights Employment Awareness Month).
On Oct. 8, Executive Director Chris Woodfill introduced our office to the NY State Veterans Affairs service providers.
On Oct. 9, the Office attended the NYS Diversity Equity Inclusion and Accessibility Workforce Symposium.
On Oct. 17, the Office attended the first Advisory Council on Post Secondary Education for Students with Disabilities.
On Oct. 29, the New York State Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Office website launched.
September
On Sept. 12, the Office attended the NYS LGBTQIA+ Convening.
On Sept. 17, Executive Director Chris Woodfill joined as one of the panelists for a Lunch and Learn, Putting Equity into Practice-Community Engagement DEIA series Statewide Panel.
On Sept. 23, the Office partnered with Office of Language Access to produce International Day of Sign video.
August
On Aug. 13, the Office visited the Southern Adirondack Independent Living TRAID (Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities) Center in Queensbury.
On Aug. 29 and 30, Executive Director Chris Woodfill gave a Keynote at the DEAF Roc conference URMC University of Rochester Medical Center and at NTID National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
July
From July through September, the Office provided a Lunch and Learn Series to Executive Chamber Staff on Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing communities and a short series of ASL conversational signs.
On July 1, the Office attended its first National Association of State Agencies of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Summit (NASADHH) before the NAD National Association of the Deaf Conference in Chicago.
From July 19-20, the Office attended the Usher Syndrome Coalition biannual conference in Rochester.
On July 29, the NY ADA Pride Event was held at the Executive Mansion where Governor Hochul recognized the establishment of the new Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Office. Dr. Kim Kurz from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf gave remarks. Jaden Dibble, a 2024 New York School for the Deaf, Rome graduate performed Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York" in ASL.
June
On June 7, Executive Director Chris Woodfill provided remarks at the CHARGE conference in Princeton, New Jersey.
On June 10, the Office attended the Hearing Health Alliance Conference in Saratoga Springs.
On June 20, the Office attended the Long Spoons Forum on Deaf Health Care (Long Island and NYC) at Millneck Services.
May
On May 16, the Office attended the Helen Keller National Center Tech Blitz.
On May 21, the Office attended CO-CMIST 4009: CMIST Response Teams - Emergency Response Interpreter hosted by the State of Colorado.
On May 31, the Office attended Emergency Preparedness Summit hosted by RIT/National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
April
On April 14, the Office visited and toured Northeastern Association for the Blind at Albany.
On April 15, the Office met with the 4201 School Association.
From April 30 to May 1, the Office attended the National Governors Association summit on Disability Employment in Albany.
