Monroe County and city of Rochester leaders are seeking members of the deaf and hard of hearing communities to serve on a new countywide Deaf Equity Council.
County Executive Adam Bello and Rochester Mayor Malik Evans announced the council's creation during a news conference Monday. It will advise county and city government leaders on key issues for the local deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing communities.
The council "is about building a stronger, more inclusive Monroe County, where equitable policies, better communication, and deeper understanding benefits everyone," said Davin Searls, a well-known leader in the local deaf community. He used American Sign Language and spoke through an interpreter.
Searls said deaf and hard of hearing people often face barriers to using public services, such as health care or emergency responders. They include language access issues, cultural differences around things like communication norms, and a lack of awareness about those gaps.
"ASL is not just a preference," Searls said. "We need to understand that it is a necessity. Yet most services are designed for spoken or written English, so we provide interpreters, we provide captioning and other modes of access, but that still means that deaf individuals are not getting all of the information every day."
During the news conference, several speakers noted that the Rochester area has the highest per capita deaf and hard of hearing population in the country. Bello and Evans emphasized that it's important that the county and city are inclusive of that group and that they deserve to thrive.
"The DEC will serve as a vital advisory body, ensuring that the voices and experiences of deaf individuals are not only heard, but are centered in our policy decisions, legislative actions, and community initiatives that shape our county's future," Bello said.
The council is holding a session from 7-8:30 p.m. April 16 at the Henrietta Public Library, 625 Calkins Road, where people can learn more about it. People with lived experience as deaf, deaf-blind, or hard or hearing who are interested in serving on the council can call the county's video phone line at (585) 206-1090, email DeafEquity@monroecounty.gov, or go to monroecounty.gov/dei-deafequitycouncil.
"We welcome you to be involved in our conversations," Searls said. "The city and the county — there are things that they don't know. There are things that we need to let them know."
