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http://www.wisinfo.com/newsherald/mnhlocal/305076414159847.shtml
The state has extended a lifeline to the Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
The Joint Finance Committee included in its budget plan Wednesday money to hire a coordinator for the northern region branch in Wausau. If the measure passes, the office will receive $50,900 annually to pay for the position over the next two years.
The effort was spearheaded by Sen. Russ Decker D-Weston, who is a member of the committee. To become law, the measure now needs legislative approval and the governor's signature.
"I think (local deaf people who use the office) made a clear point to me that, in order to be self-sustaining, to improve their education, to see a doctor or to even get a job interview, they have to have some help," Decker said Thursday, adding that the money to pay for the position will be transferred from administrative funds within the Department of Health and Family Services.
The Wausau branch will close at the end of August when its lease runs out, and the department has been without a regional coordinator since an October hiring freeze.
The northern office covers 17 counties - including Marathon, Lincoln, Portage and Wood - and assists about 300 deaf or hard-of-hearing residents. Approximately 100 deaf people in Marathon County and 14 in Lincoln County are assisted by the Wausau office.
The Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides services such as:
* Explaining to businesses and state agencies how to comply with federal laws when it comes to deaf or hard of hearing people
* Explaining to hospitals, police departments and fire departments how to handle emergency situations involving deaf people, and what is required of them by law
* Maintaining a list of interpreters
* Answering deaf people's questions about things like job applications
* Maintaining a comprehensive directory of deaf-related resources
Stephanie Marquis, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Family Services, said the state will begin looking for a new regional coordinator as soon as the state budget is finalized.
She did not know when the state would look for a new northern region office.
The state has extended a lifeline to the Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
The Joint Finance Committee included in its budget plan Wednesday money to hire a coordinator for the northern region branch in Wausau. If the measure passes, the office will receive $50,900 annually to pay for the position over the next two years.
The effort was spearheaded by Sen. Russ Decker D-Weston, who is a member of the committee. To become law, the measure now needs legislative approval and the governor's signature.
"I think (local deaf people who use the office) made a clear point to me that, in order to be self-sustaining, to improve their education, to see a doctor or to even get a job interview, they have to have some help," Decker said Thursday, adding that the money to pay for the position will be transferred from administrative funds within the Department of Health and Family Services.
The Wausau branch will close at the end of August when its lease runs out, and the department has been without a regional coordinator since an October hiring freeze.
The northern office covers 17 counties - including Marathon, Lincoln, Portage and Wood - and assists about 300 deaf or hard-of-hearing residents. Approximately 100 deaf people in Marathon County and 14 in Lincoln County are assisted by the Wausau office.
The Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides services such as:
* Explaining to businesses and state agencies how to comply with federal laws when it comes to deaf or hard of hearing people
* Explaining to hospitals, police departments and fire departments how to handle emergency situations involving deaf people, and what is required of them by law
* Maintaining a list of interpreters
* Answering deaf people's questions about things like job applications
* Maintaining a comprehensive directory of deaf-related resources
Stephanie Marquis, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Family Services, said the state will begin looking for a new regional coordinator as soon as the state budget is finalized.
She did not know when the state would look for a new northern region office.