Deaf Community Comes Together for Legislative Day at the Capitol

On April 15, members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community gathered in Jefferson City for Deaf Legislative Day, an event sponsored by the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH).

I participated in the day as both the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Outreach Coordinator at Starkloff and a Deaf person and brought a contingent of fellow St. Louis Deaf and Hard of Hearing people to advocate for our ability to fully participate in everyday life. The idea for this trip came out of a monthly Deaf Professionals Association meeting that I led. Nathan Johnston, Deaf Community Advocate with MCDHH, announced the event and encouraged our community to get involved.

In addition to general advocacy and awareness education about living as a Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind person, we focused on proposed legislation to reduce the barriers and exclusion we navigate in our lives: House Bill 3288 and its counterpart Senate Bill 1637. (Similar bills were introduced in 2025 as HB1568 and SB766.)

These bills aimed to establish a statewide communication access services program through MCDHH. These services, such as closed captioning, notetaking, and DeafBlind support, are fundamental needs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people—they are also protected civil rights.

As noted in the text of the bills, this program would improve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act for agencies and businesses by coordinating resources, filling service gaps, and assisting with costs related to accommodations.

The proposed program would do two things: verify qualifications of service providers and establish a fund to help businesses and other organizations offset the costs of accommodations needed for full communication access.

Everyone at the Deaf Professionals Association meeting recognized the importance of this legislation. I recognized an opportunity along with it: bringing the St. Louis Deaf community together.

Jefferson City is a reasonable day trip from St. Louis. Transportation—especially accessible transportation—is always a headache and often a barrier. With Starkloff’s new van (and a driver) we made the opportunity to visit the capitol and advocate available to all in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.

The broad impact of this legislation was reflected by our multi-generational group that included students from the Missouri School for the Deaf, adult professionals, and retirees. We departed St. Louis at 7:00 am with a group ranging in age from 15 to 70, united by our united identity and purpose.

During the ride, our community connected in meaningful ways: sharing personal stories about growing up Deaf, discussing the different schools they attended, and reflecting on both shared and unique life experiences. The travel itself became a powerful opportunity for the St. Louis Deaf and Hard of Hearing community to learn from one another and build stronger connections. Coming together for this shared purpose deepened our sense of unity and reinforced the compounded power of advocating together.

Although these specific bills did not pass, the key components were successfully incorporated into a larger legislative package, helping move the core goals forward.

At the end of the day, we agreed the experience was well worth our time and effort. There was a strong sense of pride in supporting MCDHH’s work and helping raise awareness among legislators about the importance of this bill and the barriers to our full participation in public life.

Deaf Legislative Day was a success: a meaningful demonstration of collaboration, advocacy, and community pride. With our robust turnout and shared commitment as advocates for accessibility, we will continue to grow opportunities for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people across Missouri.

Photo at top of page: Members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community who traveled to Jefferson City for Deaf Legislative Day.