National Association of the Deaf

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) recently introduced a new position statement on early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) approved at the NAD Board meeting in April 2010. In this position statement, the NAD states that it strongly believes that  EHDI systems, practitioners, and associated professionals must reflect a positive attitude toward deaf or hard of hearing individuals, the American deaf and hard of hearing community, and American Sign Language (ASL).

The NAD position on EHDI programs is that acquisition of language from birth is a human right. Deaf and hard of hearing infants must be given the opportunity to acquire American Sign Language (ASL), a fully accessible visual language, as early as possible. The NAD is strongly committed to ensuring that parents of newly identified deaf or hard of hearing infants receive accurate information about the benefits of acquiring and developing proficiency in both ASL and English.

The NAD has consistently advocated our position with EHDI programs on our website and handouts, through legislation with the federal EHDI reauthorization bill, and state-level legislation in states such as California, by attending the annual national EHDI Conference, and many other efforts. Click here to review the NAD Position Statement on Early Hearing Detection and Intervention.

EHDI Act of 2010 Moves Forward

Senators Snow (R-Maine) and Harkin (D-Iowa) introduced “The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Act of 2010” (S. 3199). A similar bill (H.R. 1246) was passed by the House of Representatives in March 2009. When passed, the EHDI Act of 2010 will maintain the provisions of the earlier law and build on its success. 

The NAD is a strong supporter of EHDI programs and this federal legislation. Through this bill, consumer groups and the deaf and hard of hearing community have the opportunity to become involved with early intervention with deaf and hard of hearing babies and educate their families about ASL.

The NAD met with congressional representatives and participated in congressional briefings about the need for this new law along with other members of the Deaf and Hard of HearingAlliance (DHHA), a coalition of consumer and professional organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life for deaf and hard of hearing people.

EHDI programs exist in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These programs grew quickly between 1999 and 2002 because of federal legislation that authorized and funded them. Although that law expired in 2002, federal funding to support these programs has continued. The EHDI Act of 2010 includes requirements that already exist based on the earlier law. States receiving federal EHDI funds must:

• Screen all babies by age one month.
• Confirm whether a child is deaf or hard of hearing by age three months.
• Ensure that the child and family are enrolled in appropriate early intervention programs by age six months.

The EHDI Act of 2010 supports efforts to ensure that babies who are suspected of being deaf or hard of hearing receive an appropriate hearing evaluation and are not lost to follow-up. It also requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assist in the recruitment, retention, education, and training of qualified personnel and health care providers. The new law will also require EHDI programs to establish and foster family-to-family support mechanisms and authorizes continued funding for state EHDI programs for 2010-2015.