The Deaf Action Center of Louisiana installed new videoconferencing stations and enhanced the user experience in Northwest Louisiana, as well as communities in Alabama, California, and Texas. Serving individuals that are deaf or hard-of-hearing, the project deployed more than 90 workstations and provided more than 5,700 hours of training.

Remote video interpreting enabled individuals that are deaf or hard-of-hearing to access sign language interpreting services. The state-of-the-art videoconferencing units were installed in courts, hospitals, and libraries, and the units linked to American Sign Language interpreters at Deaf Action Center’s offices. Using these interpreters to facilitate communication remotely saves the cost of mileage and travel time. The workstations are available 24 hours per day, and individuals can use them to access educational, legal, and business resources.

The Deaf Action Center also provided job skills training for people with hearing impairments and training for employers of workers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Continuing education instruction was available live and on demand for sign-language interpreters. Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu stated, “Enhancing these services will allow the Deaf Action Center to improve delivery of health care information, legal services, job training, and education to people who are deaf by offering low-cost interpretation services. The funds will provide our hearing disabled citizens with job opportunities that might not have previously been available to them.”