Transcript: Legislative Day April 27th

Chad A. Ludwig: Hi, Everyone! I am Chad Ludwig, Oregon Association for the Deaf President. I want to give you a heads up about an exciting event that will be taking place on Monday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. That day is extremely important. All the legislators will gather at the state capitol in Salem where they decide on laws, give advice, etc. In the building, people will gather in an assembly. People will go up one at a time and give a brief speech. I will be speaking as a representative for the Deaf community. There will also be a representative from the Hard of Hearing community, and from the Deaf-Blind community. A few legislators will also speak, including Senator Sara Gelser and Representative David Gomberg. A few other people will speak as well. If you can take the time, we need you to come gather with us at the capitol building. You can make posters and signs and wave them to encourage support for Senate Bill 449. The bill is very important. Many states, such as Nebraska, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Arizona, Washington State -- a total of 38 states altogether -- have state agencies providing services to Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing people. These services include counseling, referrals, information sharing, and so forth. Oregon has no such services; it’s ridiculous. The time is here. We must all band together and show that we want these services here in this state. If we have a strong presence there, the legislators will see how many of us have come to show support. It will make them realize how important the bill is to us and that this bill must be passed.

On Monday, April 27 at 10 a.m., we will gather at the capitol to walk around and mingle. At 11 a.m., designated people will come up to speak. At 12 p.m., we will be assigned to go out and meet legislators in their offices. Interpreters are provided to go with you. You will go to your home area’s legislators and have the opportunity to tell them about yourself, your home area, and your reason to support SB 449. There will be a few tables and a few booths set up to share information about existing services. This is a good chance for you to interact with everyone.

The important thing is getting the message across to all of our legislators that they must vote to pass Senate Bill 449 to allow Oregonians to establish a permanent office for Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing services. This will serve all of us; we need it now! I am asking you to come and join us. We will see you there on Monday, April 27 at 10 a.m. in Salem. Thank you.