The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf (LCD) was established by Act 629 in 1980 by Louisiana legislature, and is funded through a telecommunications tax on all local and wireless phone lines in Louisiana. While originally created under Rehabilitation Services within the Department of Social Services, LCD moved over to the Bureau of Family Health, Office of Public Health in 2017. LCD’s programs and services are put into effect through rule-making.

LCD’s goals are to ensure individuals who are d/Deaf, DeafBlind or hard of hearing are able to acquire the information, tools, and resources they need to participate in society and reach their fullest potential. To do this, we perform the following actions.

🌍 Provide services and programs to people who are d/Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing to support communication access to information in order to navigate the world around them.

📣 Promote these services so people understand what they are and how to access them.

📊 Evaluate the program through stakeholder involvement and find ways to continuously improve experiences for everyone.

🗣️ Advocate for the needs and rights of people who are d/Deaf through informing, advising, and educating others.

📜 Establish standards for the state’s workforce, provide support for on-going training and professional development, and maintain a registry of interpreters within the state of Louisiana.

LCD’s strategic planning was a multi-phased, stakeholder-driven process that began in December 1, 2020 and ended with Commission Board approval on July 9, 2021. Learn about the six identified priorities LCD will focus on over the next three years.

The six identified priorities are:

1. Enhance Community Engagement
2. Modernize the Telecommunications Access Program
3. Address Gaps in Mental Health Services
4. Address Racial Disparities in LCD Services
5. Establish Interpreting Standards and Systems
6. Services for DeafBlind Louisianas