MDCR Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing

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MDCR Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing MDCR's Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing supports effective communication for Michigan's deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing population.

Michigan Department of Civil Rights Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (DODDBHH) focuses on supporting effective communication for Michigan's deaf and hard of hearing population. The division receives input from a 13-member citizens Advisory Council appointed by the Governor, and provides technical support, information and referral, interpreter services and accommodations.

Mark your calendars! The Michigan Department of Civil Rights Division of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing is prepari...
10/10/2026

Mark your calendars! The Michigan Department of Civil Rights Division of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing is preparing for part two of an educational four-part Community Education Series, created in partnership with Detroit Disability Power the Michigan Secretary of State's Office, and other community partners.

Dates: Wednesdays in October: 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th
Format: Virtual via Zoom at https://ow.ly/xMn750ZTFZo
Time: 5:30 PM-7:00 PM

ASL interpreters and CART Captioning will be provided.

You can attend one session, several sessions, or the entire series. Each workshop will stand on its own while also building into the next.

October 14 | What Am I Deciding? — Understanding Your Ballot
A guided walk-through of a Michigan ballot, including different offices, ballot proposals, sample ballots, and accessible ways to research your choices.

October 21 | What Happens to My Vote? — Follow the Ballot
Learn what happens after you cast your ballot, including accessible voting options, the VAT, communication with election workers, privacy, independence, and what to do if an accessibility accommodation does not work as expected.

October 28 | Where Does My Voice Fit? — From Community Priorities to Public Decisions
Explore how DDBHH community priorities connect to government decision-making and ways to participate beyond voting, including public meetings, public comment, advisory boards, community organizations, and direct engagement with government.

We hope you can join us!

Image Description: The flyer has a dark blue upper section and a white curved lower section. The top text reads “Accessible Elections: Voting Is for Everyone.” Below, smaller text explains it is a four-part virtual Community Education Series held on Wednesdays in October (7, 14, 21, 28) from 5:30–7:00 PM via Zoom. It notes that CART services and ASL interpreters will be available. Along the bottom are three logos: the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, the Michigan Secretary of State, and Detroit Disability Power.

National Deaf Awareness Month has come to a close, but we still have more exciting content around Deaf Michiganders you ...
10/09/2026

National Deaf Awareness Month has come to a close, but we still have more exciting content around Deaf Michiganders you should know, both past and present.

Today we’re highlighting Jessica Contreras, the first deaf woman superintendent at Michigan School for the Deaf (MSD).

Jessica Contreras, born in Colorado Springs, was the second generation to attend Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind (CSDB). She is a proud Hispanic. She graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.) in 2016 with a Master of Science degree. and she is the first deaf woman superintendent at the Michigan School for the Deaf (MSD).

Follow along to see who we will be spotlighting next!

(Image Description: Portrait of Jessica Contreras, the first deaf woman superintendent at M.S.D., featured in Michigan Deaf Persons Awareness campaign. Jessica is a Hispanic woman with black hair, smiling, facing forward with a black and white swoop neck shirt on, In front of her is a teal rounded banner with her name in white text and on her right side is a navy blue rounded rectangle with the words "Michigan Deaf Persons Awareness, Deaf Michiganders you should know past of Present. Above him is the MDCR logo and the Division on Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing banner.)

HAPPENING TODAY: Join the Michigan Department of Civil Rights as we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness M...
10/08/2026

HAPPENING TODAY:
Join the Michigan Department of Civil Rights as we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! During this engaging webinar, the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) Job Accommodation Network will discuss disability disclosure and workplace accommodations. Disability rights advocates will also share their personal experiences with navigating workplace accommodations. Job seekers, employees, and employers will find value in this session.

📅 Thursday, October 8, 2026
🕒 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
📍Virtual Via Zoom | Registration here: https://ow.ly/6jt650ZMF2o
This year's theme is “Celebrating Value and Talent: Personal Journeys in Navigating Workplace Accommodations”

ASL interpreting services will be provided by Sarah Houston and Yakata Nichols along with live CART captioning. If a different accommodation is required, please e-mail Tiara McKenzie at [email protected] by no later than October 1, 2026.

(Image Description: Image of a graphic on the left side of the graphic there are dark blue and white text boxes outlining information listed above. A women using a wheelchair sits at a table writing with a pen wearing glasses, a white shirt, and black pants on the right side of the graphic)

National Deaf Awareness Month has come to a close, but we still have more exciting content around Deaf Michiganders you ...
10/07/2026

National Deaf Awareness Month has come to a close, but we still have more exciting content around Deaf Michiganders you should know, both past and present.

Today we’re highlighting Abram Powell, Founder of the Abram Powell Foundation!

Abram Powell attended the Michigan School for the Deaf (M.S.D) in 1950 and graduated in 1964. Loved sports. He was invited to attend the international deaf Olympics. He declined to go. Instead, he worked for General Motors for 39 years.

He established the Abram Powell Foundation to raise money for scholarships for underprivileged children.

Follow along to see who we will be spotlighting next!

(Image Description: Portrait of Abram Powell, founder of the Abram Powell Foundation, featured in Michigan Deaf Persons Awareness campaign. Abram is a Black male with grey hair, smiling, facing forward with a black blazer, white collar shirt and red and black tie on. In front of him is a teal rounded banner with his name in white text and on his right side is a navy blue rounded rectangle with the words "Michigan Deaf Persons Awareness, Deaf Michiganders you should know past of Present. Above him is the MDCR logo and the Division on Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing banner.)

10/06/2026

Mark your calendars! The Michigan Department of Civil Rights Division of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing is launching an educational four-part Community Education Series, created in partnership with Detroit Disability Power, the Michigan Secretary of State's Office, and other community partners.

Dates: Wednesdays in October: 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th
Format: Virtual via Zoom at https://ow.ly/Qvqt50ZTYxg
Time: 5:30 PM-7:00 PM

ASL interpreters and CART Captioning will be provided.
You can attend one session, several sessions, or the entire series. Each workshop will stand on its own while also building into the next.

October 7 | Who Decides? — Local, State or Federal?
Learn how different levels of government and public officials make decisions that affect everyday life, including communication access, emergency information, transportation, education, health care, and government services.

October 14 | What Am I Deciding? — Understanding Your Ballot
A guided walk-through of a Michigan ballot, including different offices, ballot proposals, sample ballots, and accessible ways to research your choices.

October 21 | What Happens to My Vote? — Follow the Ballot
Learn what happens after you cast your ballot, including accessible voting options, the VAT, communication with election workers, privacy, independence, and what to do if an accessibility accommodation does not work as expected.

October 28 | Where Does My Voice Fit? — From Community Priorities to Public Decisions
Explore how DDBHH community priorities connect to government decision-making and ways to participate beyond voting, including public meetings, public comment, advisory boards, community organizations, and direct engagement with government.

We hope you can join us!

Mark your calendars! The Michigan Department of Civil Rights' Division of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing is launch...
10/06/2026

Mark your calendars! The Michigan Department of Civil Rights' Division of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing is launching an educational four-part Community Education Series, created in partnership with Detroit Disability Power, the Michigan Secretary of State's Office, and other community partners.

Dates: Wednesdays in October: 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th
Format: Virtual via Zoom at https://ow.ly/Qvqt50ZTYxg
Time: 5:30 PM-7:00 PM

ASL interpreters and CART Captioning will be provided.

You can attend one session, several sessions, or the entire series. Each workshop will stand on its own while also building into the next.

October 7 | Who Decides? — Local, State or Federal?
Learn how different levels of government and public officials make decisions that affect everyday life, including communication access, emergency information, transportation, education, health care, and government services.

October 14 | What Am I Deciding? — Understanding Your Ballot
A guided walk-through of a Michigan ballot, including different offices, ballot proposals, sample ballots, and accessible ways to research your choices.

October 21 | What Happens to My Vote? — Follow the Ballot
Learn what happens after you cast your ballot, including accessible voting options, the VAT, communication with election workers, privacy, independence, and what to do if an accessibility accommodation does not work as expected.

October 28 | Where Does My Voice Fit? — From Community Priorities to Public Decisions
Explore how DDBHH community priorities connect to government decision-making and ways to participate beyond voting, including public meetings, public comment, advisory boards, community organizations, and direct engagement with government.

We hope you can join us!

Image Description: The flyer has a dark blue upper section and a white curved lower section. The top text reads “Accessible Elections: Voting Is for Everyone.” Below, smaller text explains it is a four-part virtual Community Education Series held on Wednesdays in October (7, 14, 21, 28) from 5:30–7:00 PM via Zoom. It notes that CART services and ASL interpreters will be available. Along the bottom are three logos: the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, the Michigan Secretary of State, and Detroit Disability Power.

10/06/2026

Join us for the Michigan Coalition of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Health Fair. This is a free event open to all featuring keynote speaker Dr. Michael McKee from the University of Michigan Deaf Health Clinic. Michigan Medicine

📅 Saturday, November 7, 2026
🕒 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
📍Madonna University - 36600 Schoolcraft Rd. Livonia, MI 48150

This is a day of health screenings, educational presentations, community resources, and more. Together we can build a stronger, healthier future.

All presentations will be ASL interpreted along with real time captioning (CART).

Join the Michigan Department of Civil Rights as we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! Dur...
10/05/2026

Join the Michigan Department of Civil Rights as we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! During this engaging webinar, the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) Job Accommodation Network will discuss disability disclosure and workplace accommodations. Disability rights advocates will also share their personal experiences with navigating workplace accommodations. Job seekers, employees, and employers will find value in this session.

📅 Thursday, October 8, 2026
🕒 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
📍Virtual Via Zoom | Registration here: https://ow.ly/6jt650ZMF2o
This year's theme is “Celebrating Value and Talent: Personal Journeys in Navigating Workplace Accommodations”

ASL interpreting services will be provided by Sarah Houston and Yakata Nichols along with live CART captioning. If a different accommodation is required, please e-mail Tiara McKenzie at [email protected] by no later than October 1, 2026.

(Image Description: Image of a graphic on the left side of the graphic there are dark blue and white text boxes outlining information listed above. A women using a wheelchair sits at a table writing with a pen wearing glasses, a white shirt, and black pants on the right side of the graphic)

National Deaf Awareness Month has come to a close, but we still have more exciting content around Deaf Michiganders you ...
10/02/2026

National Deaf Awareness Month has come to a close, but we still have more exciting content around Deaf Michiganders you should know, both past and present.

Today we’re highlighting Arlyn Meyerson- born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1925.
He graduated from Wilbur Wright High School in 1943. He opened a new restaurant called Scotch N’ Sirloin, which employed 60 people and had 8 deaf employees. It was so successful that they opened a 2nd restaurant called Trio in 1974. It employed 10 deaf workers out of 150 employees. He eventually opened another restaurant as well, called Buddy’s Bar-B-Que in 1990.

He ran the restaurant business for over 55 years. He was president of tri- country deaf senior citizens as well. He was a well-known Jewish person in the Jewish deaf community. He died in 2018 at the age of 95!

Follow along to see who we will be spotlighting next!

(Image Description: Portrait of Arlyn Meyerson, a restaurateur, featured in Michigan Deaf Persons Awareness by MDCR. Arlyn is a white male with grey hair, smiling, facing forward with a collared shirt. In front of him is a teal rounded banner with his name in white text and on his right side is a navy blue rounded rectangle with the words "Michigan Deaf Persons Awareness, Deaf Michiganders you should know past of Present. Above him is the MDCR logo and the Division on Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing banner.)

Mark your calendars, ! The Michigan Department of Civil Rights' Division of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing is laun...
10/02/2026

Mark your calendars, ! The Michigan Department of Civil Rights' Division of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing is launching an educational four-part Community Education Series, created in partnership with Detroit Disability Power, the Michigan Secretary of State's Office, and other community partners.

Dates: Wednesdays in October: 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th
Format: Virtual via Zoom at https://ow.ly/xMn750ZTFZo
Time: 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

ASL interpreters and CART Captioning will be provided.

You can attend one session, several sessions, or the entire series. Each workshop will stand on its own while also building into the next.

October 7 | Who Decides? — Local, State or Federal?
Learn how different levels of government and public officials make decisions that affect everyday life, including communication access, emergency information, transportation, education, health care, and government services.

October 14 | What Am I Deciding? — Understanding Your Ballot
A guided walk-through of a Michigan ballot, including different offices, ballot proposals, sample ballots, and accessible ways to research your choices.

October 21 | What Happens to My Vote? — Follow the Ballot
Learn what happens after you cast your ballot, including accessible voting options, the VAT, communication with election workers, privacy, independence, and what to do if an accessibility accommodation does not work as expected.

October 28 | Where Does My Voice Fit? — From Community Priorities to Public Decisions
Explore how DDBHH community priorities connect to government decision-making and ways to participate beyond voting, including public meetings, public comment, advisory boards, community organizations, and direct engagement with government.

We hope you can join us!

Image Description: The flyer has a dark blue upper section and a white curved lower section. The top text reads “Accessible Elections: Voting Is for Everyone.” Below, smaller text explains it is a four-part virtual Community Education Series held on Wednesdays in October (7, 14, 21, 28) from 5:30–7:00 PM via Zoom. It notes that CART services and ASL interpreters will be available. Along the bottom are three logos: the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, the Michigan Secretary of State, and Detroit Disability Power.

Address

3054 W. Grand Boulevard, Suite 3-600
Detroit, MI
48202

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13134377035

Website

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