About the Council

Leading up to 1991, a group of concerned stakeholders agreed that centralized, state-level coordination of deaf and hard of hearing services was lacking in Idaho.  They formed a task force, wrote a charter, lobbied the Legislature, and received funding.  The Council was approved by the Legislature shortly thereafter.   

The CDHH Board includes two persons who are deaf, two who are hard of hearing, a parent of a deaf child, a parent of a hard-of-hearing child, an audiologist, a medical doctor, and a sign language interpreter.  The Board sets annual priorities and determines strategic direction.  The Board also consists of eleven ex-officio members who represent various state agencies and organizations that have a stake in issues relating to deafness and hearing loss.  The Executive Director and staff administer programs and daily operations.

By statute, the Council is responsible to increase awareness, advocate for equal access, provide information and referral, monitor consumer protection, recommend public policies and programs, conduct research, and submit reports to the Governor and policymakers.

The Board meets quarterly to discuss progress on goals and establish priorities.  All of our meetings are open to the public and are completely accessible.  We always allow time for citizens to express their views on issues.  To see the dates of our future board meetings, visit our Events page.