On August 30, 2018, MNCDHH sent out a survey, collecting questions related to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing topics for the League of Women Voters Minnesota to use at various candidate forums around the state. We thought it would be a great idea to also share the questions we received through the survey with you. This is just in case you would like to ask these questions too or if you want ideas for new questions.

Governor & Lt. Governor candidates

• People with disabilities experience the highest unemployment rates and lowest labor participation rates in the country.  They also experience barriers in housing, education, healthcare, access to public services and amenities including parks and trails and barriers to participating in civic life. If elected Governor would you be willing to add a line item for accommodations and accessibility in the state budget, so planning and budget assumptions include all Minnesotans, including the 20+percent with disabilities?
• Governor Dayton signed Executive Order 14-14, which requires that 7% of the state employees be people with disabilities.  In 1999  10% of state employees had disabilities, those numbers plummeted to 3.8% in 2013.   Because of the order, we are now at 7%. If elected, would you reauthorize Executive Order 14-14?
• School districts are waiting too long to place Deaf children in fully accessible educational settings, severely hindering their language development just to keep dollars in the district. What will you do to incentivize appropriate placement?
• I would like to know if and how they have plans to fully fund special ed.
• How do they feel about occupational licensure overall? In the Deaf/DB/HH community, there is a great need for ASL interpreter licensure, are you open to support this?
• Dockless bicycles and scooters are a new presence in the public right of way. Should Minnesota allow them to park on sidewalks or should the companies that offer them be responsible for a parking method that does not obstruct people with disabilities such as the blind or people using wheelchairs?
• Discuss future funding for training seeing eye dogs, hearing ear dogs, and special needs dogs as well as affordable veterinarian health insurance care.
• Discuss future funding for affordable elder care, housing, health and long term insurance for deaf, deafblind, late deafened, and hard of hearing population.

U.S. Representative candidates

• How will you protect and strengthen the American with Disabilities Act?
• I would like to know if and how they have plans to fully fund special ed.
• How can we speed up innovations that will greatly benefit people with disabilities such as driverless vehicles, apps that allow us to order food and services, access to captions and augmented realities everywhere?

U.S. Senator candidates

• How will you protect and strengthen the American with Disabilities Act?
• I would like to know if and how they have plans to fully fund special ed.
• How can we speed up innovations that will greatly benefit people with disabilities such as driverless vehicles, apps that allow us to order food and services, access to captions and augmented realities everywhere?

State Representative candidates

• School districts are waiting too long to place Deaf children in fully accessible educational settings, severely hindering their language development just to keep dollars in the district. What will you do to incentivize appropriate placement?
• I would like to know if and how they have plans to fully fund special ed.
• How do they feel about occupational licensure overall? In the Deaf/DB/HH community, there is a great need for ASL interpreter licensure, are you open to support this?
• Discuss future funding for MNCDHH or DHHSD.
• Discuss future funding for Metro Deaf School and Minnesota State Academy for Deaf and Deafblind Students.
• Discuss future funding for Deafblind and Blind clientele at the State Services for the Blind.
• Discuss the idea of asking the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to share office space for a DHHSD regional office there to jointly share services in the form of sign language interpreters and social work personnel.

Secretary of State candidates

• How will you ensure our polling places are accessible to Deaf and DeafBlind citizens?
• Are there data on the user experience of people with disabilities at the polls? At the recent primary, poll workers attempted to use my small children as sign language interpreters, I was aghast!

State Auditor candidates

• How does your office's work impact the Deaf and hard of hearing community, and what will you do to improve its impact?
• Will you support the establishment of sunset committees. To evaluate whether the entities should remain to exist or not?

Attorney General candidates

• The Deaf community is a popular target for scammers. What will you do to help us protect ourselves? What are some of our needs that you see as unique?
• There are a severe unemployment and under-employment with people with disabilities. Will you be their champion?

County Commissioner candidates

• When Deaf children are removed from homes, they are often not told what is happening or placed in an environment that meets their language needs. This failure to recognize their language and communication needs greatly compounds their trauma. What will you do to ensure your county follows the best practices for ensuring equal communication access for families with Deaf individuals?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?

County Sheriff candidates

• What will you do to ensure that Deaf prisoners have equal access to their rights while in your jail(s)?
• Do you have a plan for keeping people who can't hear commands or communicate in ASL safe around police officers?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?

County Attorney candidates

• How does your office's work impact the Deaf and hard of hearing community, and what will you do to improve its impact?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?
• Why do County Court continue to systemically dismiss Deaf/DB/HH individuals from jury duty? What will you do about it?

Soil and Water candidates

• What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal access to your office's services and resources?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?

Council Member candidates

• What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal opportunity for input as stakeholders?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?

Hospital District Board Member candidates

• How will you work to address the problem of inappropriate video remote interpreting usage in place of onsite interpreters?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?

Chief Justice - Supreme Court candidates

• What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal access to your office's services and resources?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?

Associate Justice - Supreme Court candidates

• What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal access to your office's services and resources?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?

Judge - Court of Appeals candidates

• What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal access to your office's services and resources?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?

Judge - District Court candidates

• What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal access to your office's services and resources?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?

School Board candidates

• School districts are waiting too long to place Deaf children in fully accessible educational settings, severely hindering their language development just to keep dollars in the district. What will you do to incentivize appropriate placement?
• Individual schools are not prepared for DHH students, teachers are not required to have ANY training in DHH and other students are typically not inclusive. Do you have any ideas to make school life better for DHH students?
• How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?

Candidate Forum Events

The League of Women Voters Minnesota has a list of various candidate forums occurring around the state. Please go and be a fully informed voter! 

While each district is responsible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for providing their own accommodations, in some cases, MNCDHH can help sponsor access. Email mncdhh.info@state.mn.us if needed.