Program overview

Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing can get help from Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services to live independently, engage with their families and participate in their communities. Services are available from any of the five regional offices and community-based providers located throughout the state. 

Who is eligible? 

Minnesotans of any age who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, late-deafened, parents and family of those with a hearing loss, human service providers, employers and business, schools, and other interested individuals and communities. 

About our regional office services

Statewide regional offices provide information, resources and referrals for Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and late deafened. Services include:

• Helping individuals navigate complex service systems so they can continue to live independently and productively in their home communities.
• Providing training, consultation, direct assistance, advocacy and collaboration to help individuals make informed decisions.
• Offering training and technical assistance to providers on how to make services accessible.
• Technical assistance developing community and in-home service options that meet the needs of people who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.

In 2024, regional offices:

• Provided information and referrals for resources and services to 396 people and 232 agencies.
• Provided direct services to 353 people and 254 agencies. 
• Provided 37 trainings and 23 presentations to 1,667 people.

About our Mental Health Program 

The Mental Health Program provides culturally affirmative mental health therapy and counseling in American Sign Language to adults who are deaf and have mental illness. Other services include crisis intervention, case coordination, after-care planning and community placement help. Training is available to mental health service providers who work or are interested in working with individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind. 

In 2024, the Mental Health Program:

• Provided direct services to 188 people.
• Provided 3,271 total service hours: 85% were direct service hours.
• Supported people to achieve or make good progress on their mental health goals: 90% of clients have completed or are making good progress with their mental health goals.

About Minnesota Access to Communication Technology 

Minnesota Access to Communication Technology (MN ACT, formerly the Telephone Equipment Distribution Program) provides telephone equipment to people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing or have a physical or speech disability and need adaptive equipment to use the phone. The equipment is provided to eligible consumers at no cost as a long-term loan. Available equipment includes captioned phones, amplified phones, light-flashing ring signalers, teletypewriters for the deaf (TTYs), loud ringers, interconnectivity devices and hands-free speakerphones. In 2024, MN ACT:

• Provided direct services to 334 people.
• Distributed 306 accessible phone devices to 278 people.
• Provided program information to 542 people through 29 presentations.
• Conducted community outreach through 25 event booths.

About our community-based grant-funded programs 

Community-based services funded by state grants include:

• Support services for adults and children who are deafblind, including communication training for people who are deafblind and providers who serve them.
• Mentors who help families with children who are deaf and hard of hearing learn American Sign Language (ASL) and other communication and life skills.
• Sign language interpreting services for funerals and 12-step meetings in Greater Minnesota.
• Sign language interpreter training and professional development opportunities in Greater Minnesota.
• Mental health services, psychiatric assessments and telepsychiatry services for adults and children.
• Real-time captioning of live TV news programming statewide.

Read more about these grant programs on our Grants webpage.

• Deafblind support services to 151 adults and 36 children.
• Protactile and deafblind communication systems training to 21 people who are deafblind and 78 service providers.
• Family communication mentor services to 75 families with deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing children.
• Interpreting services for 28 funerals and 30 12-step meetings in Greater Minnesota.
• Five training workshops and 6 specialized training programs to 213 interpreters in Greater Minnesota.
• Paid internships in Greater Minnesota to 9 interpreter interns.
• Nine video remote interpreting (VRI) trainings to 515 interpreters.
• Mental health services to 63 adults and 134 children.
• Real-time captioning services for 1,041.75 hours of live TV news programming statewide.

Download a fact sheet about how we help.