By Matthew Hersh

County and state leaders joined forces last week with the deaf and hard of hearing advocacy community to recognize the advancements in accessibility over the last eight years of the Murphy administration.

The event, hosted by Mercer County Executive Dan Benson and New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Sarah Adelman, highlighted several of the Murphy administration’s key initiatives that have reduced and eliminated barriers for deaf and hard-of-hearing New Jerseyans.

“Over the last eight years, New Jersey has made very significant progress in supporting our deaf and hard of hearing community, but we all agree that there’s so much more to be done,” said Benson.

During the roundtable, Adelman, along with Elizabeth Hill, executive director of DHS’ Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing, highlighted several of the Murphy administration’s key initiatives that have reduced and eliminated barriers for New Jerseyans. They include increasing hearing aid reimbursements to $500, from $100 per device; raising eligibility of the county’s Equipment Distribution Program to 400 percent of the federal poverty level; increasing the pool of certified sign language interpreters; and updating law enforcement operation procedures when interacting with the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Benson highlighted the emergence of the state’s Communication Access Grants program that has awarded over $1.5 million to 17 counties since 2022 to make services and facilities more accessible. Additionally, through the Division’s New Jersey Hearing Aid Project, 14 counties, including Mercer, now provide mobile audiology services to seniors.

“These grants are intended to support the inclusion of deaf and hard of hearing residents in county services and programs, ultimately improving health outcomes and addressing the social and structural challenges faced by deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind communities,” said Hill.

In 2025, the $250,000 program was funded through DHS, with award amounts capped at $70,000 per county. Counties are able to use the grants for installation of hearing induction loops that improve hearing and communication for individuals with hearing aids, installation of public videophones, expanded access to sign language interpreter services and captioning services, and making county-based programming and services accessible in American Sign Language.

Mercer County received $69,355 to install hearing loop systems in high-traffic public areas, allowing the county to purchase four undercounter loop systems for key reception points, four portable loop kits for meeting rooms, and two large room loop systems.

The county’s emphasis under Benson’s tenure has focused on improving accessibility at county buildings, he said, adding that the county would explore further investments at the local level and private sector moving forward.

“During my time in the State Assembly I had the opportunity to work with advocates from the deaf community and with the Administration to pass important legislation including codifying a Deaf Student’s Bill of Rights, expanding the coverage offered by Grace’s Law, and securing the first appropriations for DHS’ landmark Language Instruction Program,” Benson said. “When I became county executive, one of our early achievements was securing a Communication Access Grant to install hearing induction loops in County buildings.”

During the roundtable, DHS staff discussed a new police training program that has been launched and piloted in Newark, helping officers learn the skills they need to interact with that community. While that program is not run across all municipalities, Adelman said “there is potential for more work with local governments, while highlighting local partnerships between DHS and The College of New Jersey on the county’s language instruction program as well as their deaf education and American Sign Language programs. The language instruction program provides language acquisition and development services for deaf and hard of hearing children under age 5, helping them to develop both ASL and spoken-language skills. The program’s partnership with TCNJ has served nearly 100 families, providing a major positive impact on children during a critical developmental period.”

Benson noted that the Murphy administration was the first in New Jersey to provide press briefings and state addresses with sign language services, and was the first to create a deaf and hard of hearing pre-vaccination checklist for COVID-19 vaccines, which became a model for accessible public health guidance nationwide.

“With 850,000 deaf and hard of hearing residents in our state, we are committed to empower individuals through comprehensive training, education, outreach, and direct services,” said DHS Deputy Commissioner Kaylee McGuire. “We have made significant strides in these recent years. “Through this funding, we are supporting vital tools such as hearing loops, ASL interpretation, captioning, and translated resources to be in key county settings such as libraries and social service offices. We are helping remove barriers that limit access to vital information and services for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind.”

Benson, Adelman, McGuire, and Hill were joined by Nashon Hornsby, deputy commissioner of the Department of Health, who oversees the Population Health Branch at the department; Alice Glock of the Hearing Loss Association of America – NJ Chapter; Tabitha Dell’Angelo, dean of the TCNJ School of Education; Matthew Hall, associate professor of literacy at TCNJ; and Thyson Halley, a deaf advocate from the Greater Newark area.

“Language and communication are fundamental pillars in how we connect, understand, and engage with the world,” said Hill. “This funding empowers individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing to navigate their communities with greater confidence and clarity.”