Leading up to the 2004 presidential election it seemed every other commercial was a political advertisement to educate and persuade voters. Despite propaganda saturation many citizens apparently feel apathy toward the electoral process. This feeling is especially evident among Latinos and people from other under-represented communities including those with disabilities. For people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing access to political information is very limited. Often this precludes them from participating in the political process.

Political apathy is in part caused by lack of understanding of political information and the legal jargon presented to the public. The voter information pamphlet that attempts to explain the propositions is difficult for native English-speakers to understand let alone those who are English-language learners. Campaign materials often are above the reading and comprehension level of the average voter. The dilemma of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Latino population is more involved. They seldom have access to political information in their preferred language.

In the United States, 2% of the population is Deaf and Hard of Hearing (According to State Representatives for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Sacramento.) A search did not reveal statistics on how many Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals are of Latino decent. Unfortunately, if the statistics about Deaf and Hard of Hearing Latinos are hard to find there is probably little funding going to programs that assist and advocate for them. There will likely not be representatives in the electoral collages to advocate for Deaf Latino issues. In other words, Latinos who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing have little political clout. Thus, they are under-represented on issues including education and accessibility of services.

Information in Our Language

Armando Muñoz, a Deaf Latino said, "What about those of us who do not speak and can not hear? Those for whom English is a third language after American Sign Language (ASL) and Spanish? We are still voters and constituents. We want to participate and for our vote to count!" Armando and his brother Horacio live near San Francisco in California. The Muñoz brothers struggled this year to gain access to voter information in their native ASL. Over the years, this has made it virtually impossible for them to register for elections. They are not able to become informed so they do not vote. Of seven Deaf Latinos recently interviewed about voter registration for this article, not one was registered to vote.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a person with a disability can request reasonable accommodations to gain access to information available to the public. The reality is that those who provide information to the general public rarely accommodate individuals with hearing disabilities. This case is unique for Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing people because neither English nor Spanish are their native languages. Often ASL is even a second or third language to Deaf Latinos who learned sign language in their countries of origin.

Many Deaf and Hard of Hearing Latinos are in a constant learning process. Their reading levels vary depending on their educational background. The Muñoz brothers and other Deaf Latinos I interviewed who lived in countries outside of the US feel there is limited potential for success in this country.

How Access to Information Affects Deaf Latinos in the Job Market

Despite the fact that there are a growing number of higher education and employment programs help prepare people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing many Deaf Latinos do not realize that these services exist or are available.

Some Latinos who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing are challenged to find work because they do not have work experience. To complicate matters, there are few retraining facilities that accommodate participants who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Young Deaf and Hard of Hearing Latinos want to be self-reliant and economically independent. They expect to be treated with respect and dignity like everyone else. It is difficult for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Latinos to compete for jobs against people from other groups who have had access to information, funds and resources. This is especially true when there are fewer jobs available due to a slow economy.

Economic independence is achieved by having the opportunity to gainfully access meaningful educational resources and programs. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing population should be empowered to gain political access or representation on issues in their communities.

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