2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 26 - Human Services Code
Article 21 - Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
§ 26-21-102. Legislative declaration

The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that a commission for the deaf and hard of hearing would facilitate the provision of general governmental services to the deaf and hard of hearing community while making government more efficient. Under the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990", 42 U.S.C. sec. 12101, Colorado has a duty to provide to the deaf and hard of hearing equivalent access to governmental services. This duty requires state departments and agencies to provide auxiliary services, telecommunications equipment, and other resources in order to enable access for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Centralizing and unifying such resources under a commission has the potential to create cost savings for both the state and the deaf and hard of hearing community. In addition, such consolidation of resources will facilitate quality control, and thus increase the quality of governmental services while increasing access by the deaf and hard of hearing community to those services.