Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Executive Department / Established in 1977. Restructured in 1992.

History

2026 Hired Charlotte "Dee" Spinkston as Interim Executive Director on July 1st, 2026.
2023 CDHH’s fourth Executive Director was hired. (Michelle Cline)
2022 CDHH celebrated its30thyear of service.
2022 CDHH hired Interim Executive Director (Charlotte “Dee” Spinkston)
2021 CDHH with Rhode Island College as the partner received a grant to establish Public Health Equity Sign Language Interpreter Program (PHESLIP)
2021 CDHH received a grant to establish Healthcare Transformation System Project (HSTP)
2019 CDHH’s third Executive Director was hired. (Earnest Covington, III)
2018 CDHH’s fourth FTE changed to Director, Emergency and Public Communication Access Program
2017 CDHH celebrated its 25th year of service.
2016 CDHH’s fourth FTE, Staff Interpreter, was added.
2013 CDHH’s Emergency and Public Communication Access Program (EPCAP) was added.
2010 CDHH’s statewide CART Referral Service was added.
2009 Pilot Program for Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) Referral Service was established.
2006 CDHH’s ninth Legislative Mandate was added (Track the yearly services provided by exempted interpreters).
2005 CDHH’s Emergency Interpreter Referral Service was launched.
2003 Statewide Interpreter Referral Service was moved in-house.
Governor Carcieri with Steve Florio
Agency’s first Deaf Executive Director with Governor Carcieri.
2002 CDHH’s first Deaf Executive Director was hired.
2001 Total of CDHH Commissioners was increased to 13.
1999 CDHH’s eighth Legislative Mandate, “Coordinating Council to Implement Strategic Plan for Deaf and hard of Hearing Children” was added.
1999 CDHH’s first Executive Director was hired.
Governor Almond with CDHH
Governor Almond with Members of the Deaf Community.
1993 CDHH’s statewide Interpreter Referral Service was established.
1992 First meeting of the Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CDHH) was held.
1992 General Assembly bill to restructure the old CDHI and create the new CDHH was passed.
1991 Task Force to develop new Commission was created.
1990 Pilot program for Interpreter Referral Service was established.
Governor DiPrete with CDHH
Signing of the Jury Bill with Governor DiPrete and members of the deaf community.
Year Event
1987 CDHI “office” at the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities was established (3rd drawer down in the main file cabinet).
1987 A budget of $1,000 to pay for interpreters at CDHI meetings was provided.
1983 Telephone Service for the Deaf (TDD) Bill was passed (Now the Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan Program ATEL)
1977 Commission on the Deaf and Hearing Impaired was created (without any funding)