Executive Director Updates with Darlene Zangara: December 2024 (DeafBlind Friendlier Version)

Hello everyone! My name is Darlene Zangara and I’m the Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing. We do not use an acronym for our organization anymore so I will use ‘the Commission’ for short.
I will start with a visual description of myself. I am a white woman with blonde hair, glasses, and wearing a black shirt.
I’ll update you about some of the things my team and I have been working on these recent months.
Interpreting Forward 2030
The Interpreting Forward information gathering process resulted in 114 potential solutions from the community. Right now, we are working on a new website that will be released shortly. The website includes ASL videos with captions and voiceover.
Community members will be able to comment on any of the 114 potential solutions and make recommendations on which potential solutions to pursue.
Some solutions are easy and will take a short time to complete them, about 6 months or less. We can call them “low hanging fruit.” Some are mid-term, meaning it will take a few years to accomplish them. Other solutions are long-term, which means they will take many years.
Some work that is low-hanging fruit has already happened or is in progress. Here are a few examples:
The Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID) has established an ad hoc Interpreting Forward committee. This was voted on during the October 2024 MRID conference.
The Star Tribune article on Interpreting Forward was published, generating attention and interest to the issue of improving the quality and quantity of interpreting services in Minnesota.
The Commission ran radio and television ads on interpreting training program recruitment from July to September 2024.
The Minnesota Department of Education has a DHH Advisory Group. Group members are focusing on educational interpreter solutions.
Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing State Services announced they are hosting a BIPOC interpreter workshop with the goal of recruiting more BIPOC interpreters to the field.
The Commission worked with DEED to create an ASL video about the Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF).
The soon-to-be-released Interpreting Forward website will also be used to communicate about the activities that are taking place and encourage individuals and organizations to participate in the solutions.
Collaborative Experience Conference
The Collaborative Experience Conference was a great success! From November 1-3, it was a gathering of parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind & hard of hearing in Minnesota. We networked and learned new things together. We received fantastic feedback from conference attendees, and we are already excited for the 2026 Collaborative Experience Conference! Here are a few quotes from the conference evaluations.
“It was amazing to meet other parents at the event. Having a MN H&V breakfast was super nice and helpful to meet their staff and other parents. I am so thankful that I was awarded a parent scholarship and was able to attend this event.”
“The conference staff were efficient and pleasant. The restaurant, luncheon and dinner ballrooms were all abundantly staffed and people were well taken care of. As for sleeping accommodation: our sleeping room was too warm- even set to 63.”
“Thank you to the collaborative for the great opportunity to connect and learn. Was great learning.”
Voters Outreach Season
We had a great Voters Outreach season. Here are some of the things we accomplished.
Presidential Information Session with Diego Ozuna-Clark
ASL Hotline in partnership with the Secretary of State’s office
Accessible Voting Machine and Get Ready to Vote event in partnership with Hennepin County
DeafBlind In Person Help Line for Voters Questions
Voter 101 online workshop with the Secretary of State’s office
The work was completed by the Voters Outreach team, which consists of 12 contractors.
We received comments and stories about how this work made a difference. For example,
One experienced voter learned for the first time they could get time off from work to go and vote without losing pay or vacation time.
In addition to callers from Minnesota, we received calls from individuals from other states since they did not have an ASL Voters Hotline in their state.
Three first-time voters registered to vote at our Get Ready to Vote event.
Several attendees at the Presidential Information Session commented on how they learned something new from Diego.
For the full transcript, go to: