For two years, Southern Utah Educational Assistants Julie McCleave and Mari Moss worked from their own homes to assist the deaf and hard of hearing population in Southern Utah. But even with generous private funding, a program for Southern Utah's deaf and hard of hearing populations never flourished.

With so much success through outreach programs from the Robert G. Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Taylorsville, state administrators from the Division of Services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, recognized a growing need to extend a program to serve residents in the southern portion of the state.

Last year with the support of Senator Bill Hickman, R-Dist. 29, and Rep. David Clark, R-Dist. 74, the Legislature approved approximately $100,000 to fund the new center and provide technology, education, vocation courses and staff. Staff members like Coordinator Ron Burdett and Education Assistants McCleave and Moss work part time. Administrators said the funding should support the center through 2011.

Prior to the center's inception, staff struggled to get resources and assistance to all who needed their services, but with a central location like the new facility on Tabernacle Street, those seeking assistance and services can now easily find them.

"There are people out there that do not even know these services exist; I know there are people out there that need our services," McCleave said.

The center will provide deaf and hard of hearing individuals with community courses, vocational rehabilitation, educational advancement opportunities and access to technology and resources that may be free of charge to those who qualify.

Officials said Southern Utah's population would total approximately 600 deaf and 100 hard of hearing individuals based on national statistics that state that one percent of the total population is deaf or hard of hearing.

Many deaf and hard of hearing people aren't able to attend or enjoy community classes because of communication barriers, so the center will offer courses on topics like Word Perfect, home decor, budgeting, healthy eating and exercise. According to McCleave, most of the classes are provided free for the deaf and hard of hearing. Some classes like American Sign Language or ASL classes for the hearing are also offered free of charge.

McCleave is also celebrating the culmination of another project. She worked nonstop for a year and half to find a movie theater in the region that would feature open caption, or subtitles at the bottom of the screen. Now the deaf and hard of hearing can enjoy new releases in the theater with family and friends at Hurricane's new theater, Coral Cliffs.

Staff at the center are excited to share the latest technology with the local communities' deaf and hard of hearing population.

The center features devices that improve quality of life and ease communications, like the Communication Access Real-time Translation or CART which allows for translation from conversation to text that appears on a monitor or screen. The center's polycom system allows viewers in Southern Utah to connect with and participate in live workshops or classes relayed by television through streaming video. Those lacking access to video phones are invited to use the center's Sorenson Kiosk to talk to family or schedule doctor's appointments.

Burdett is hopeful that the Legislature will approve an additional $50,000 needed in 2005 to fund a vital position -- a full time secretary and interpreter that will help carry Burdett's work and advocacy further into the community. Burdett hopes the center can extend its services and outreach to rural communities and reservations in the region. Staff members at the center also foresee working closely with businesses to dispel myths about the deaf community and its workforce and help improve employment opportunities.

By Rachel Tueller, The Spectrum