LANSING, MI (AP)-- Governor Rick Snyder has signed an executive order renaming a Michigan government division to encompass all members of the deaf community.
Snyder approved the order Wednesday during Deaf Awareness Week. It updates the names of a state Department of Civil Rights division and an advisory council to include the word "deafblind."
The department's Division on Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing works to ensure members of the deaf community have access to secure and effective communication methods. It also facilitates the use of interpreters and assistive listening devices for conversations with the state.
The advisory council includes 13 members appointed by the governor who give recommendations and guidance to the department. Seven of its members are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing.