{"id":22301,"date":"2013-03-22T11:59:38","date_gmt":"2013-03-22T16:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=22301"},"modified":"2013-03-22T20:39:29","modified_gmt":"2013-03-23T01:39:29","slug":"dot-recognizes-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-truck-drivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2013\/03\/22\/dot-recognizes-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-truck-drivers\/","title":{"rendered":"DOT Recognizes Deaf and Hard of Hearing Truck Drivers!"},"content":{"rendered":"

DOT Recognizes Deaf and Hard of Hearing Truck Drivers!<\/strong><\/p>\n

February 1, 2013<\/p>\n

In a historic victory for deaf and hard of hearing truckers, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced today, after decades of prohibition, that deaf drivers can operate commercial motor vehicles such as large trucks. Today, the DOT granted 40 applications filed by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) seeking exemption from the hearing standard that has barred deaf drivers from obtaining commercial drivers’ licenses (CDLs). In announcing this historic decision, the DOT cited research demonstrating that deaf drivers are as safe as hearing drivers.<\/p>\n

The DOT regulates the physical qualifications standards, or physical requirements, for people who want to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. For decades, the DOT has maintained a hearing standard that has excluded safe and skilled deaf drivers from a career in commercial trucking. The DOT hearing standard, contained in 49 C.F.R. \u00a7391.41(b)(11), requires that a CDL applicant be able to hear a forced whisper in the better ear at not less than five feet, or that an applicant does not have an average hearing loss in the better ear greater than 40 decibels at 500 Hz, 1,00 Hz, and 2,000 Hz with or without a hearing aid. The NAD has long argued that this standard has no relevance to safe operation of commercial motor vehicles and has insisted that the DOT rescind this standard.<\/p>\n

In July 2011, the NAD filed exemption applications asking DOT to waive the hearing standard and allow deaf truckers with safe driving records to operate commercial motor vehicles. In February 2012, the NAD submitted a second group of applications for exemption. The DOT reviewed the driving records of each exemption applicant and asked for public comment on the exemption requests. In response, 570 individuals and organizations filed public comment, overwhelmingly agreeing that deaf people should be allowed to obtain commercial drivers’ licenses. The NAD expresses gratitude to these individuals and organizations that filed comments supporting the exemption petition. Today’s announcement not only allows the 40 applicants represented by the NAD to drive commercially, but opens the door to driving careers to any deaf driver with a safe driving record. The DOT explicitly states that this announcement pre-empts any contradictory state law.<\/p>\n

“We made history today, and this is a huge victory for all deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States. Previously we had to fight to be able to drive cars, and now commercial driver’s licenses are available to deaf and hard of hearing drivers!” says NAD President Christopher Wagner.<\/p>\n

Howard A. Rosenblum, CEO of the NAD, adds that “The hearing standard is the kind of institutionalized discrimination based on stereotyped assumptions, rather than on data or facts, that the NAD has fought to change for many years. The NAD is thrilled that these safe and skilled deaf and hard of hearing drivers can now pursue the career of their choice.”<\/p>\n

In addition to granting the 40 exemptions, the DOT recognized that the NAD has filed a petition to remove the hearing standard in its entirety from the regulation. That petition is currently under consideration by the DOT. The NAD thanks the DOT for issuing the 40 exemptions at this time and urges the DOT to expedite the petition to remove the hearing standard.<\/p>\n

The NAD expresses gratitude to many people who worked hard for many years to reach this achievement including but not limited to: deaf truckers and their organization Deaf Truckers United; Mary Vargas and Michael Stein at Stein & Vargas, LLP; and Thomas Knope.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/articles\/2013\/02\/01\/2013-02266\/qualification-of-drivers-application-for-exemptions-national-association-of-the-deaf<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.nad.org\/news\/2012\/7\/action-alert-support-deaf-and-hard-hearing-truck-drivers<\/a><\/p>\n

SOURCE:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.nad.org\/news\/2013\/2\/dot-recognizes-deaf-and-hard-hearing-truck-drivers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DOT Recognizes Deaf and Hard of Hearing Truck Drivers! February 1, 2013 In a historic victory for deaf and hard of hearing truckers, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced today, after decades of prohibition, that deaf drivers can…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[10316,17844,14136,15039,5355,5354,5260,17124,17841,100,630,17842,17843,17840],"class_list":["post-22301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deaf-news","tag-cdl","tag-christopher-wagner","tag-commercial-drivers-license","tag-deaf-truckers-united","tag-department-of-transportation","tag-dot","tag-howard-a-rosenblum","tag-mary-vargas","tag-michael-stein","tag-nad","tag-national-association-of-the-deaf","tag-stein-vargas-llp","tag-thomas-knope","tag-truck-drivers"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p752R-5NH","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15365,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2011\/08\/10\/nad-asks-dot-to-waive-hearing-standard-for-deaf-truck-drivers\/","url_meta":{"origin":22301,"position":0},"title":"NAD Asks DOT to Waive Hearing Standard for Deaf Truck Drivers","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"August 10, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"NAD Asks DOT to Waive Hearing Standard for Deaf Truck Drivers 08\/04\/2011 The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) filed applications for exemptions with the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) on behalf of 21 deaf truck drivers asking the DOT to waive its hearing requirement and allow them to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13667,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2011\/03\/22\/deaf-truck-drivers-wanted-to-apply-for-cdl-exemption\/","url_meta":{"origin":22301,"position":1},"title":"Deaf Truck Drivers Wanted to Apply for CDL Exemption","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"March 22, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) launched a new effort in its ongoing advocacy on behalf of drivers who are deaf and hard of hearing and who wish to obtain Commercial Driver\u2019s Licenses (CDLs). 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For the first time in history,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19372,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2012\/07\/23\/nad-enews-action-alert-support-crpd-and-deaf-truck-drivers\/","url_meta":{"origin":22301,"position":3},"title":"NAD eNews – Action Alert: Support CRPD and Deaf Truck Drivers!","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"July 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"NAD E-Newsletter Monday, July 23, 2012 ACTION ALERT: Support Deaf and Hard of Hearing Truck Drivers! Deaf and hard of hearing truck drivers need your support! 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Two federal government agencies, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19950,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2012\/09\/12\/driving-in-silence\/","url_meta":{"origin":22301,"position":5},"title":"Driving in Silence","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"September 12, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"DRIVING IN SILENCE September 2012 by Amanda Jakl Randall Doane has been driving big rigs for more than 10 years. 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