Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan (Woodbury) was recently inducted into the Board of Directors for the Mill Neck Family of Organizations.
“The Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf and the four other incredible nonprofits that comprise the organization are dedicated to creating a world in which Deaf and hard of hearing individuals are included, empowered, celebrated and embraced as equals,” Legislator Lafazan said. “I’m so excited to continue our push to ensure that government is inclusive of residents of all different abilities.”
Throughout his tenure in office, Legislator Lafazan has worked closely with Mill Neck to enact a series of reforms aimed at better serving the County’s Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. The first bill he passed in office - which requires American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters to be present at all emergency-related news conferences in Nassau County - has ensured the presence of interpreters at Nassau’s public health briefings held throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subsequent actions include efforts to combat hiring and workplace discrimination by adding hearing other auxiliary aids to the definition of “reasonable accommodations” in the County’s Human Rights Law. Most recently, Legislator Lafazan secured a $20,000 County grant for the Sid Jacobson JCC, which will be used to create a more inclusive cultural environment for hearing-impaired patrons by purchasing and installing assisted listening devices in the Greenvale facility’s auditorium.