Chris Pappas: “as I stand here today, almost three-quarters of a million of my fellow New Jersey citizens are unable to hear what I am…”

“as I stand here today, almost three-quarters of a million of my fellow New Jersey citizens are unable to hear what I am saying. It is not that they are not listening, but rather they are physically unable to hear. Although closed captioning television is beneficial to some, many citizens are without the service. I rise today to recognize my State's proclamation of June 14 as the 13th Annual Deaf and Hard of Hearing Day. This day sets out to raise awareness for an issue and a segment of our population that face a silent disability. The ability to hear is truly a blessing and something that those of us who can hear often take for granted. For just a moment think of all the different sounds that echo through our daily lives: The birds chirping in the early morning, the music in the car, or the elevator, or familiar voices of our friends, family members, and coworkers. As a society we depend on sounds in so many ways: Vehicle horns when we are driving, fire alarms to alert us to danger, and even here in Congress we listen for the bells to alert us of upcoming votes. It is difficult to imagine the everyday difficulties that those citizens who are unable to hear face in their efforts to function in a society that uses sounds in so many ways as a means of communication.”