The department, with the advice of persons knowledgeable about the provision of public social services to deaf and hearing impaired persons, shall establish the criteria for funding public social services for the deaf and hearing impaired.
The criteria shall include, but shall not be limited to, demonstrated need for services, ability to provide services in a deaf or hearing impaired person’s preferred mode of communication, ability to secure community support, including written endorsements of local officials and organizations, including organizations of and for the deaf and hearing impaired, and funding from one or more public or private sources. Special consideration shall be given to the extent to which deaf and hearing impaired persons are included in the agency’s staff and in the case of a private nonprofit corporation on the board of directors.