Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 46, § 2351. Definitions

(1) “Board” means the group of individuals named or appointed to inform and support the work of the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf pursuant to R.S. 46:2352.

(2) “Commission” means the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf.

(3) “Deaf” means a condition of or person with some or complete absence of auditory sensitivity, regardless of when the hearing loss occurred, and is most often represented with a lowercase letter “d”. Methods of communication may include American Sign Language or spoken English. The term “Deaf”, when written or expressed with an uppercase letter “D”, specifically refers to a group of deaf individuals who identify as a cultural and linguistic minority with specific languages, namely visual or tactile methods of communication, and social mores.

(4) “DeafBlind” means a condition of or person with concomitant visual and auditory sensitivity to the extent that it causes extreme difficulty in gaining independence in daily life activities, achieving psychosocial adjustments, or obtaining a vocation.

(5) “Department” means the Louisiana Department of Health.

(6) “Hard of hearing” means a condition of or person with total or partial inability to hear sound, but not to the extent that the person must rely primarily on visual communication.

(7) “Hearing” means any person who has average to above hearing levels.

(8) “Interpreter” means an individual involved in the process of interpreting or transliterating between the English language and American Sign Language or any communication modes used by d/Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing persons. Communication modes may include but are not limited to cued speech and tactile sign.

(9) “Secretary” means the secretary of Louisiana Department of Health.