In 2020, a small coalition of Deaf/HH and hearing citizens formed a Deaf advocacy group, 'Signing Up!, in Muskingum County.  This small group recognized that, without ASL interpreters, equal access for Deaf/HH citizens, who use ASL, to services in rural Ohio could not be attained. 

Thus, Signing Up's primary mission was to develop dual-credit and college-level programs to recruit, train, and retain local, certified ASL interpreters to serve in chronically underserved, rural Ohio counties.

In 2022, Access Muskingum, with a focus on equal access for the Deaf to services within Muskingum County, joined forces with Signing Up!, mutually enhancing their closely-related goals.

Our united group now includes a network of incredible leaders and support persons partnering with us to improve services to the Deaf/HH community both in Muskingum and numerous surrounding rural counties.  These leaders and support persons represent local organizations, including Special Education Directors serving school districts in Muskingum County, Zanesville city officials; ASL  interpreters; representatives from Genesis; Ohio congressmen and statehouse representatives and, most importantly, Deaf citizens and their families.

Currently, members of our united group are meeting with Ohio Congressional aides and Ohio Statehouse representatives, working together to develop an initiative program and/or college-level programs to produce certified ASL interpreters for chronically underserved rural Ohio counties. 

ASL interpreters resulting from these efforts will open equal access for Deaf/HH students in local schools, medical facilities, and the community at large, providing linguistically up-to-date ASL teachers to the benefit of both Deaf/HH and hearing citizens.  * (Did you know that more than 90% of Deaf children are born to hearing parents?)