Kelby Brick.

Byline: Special to The Daily Record

Kelby Brick

Director

Governor's Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Kelby Brick led the drive in 2001 to establish the Governor's Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and

he has been its director since 2015. He said he's proud of what the office has accomplished in transforming state policies, including greater Deaf and hard-of-hearing access to language, education, mental health, and emergency services.

"I am most proud of the state's commitment to the Deaf ecosystem under Gov. (Larry) Hogan, promoting Deaf-owned businesses and hiring Deaf employees in the private and public sectors," said Kelby, who was the first Deaf graduate of the Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia in 1997.

He said the state's Department of Rehabilitation Services has more than doubled the number of its Deaf clients who have been hired for jobs. "This level of success is unprecedented in the nation and reflects the Hogan administration's commitment to empowering Deaf people," he said.

Prior to his current position, Kelby founded a consulting firm in 2013 that advises corporations and nonprofits. As a vice president with Purple Communications Inc. from 2006 to 2013, he established a system later adopted by the Federal Communications Commission that enabled telecommunications relay equipment to be accessible by phones and emergency systems.

In January, Kelby announced another breakthrough the state's Medicaid program would provide coverage for hearing aids and other similar devices for all ages. Previously, the program only covered the devices for children and adults under 21.

"Our office received calls asking for financial assistance to help cover the cost of hearing aids due to the high out-of-pocket costs and the lack of coverage through Maryland Medicaid, so we worked with the Department of Health to address this significant gap," Kelby said. "The Hogan administration's expansion of Maryland Medicaid coverage for adults provides tremendous financial relief for thousands of eligible Marylanders in need of these vital services."

I am most proud of the state's commitment to the Deaf ecosystem under Gov. (Larry) Hogan, promoting Deaf-owned businesses and hiring Deaf employees in the private and public sectors."

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