BLAIR LEE III, Acting Governor                        2973

handicapped citizens. Regrettably, an often overlooked
segment of the handicapped are those persons with hearing
impairments.

Today, over 2,000,000 people in the United States
depend on a hearing aid device that is equipped with an
inductive telephone pick—up ("the telephone switch") which
detects magnetic energy sounds allowing them to use the
telephone normally. Unfortunately, not all telephone
equipment, utilized by telephone companies doing business in
the State of Maryland, is compatible with these hearing
devices.

In different Maryland locales, telephone companies have
installed receivers that do not pick up the vital magnetic
energy signal. As a result, persons suffering from hearing
impairments are denied equal employment opportunities to the
extent that they are prevented from using the telephone — a
must on most jobs. In addition, these individuals are
denied freedom of mobility since they cannot move about for
fear of losing telephone contact as well as being denied
emergency protection. There is no way to anticipate when
the critical need for telephone use will arise; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That all
State agencies and departments are directed to refrain from
installing any telephone equipment, which cannot accommodate
hearing aid devices equipped with inductive telephone
pick-up switches, in their respective facilities; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That all county and municipal governments and
their respective agencies and departments are requested to
refrain from installing any telephone equipment, which
cannot accommodate hearing aid devices equipped with
inductive telephone pick-up switches in their individual
offices and facilities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be sent to the
Acting Governor, Honorable Blair Lee III; the President of
the Senate, Honorable Steny H. Hoyer; the Speaker of the
House of Delegates, Honorable John Hanson Briscoe; the
Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Neil Solomon,
201 West Preston Street, Baltimore 21201; the Secretary of
General Services, Honorable J. Max Millstone, 301 West
Preston Street, Baltimore 21201; the Director of the
Organization for Use of the Telephone, Inc., David Saks, P.
O. Box 175, Owings Mills 21117; Mr. Joseph Murane of the
Maryland Association of Counties, 169 Conduit Street,
Annapolis, Maryland 21401; and Mr. John Robinson of the
Maryland Municipal League, 76 Maryland Avenue, Annapolis,
Maryland 21401 for distribution to their member
organizations.

Approved May 16, 1978.