HEARD strives to protect the legal rights of people who are deaf. "HEARD has volunteers nationwide who conduct deaf prisoner/defendant research, assist deaf prisoners with access issues, investigate possible wrongful conviction cases, and educate the Deaf community about the law and current legal issues, among other things. HEARD empowers the Deaf and legal communities by providing education about individual rights, and Deaf culture and communication, respectively. HEARD created and maintains the nation's only deaf prisoner database, and is working to increase representation of the deaf in the legal profession by connecting deaf youth with legal education organizations, law schools, and law firms." Points of entry on this website include: about HEARD; advocacy; DAJ Blog; get involved; and contact information.
