Suit Over Treatment of Deaf in PA Homes

A class action lawsuit accuses the state of Pennsylvania of discriminating against the deaf and mentally challenged. The charge stems from the experiences of a deaf man named in the suit as Harry M. who was placed in a home with a staff that does not know sign language. A friend of his filed the lawsuit, saying all deaf retarded people in assistance programs suffer because the state fails to accommodate their needs and forces them to live an isolated life. Most of the some 1600 deaf recipients of mental retardation services in the state live in homes with staffs who either do not know sign language or know very little.