Bridges for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing envisions a united and empowered community in which the Deaf and hard of hearing equally participate and are equally valued. Offering services for individuals from birth to elder years that include early language acquisition and family support, afterschool programming, case management, interpreting, advocacy, education, and more, Bridges provides critical access to communication, resource-building, and community. Through advocacy, the agency seeks to improve health for Tennesseans by ensuring equal access to communication from birth. Health/health outcomes (mental and physical, short and long term) for the Deaf/hard of hearing are dependent on equal access and effective communication, requiring the removal of systemic barriers and the creation of more just systems. The agency will continue to build the knowledge base and continue to collect meaningful data, with intentional work on building coalitions and systems of support around legislation.