Innivee Strategies is pleased to announce that the Nevada Communication Access Services (CAS) Strategic Plan and Implementation Framework is now complete. Shaped by Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and Speech Disabled community members and Nevadans, the plan sets five priorities that will guide CAS for the next several years.
Shane Feldman of Innivee Strategies signs the announcement in ASL.
Need this in another accessible format? Email contact@innivee.com and we will work with you.
How it started
In December 2025, Innivee Strategies announced a strategic planning partnership with Nevada Communication Access Services. Working with the Nevada Public Health Foundation and the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD), we set out to build a plan grounded in what the community needs most.
Listening across Nevada
In March, our team traveled to Nevada and met with community members in Las Vegas, Reno, and Elko, both in person and online. More than 50 people shared their experiences with us, including Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing community members, families, advocates, teachers, interpreters, service providers, and CAS staff.
Several themes came up again and again. People told us it was hard to find out what CAS offers. Rural residents said their services did not match those in the cities. DeafBlind people, Deaf seniors, and Deaf people of color said they had been left out. And many stressed that Deaf children need language from the very start of life, and that Nevada needs more interpreters and other trained professionals.
“You, the Nevada community, shaped this plan,” said Shane Feldman, CEO of Innivee Strategies. “Your input determined the priorities for CAS for the next several years. You shared your real experiences with us, and that required trust. Thank you for trusting us.”
The planning process
- Discovery and data. We reviewed CAS data and compared Nevada’s telecommunications relay services with other states.
- Community engagement. Five focus groups and eleven interviews brought community voices into the plan.
- Findings and recommendations. We shared what we learned in a set of reports, including community engagement findings and partnership pathways.
- Committee priorities. An ad hoc Strategic Planning Committee met through the summer, studied the findings, and set a vision and five priorities.
- Implementation Framework. Each priority has goals with clear targets and deadlines, so everyone can see whether progress is being made.
Nevada Communication Access Services strategic plan at a glance
The committee’s vision
“A transformed Nevada where every Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and Speech Disabled person belongs and thrives through guaranteed, seamless communication access across telecommunications, emergency services, healthcare, social services, education, employment, and public spaces.”
Five priorities for Nevada
- 1
Clarity in Information Access, Transparency, and Collaboration
Clear, easy to find information in ASL, English, or the language or format that works for each person.
- 2
Service to all of Nevada: Northern, Rural, and Frontier Regions
Serving every part of Nevada, so northern, rural, and frontier communities get the same quality of services as Las Vegas.
- 3
Equitable Access for Unserved and Underserved Populations
Reaching underserved communities with services that fit their language and culture, in a reasonable amount of time.
- 4
Assured Language Access from Birth for Deaf Youth
Language from birth for every Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing child, with support for families right away if a child falls behind.
- 5
Expand and Sustain the Communication Access Workforce
Growing Nevada’s own workforce of interpreters, Deaf interpreters, DeafBlind support providers, teachers of the Deaf, Deaf mentors, and more.
Prepared by Innivee Strategies for Nevada Communication Access Services
Thank you
We are deeply grateful to the Strategic Planning Committee: Penni Echols, Mandee Hooper, David Kelsey, Paula Koerwitz, Danny Martin-Vasquez, Norma Ruiz, Yancy Salazar, Sierra Shaw, Tim Smalley, Laura “LT” Thompson, and Eric Wilcox. They brought lived experience as Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing people; as BIPOC, Indigenous, and rural residents; as parents, educators, interpreters, service providers, and advocates; and as people who communicate in ASL, spoken English, Spanish, and other languages.
We also thank Jennifer Montoya and the CAS team, ADSD, and the Nevada Public Health Foundation for their partnership.
What comes next
CAS and Innivee Strategies will host a joint presentation in the coming weeks to walk through the priorities and answer questions about the plan and its implementation. Details will be announced soon.
Need this in another accessible format? Email contact@innivee.com and we will work with you.
Read the original announcement: Nevada Communication Access Services Launches Strategic Planning Partnership with Innivee Strategies.
For more about Innivee Strategies’ approach, visit inniveestrategies.com/strategic-planning.
