Elizabeth Hill
Executive Director, New Jersey Human Services Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Elizabeth Hill is the Executive Director of Human Services' Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing with 25 years of experience dedicated to expanding access for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, particularly children and families. With a career distinguished by accomplishments in various leadership, Ms. Hill's career is marked by innovative program development, dedicated leadership, and advocacy for policies enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities. 

Ms. Hill pioneered innovative communication and language access grants for New Jersey counties, demonstrating her commitment to increasing inclusivity for deaf and hard of hearing individuals and children. These grants expanded access to sign language and captioning services as well as hearing induction loops, greatly expanding access in the areas where deaf and hard of hearing individuals live and work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her leadership was pivotal to increasing access to sign language communications during emergency briefings and other critical announcements. This included providing unprecedented sign language access to the state’s COVID-19 vaccination mega-sites. The Division’s sign language team experienced significant overall growth ensuring broader access to public forums and diverse communication needs.

Under Ms. Hill's leadership, the Hearing Aid Assistance for the Aged and Disabled experienced significant expansion providing more opportunities for qualified individuals to access hearing aids. This marked the first substantial growth of the program since its establishment in 1987. Her creative approach extended to collaborations with Montclair University to expand audiology services' accessibility across New Jersey through the mobile audiologist initiative. 

Ms. Hill's visionary leadership extended to the implementation of a groundbreaking model state government program for deaf and hard of hearing children aged 0-5. The program provides language instruction services to children and their families throughout New Jersey, making a significant impact.

Her professional background includes roles as a school social worker serving children and families at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. She also served as Coordinator of Deaf Services with the Alabama Department of Mental Health, where she was responsible for coordinating mental health services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in 24 counties. She initiated multiple agency partnerships to establish mental health services for deaf and hard of hearing children. In her role as Executive Director of the Kentucky Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, she collaborated with the Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs on legislation standardizing infant hearing screenings. Ms. Hill also served as President of the Pennsylvania Society for the Advancement of the Deaf where she was appointed to key coalitions and committees advancing the interests of deaf and hard of hearing Pennsylvanians.

A Pennsylvania native, Ms. Hill holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Government and a Master of Social Work degree from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.