An RFP was awarded January 1, 2002, to the Community Outreach Program for the Deaf (COPD) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The ATR Institute (ATRI), in conjunction with COPD, focused initially on planning transportation outreach events as well as working on two surveys, which would be conducted at these events. The first survey (the short survey) was aimed at finding out what general issues persons in the deaf and hard of hearing community have with transportation in the areas in which they live. The second survey (the long survey) was designed to seek input from the deaf and hard of hearing in conjunction with the Integrated Transportation Design project in the Tijeras Canyon area where there is proposed construction on a stretch on Interstate 40.

The COPD and the ATRI developed some interesting and unique strategies to approach outreach that were quite successful. Surveys were translated into American Sign Language (ASL) to ensure they were accessible to as wide an audience as possible. An actor was hired to interpret the surveys onto videotape using ASL. The videotapes were made with generous assistance from the New Mexico School for the Deaf. The videotapes were used at large gatherings of the deaf and hard of hearing communities.

The COPD and the ATRI were very successful in development of innovative strategies for including deaf and hard of hearing people in outreach activities. The surveys were "culturally sensitive" with deaf staff people presenting the surveys and information. No other state, as far as could be determined, made such efforts to work in this way.