In 2005, the Arkansas Coalition for the Education of Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing (ACED) was created by the Arkansas Deaf Education Task Force. The Task Force came together in the summer of 2004 because of their shared core beliefs, vision and mission, which form the foundation of their work and recommendations. The primary issue before the Task Force was the right and necessity of children who are deaf/hard of hearing to develop communication and language - the foundation for any educational growth. Arkansas was the fourth state in the nation, following Colorado, New Mexico and California, to tackle the issue of deaf education at a statewide level. The Arkansas Coalition for the Education of Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing now takes on the work established by the Task Force.

The Task Force is a group of dedicated professionals who provide services to the children of Arkansas who are deaf or hard of hearing.  The professionals have come together to share ideas and resources to improve the educational opportunities for all children who are deaf or hard of hearing in the state.

The vision of the Coalition includes a statewide learning network where all children who are deaf or hard of hearing have:

	a critical mass of communicating peers
	a communication rich learning environment
	highly qualified educational personnel
	state-of-the-art technology
	parental support and involvement
	academic achievement at or above state proficiency levels

The mission of the Coalition is to identify and advocate for the necessary resources including funds, training for personnel, support systems for children/students and parents, and continued evaluation and improvement of education for children/students who are deaf/hard of hearing until our vision is a reality.