Category: News (page 3)

by Lindsay Jack, California H&V

She’s Just Like Me: The 2020 American Girl Doll

When I first learned the American Girl Doll Girl of the Year was a doll who uses hearing aids and would be the first with any disability, I thought it was great and would be a perfect birthday present for my five-year-old hard of hearing daughter, Penelope. She already has two dolls that we bought aftermarket hearing aids for and attached them with glue to help them stay on. But this doll is different; she has a story about being Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and not just the accessories.

by Chelsea R. Hull, M.A. H&V Military Project

Dear California Hands & Voices State Chapter,

I want to thank you for accepting my application to the Board. Even though you knew I was a military spouse who would be moving, you let me serve. By adding me to your Board, you helped shape me into a better professional. Serving on the California Board as a regional member, on the professional advisory committee, and becoming ASTra-certified, you allowed me opportunities to continue my journey as an educator of the deaf. Spending time with the other board members allowed me to develop more insight into who I am and how I can better support families.

by Melissa Smith, Ed.D.Professor of ASL-English Translation and Interpreting Studies

Perhaps you have a child who is Deaf or hard of hearing. Even if you know a lot about the Deaf community, there are a myriad of complex factors involved in making sure your child is surrounded by rich language opportunities. Maybe your child is mainstreamed in a classroom with an interpreter for part of the school day. If so, or if you care about the educational access provided through interpreters, please continue reading!

By Kristen Stratton, California Hands & Voices

I have spent a lifetime trying to figure out where I fit in as a hard of hearing person in a hearing world. I grew up in a family with a strong history of hearing loss but without the richness of language or culture; that seemed reserved for only those who were truly deaf. I didn’t know “Deaf” as compared to “deaf”. I didn’t know about the world beyond mine that had a full and complete language which was as beautiful as it was intricate and complex. I didn’t know anything until I became the mother of a Deaf child.

by Nancy Grosz Sager

California Department of Education (retired Spring 2018)

This is actually a no-brainer to me. We all know that the # 1 predictor of whether or not ANY child does well academically, socially, and vocationally is PARENT INVOLVEMENT. For a child who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing, strong parent involvement is even more important. And yet, young parents who have just learned that their beautiful little baby is Deaf or Hard of Hearing are uncertain about what to do, how to do it, and what is in store for them.

by Brittany Comegna

Admissions Counselor at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology

I did everything that I now tell students to NOT do.

I was a senior in high school at California School for the Deaf in Fremont. I was encouraged by teachers and school staff to attend a certain university after having submitted my application. I concurrently applied to California State University at Northridge (CSUN) where my older Deaf brother was attending. I had my heart set on a career in the film industry and believed CSUN could offer a lot in this area. I graduated from CSUN in December of 2010.

By Rosabel O. Agbayani, MPH

“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” -Mother Theresa

Sometimes we think that in order to make change we have to make a lot of noise. What I have learned from my experience of raising my children, and especially raising my deaf child, is that you have to be able to drown out the noise and listen to your heart.

We found out my son was deaf in September 2010. I’m not sure why I was so shocked because after almost 6 months of testing we finally had an answer. But I still remember that feeling when I heard the words “Your son has a hearing loss.”

by Michelle Hu Lapid

Pediatric Audiologist & Bilateral Cochlear Implant Recipient

If you told my mother 30 years ago that her daughter would graduate high school and college with honors, she actually might have had some doubts. This is because, thirty years ago, when the doctors confirmed my hearing loss, they also told her that I would likely not go beyond a 3rd grade reading level.