Testimonials

I am always grateful for the feeling of belonging and family that California Hands & Voices gives me. I am happy to support how I can. I wholeheartedly support your mission and vision and work hard to ensure all families make informed choices. Your families are what I envision my families will one day be, empowered, informed and inspired.

As a teacher of the deaf, I am grateful for California Hands & Voices. The support and education that is provided to families really impacts educational programming. Empowered parents can always overcome the “we don’t provide that” mentality that some school districts might have. Parents do help us make the changes that is necessary in our field. Thank you!

My success as a deaf adult is hugely credited to my parents. My confidence as an (deaf) adult was a direct result of their unfaltering high expectations, patience, work-ethic, and persistence in ensuring that I had equal access to education and the opportunity to receive quality education. This was important to them, and was drilled into me at a young age. Resources and information was critical to my mother in the early stages of identification, and she did it successfully without the internet or social media. These days, we have an abundant net of resources that is available to parents, and we need to encourage parents to take advantage of it, and to know how to filter through information that will be applicable to their family and home life. CA H&V is one incredible group that strives to do just that.

I tell new families that I meet: "Whatever expectations, hopes, and dreams you had for your child before they were born/identified, should not change. If you put the barrier there, it will just make it harder."

~ Deaf Adult - Profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears

Finding out that our second child was Deaf brought new and unexpected challenges to our family. We all learned to sign, but since everyone else in our family is hearing it is not always easy. Our family has found encouragement from other families with DHH children at CA H&V events such as park days, ice cream socials, and family camp-outs. Getting to know other families, sharing in the joys and struggles of raising a DHH child, and practicing our signing has better equipped us to confidently move forward together as a family, Thanks to programs and events from CA H&V, we have learned ways to help our Deaf child feel validated instead of isolated. We are grateful for the CA H&V support and programming that reaches out to families like ours.

~ Parent of Deaf Plus child, who attend California School for the Deaf in Riverside

I just wanted to thank everyone who reached out and offered advice and support when I posted about my district suddenly removing my son from the case load of our (now previous) ES provider. I want to especially thank Johanna Wonderly, Rhonda Savage, and Nancy Grosz Sager, who each provided me personal help and invaluable information. This morning the program director emailed me back and let me know that they’re reaching out to local providers. Here’s hoping we will be back on track soon. Thanks again, all!