D&HHS Partners with Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing young people in West Michigan have an ally and advocate in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, which has been providing them with opportunities for 25 years.
Now, thanks to a partnership between Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and the Youth Grant Committee of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, those young people will have even more opportunities.
This month a grant partnership of $4,000 between the Grand Rapids Community Foundation’s Youth Grant Committee and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services was announced, a partnership that will fund language access, learning opportunities, and Deaf role models to Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing children and families in an accepting and accessible environment.
D&HHS executive director Deb Atwood was thrilled by the announcement.
“We get very little federal or state funding,” she said, “yet we serve 27 counties in West Michigan and are really the only organization to offer the services we do. Outside of school and religious-based programs, very few opportunities are afforded to children who are Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing. This partnership with the Youth Grant Committee will allow us to serve those children in powerful ways. We are very grateful.”
Atwood added that according to the CDC, approximately 15 percent of school-age children have a measurable level of hearing loss and that even students with mild hearing loss miss up to 50 percent of classroom discussions. Those with severe hearing loss or deafness face even greater challenges, especially without accommodations.
These communication barriers can be present at home as well. Studies show that 90 percent of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing children are born to hearing parents, which often presents significant communication challenges.
“Our Youth Programs help families work to overcome these challenges by providing inclusive and accessible language and learning opportunities,” Atwood said.
The organization’s KidSigns program (ages 3-12) provides activities that build language, positive identity, self-esteem and self-acceptance, and the centerpiece of the program is a week-long Kids Kamp to be held in July 2021.
As was the case in 2020, the event will be held virtually, with videos and activities that can be enjoyed at home, giving children and families an opportunity to build language together and providing a positive Deaf role model.
D&HHS also offers Teen Club (ages 13-19) which is focused on providing life-skills and career exploration opportunities to teens. This year a spring/summer series is being planned which will give teens an opportunity to interact with public safety professionals such as police, fire and medical, and gain important knowledge about these fields as career paths as studies show almost 30 percent of young adults with hearing loss are unemployed.
“We work to be inclusive and provide opportunities that foster the potential of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing children,” said Atwood. “These communities have been excluded historically. These individuals have unique talents and experiences, allowing them to offer new perspectives.”
