HomeInformation about Hands & Voices
"Who are we? We are parents of ASL signers, cued speech users.... parents of kids with cochlear implants or total communicators... we are people who have common interests connected through the community of deafness. Hands & Voices is a safe place to explore options, get unemotional support (although we can be emotional about it!), learn from one another and share what we have in common. We value diversity and honor the role of parents and family as the single greatest factor in raising a WASK, (our favorite acronym: W ell- A djusted S uccessful K id)
"There is room in the community of deafness for an organization like Hands & Voices, and in fact, I think parents, and even many professionals, have been crying out for a group like this," says Leeanne Seaver, Board member. "Somehow parents connecting to other parents provides an element of credibility; there's a level of 'knowing & feeling' that only a parent experiences. And parents, especially parents of babies newly identified with deafness or hearing loss, need a way to connect like this without being wary of a sponsoring agenda from a service provider."
Hands & Voices is a non-profit, parent-driven organization dedicated to supporting families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We are non-biased about communication methodologies and believe that families can make the best choices for their child if they have access to good information and support. Our membership includes families who communicate manually and/or orally. From American Sign Language to cochlear implants, our organization represents people from all different approaches to, and experiences with, deafness or hearing loss. We have local chapters comprised mainly of parents along with professionals. As the largest parent organization for families raising children who are deaf/hard of hearing in the U.S., we are called upon for thought leadership in health, education and parenting arenas, and work with families and the systems that support them from hearing screening, identification, early intervention, school-age, and transition from high school.
Download this visual representation of our work here
Interested in starting a Hands & Voices group in your area? Contact us via this website for more information.
Why We're Here
Most organizations serving families with deaf and hard of hearing children rally around common interests that usually include a philosophy of communication that is promoted by that group. Hands & Voices does not promote specific communication choices or methodologies, but we have information about them and can direct families or professionals to other fine support organizations for specific information like the Alexander Graham Bell Association or The American Society for Deaf Children, just to name a few. Our rallying points are areas of interest that are common to all people, but especially parents, connected by the interests of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing, and include these values...
- We all want the best for our children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- We deserve respect and honor for our role as parents/families. We require a beneficial, successful educational experience for our kids.
- We need information from a wide variety of sources.
- We want to know about opportunities and resources.
- We need training & support to become effective advocates for our kids.
- We are stronger united by our common interests than divided by differing communication choices.
- We must lend our organized support to all kinds of efforts that promote our common interests--strength in numbers!
