DonorsChoose---touching sounds, seeing voices

By palmd on October 2, 2009.

When I was younger I took a temp job for the University of California Center on Deafness. I was lucky enough to be taken in and taught by the close-knit deaf community at the Center, and my eyes were opened to the special challenges of deafness in a hearing world. This was before instant messages, when we would set a phone on a coupling device to use the TDD.

I also learned about the special health challenges in the deaf community---doctor visits without interpreters, lack of access to real medical information, especially about HIV. At the time, HIV was hitting the deaf community hard, partly because of communication difficulties between the deaf community and the hearing medical community.

It turns out that one of the DonorsChoose projects in my state is called "Touching Sounds Through Play" and is trying to purchase supplies to help deaf children with their language skills. Without early intervention in language skills, many deaf children will have a hard time completing school, working, and staying healthy. Why don't you consider sending a few bucks their way?

SKSK

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