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Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Members of the Community

Members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community strive to promote strong family relationships by focusing on natural language acquisition, strengthening communication and allowing deaf/hard of hearing children early access to actively participate in their environment as they develop healthy identities.

Deaf Mentor Program

The Nebraska Association of the Deaf (NEAD) has launched the Deaf Mentor Program to support families of children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH). The program's mission is to connect families with caring, enthusiastic, and trained D/HH adult mentors who share their life experiences, introduce Deaf culture, support language development, enhance communication, and foster healthy identity formation—ultimately helping each child reach their full potential.

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Through partnerships with community organizations and parent groups, the program offers early social and mentoring opportunities for families and their D/HH child(ren), ideally beginning before the child reaches nine months of age. An advisory committee comprised of D/HH adults, parents, and professionals provides guidance and oversight for the program.

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To connect with a Deaf Mentor, please contact Nicole at neadprogramcoordinator@gmail.com.

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NE H&V is excited to connect families to the Deaf Mentor Program!

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Interviews with D/HH Individuals

Shelli Janning, GBYS Coordinator interviews individuals in the D/HH community who share their experiences and perspectives.

H&V Interview with Ann Thompson

H&V Interview with Ann Thompson

Another great interview with an individual who is Deaf. Ann speaks about her experiences with attending a Deaf residential school as well as growing up Deaf with hearing parents. Ann shares a unique and valued perspective.
Dillon Curren interview Sept 2020

Dillon Curren interview Sept 2020

Dillon is interviewed about his experiences growing up as a D/HH individual. He is a great guy and shares a great story. His primary mode of communication is ASL. This interview is signed in ASL.
H&V GBYS D/HH interview with Tory Villotta.

H&V GBYS D/HH interview with Tory Villotta.

Tory shares her experiences while growing up hard of hearing. She has chosen a more auditory verbal mode of communication. She is interested in going into education and becoming a Deaf Educator. The first 8-9 minutes is not signed due to format issues.
Interview with Cody McEvoy 8/12/20

Interview with Cody McEvoy 8/12/20

Nebraska Hands & Voices Guide by Your Side Interview with Cody McEvoy about his experiences growing up as an individual who is D/HH.
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