Gather the whole family and join us for games, hot chocolate, and a walk around the lake. This event is going ahead rain or shine so dress for the weather. ASL Interpreters will be present. This event is jointly hosted with BC Family Hearing Resource Society.
Registration deadline: Friday, November 29th.
https://form.jotform.com/bcfamilyhearing/lights-at-the-lake-rsvp-form
WHO: Family Network for Deaf Children & BC Hands & Voices
WHAT: Join us online for an info session for parents/guardians of deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind children in BC. Presenters from the following organizations will share information about their programs and services and also provide families with some important updates.
ASL-English interpretation & captioning will be provided. Spoken language interpreters will be provided if requested by November 8th.
WHEN: Saturday November 23, 9:00am-11:00am
WHERE: online via Zoom
REGISTER: https://form.
Download our flyer here: Parent Info 11.23.2024
By Sarah Francescutti, BC H&V Board Member
I recently had the privilege of attending the 2024 Hands & Voices Leadership Conference, themed “Weaving the Threads of Leadership,” in Spokane, Washington. As a first-time attendee, parent of a daughter with hearing loss, and new board member, it was an incredible opportunity to meet my fellow board members in person, connect with other parents and DHH (Deaf and Hard of Hearing) adults, and learn how to better support families with children who have hearing loss.
A heartfelt thank you to the generous donors who made it possible for us to send multiple board members and all of our Parent and DHH Guides to the conference. Their support turned this into a meaningful team-building experience for our entire group from British Columbia, something we hadn’t been able to do in years.
The conference brought together parents, professionals, and organizations committed to helping children who are deaf or hard of hearing thrive. Hosted by Hands & Voices Washington and our own British Columbia Hands & Voices team, the event was inspiring. It was filled with opportunities to learn, connect, and grow with others who are equally passionate about advocacy.
For me, the weekend held many personal highlights. One of the most memorable moments came on the first evening when I found myself at a table with DHH guides who communicated using American Sign Language (ASL). Though my ASL skills are still at a beginner level, having an interpreter helped me fully participate in the icebreaker activity, where we shared stories that reflected the theme of weaving leadership. This moment gave me insight into what people with hearing loss might experience in environments where they don’t have full access to communication. It was a humbling reminder of the importance of inclusion and translation services.
Saturday’s keynote by Michelle Hu, a Deaf pediatric audiologist, and Janna Rovniak, a Certified Peer Mentor for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, was incredibly moving. As they shared their personal experiences of growing up in hearing families and feeling like they had to hide their hearing loss, I couldn’t help but think of my 4-year-old daughter who wears hearing aids. Michelle’s words struck me deeply, especially when she shared how she eventually came to see her hearing loss as a gift, a part of her identity that made her stronger. It was a powerful message for me to bring home to my daughter so she may also embrace her uniqueness and stand proud in who she is.
The athlete speakers were another emotional highlight. Alexis Jones’ presentation, “Silent Strength: The Triumphs and Challenges of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Athletes,” was inspiring. She shared her journey through recreation leagues, high school, and collegiate volleyball, showing how DHH athletes can thrive despite communication barriers and misconceptions. Will Frentz’s session, “Reaching the Top: Journey of a Professional Athlete with Hearing Loss,” was equally powerful. His story of captaining the US Deaf Men’s National Soccer Team was a testament to overcoming adversity and leading with resilience. Both athletes gave insights that will stay with me as I consider ways to make sports more inclusive for all DHH children.
On Sunday, sessions on advocacy, fundraising, and collaboration provided even more valuable insights. One presentation that particularly resonated with me was led by Dr. Elizabeth A. Zito, focusing on weaving Deaf history into advocacy. Dr. Zito’s session served as a powerful reminder of the importance of understanding the rich cultural heritage of the Deaf community. By knowing this history, we can advocate more effectively for our children, fostering pride and a profound sense of belonging in their identities.
One of the standout presentations was “The Mind’s Eye,” led by Dr. Keri S. Hager, which focused on helping DHH children develop a deeper understanding of their peers and the world around them. Using the THINK model—Talk, Help, Identify, Nurture, Knowledge—Dr. Hager highlighted the importance of open communication and support in fostering social-emotional skills. This presentation resonated with me as a parent and inspired me to put more effort into helping my daughter grasp the lived experiences and emotions of others.
The weekend concluded with two deeply impactful keynotes from Dr. Dorie Noll and Dr. Gul Mushtaq. Dr. Noll focused on the power of parents’ voices in shaping the support systems for DHH children, while Dr. Mushtaq explored the overwhelming decisions parents face. Her call for clearer communication and unbiased support from service providers was a powerful message, reminding us that parents should be fully informed and empowered to make decisions about their children’s futures.
As I reflect on the weekend, I am filled with a sense of unity and hope. The conference wasn’t just about learning—it was about realizing the strength in our shared experiences. Together, we are weaving a future where our children can grow with confidence, supported by a community that understands, accepts, and celebrates them. This experience reinforced that, as parents, our voices are an essential thread in the fabric of advocacy, and with continued support, we can create a brighter, more inclusive future for all of our children.
BC Hands and Voices wants to congratulate and share with you, that our very own Amy Ho has won the 2024 Hands & Voices Seaver Vision Award!
The Seaver Vision Award was established in 2012 and is given annually to a parent, professional, organization, or agency that exemplifies the values and commitment to the Hands & Voices vision.
Amy Ho has been a BC Hands & Voices Board Member and Parent Guide since both were started in British Columbia in 2008. Here are just a couple of statements about the incredible support Amy has provided to families in BC for over 30 years.
“For the past 30 years I’ve watched Amy go above and beyond to help families with dhh children. She’s served on countless committees, advisory groups, and parent panels, helped to develop multiple resources, and directly supported hundreds of families. Amy is passionate about helping families who are new to Canada; she speaks several languages and dialects, and understands the struggles faced by immigrants who find themselves navigating an unfamiliar system. She deeply appreciates how different cultural backgrounds can impact the experience of having a dhh child, and understands how to support families to find their own way. Amy is also a strong voice for those families, advocating for the translation of written resources, live language interpretation at events, and creation of workshops on specific topics requested by immigrant families. Amy is humble, kind and unassuming; she works quietly, behind the scenes, without looking for recognition, but her insights and contributions have helped shape services for dhh children and families in BC and beyond.”
“I met her as the parent of an older dhh child while I was just beginning my journey as a parent. From the first time I met her, Amy has demonstrated a willingness to share, open her heart, be a listening ear and a supportive shoulder. She is passionate about meeting and supporting parents with newly identified children, particularly those who share her culture. She has been an incredible resource and advocate for Chinese families in this province and has used her wisdom and sensitivity to help guide these families on their path. In addition, Amy was the Treasurer of our chapter for many years and was invaluable in this role. Overall, Amy has spent the last few decades making a positive impact with countless families across the province and we are incredibly lucky to have her as a part of the Hands & Voices family.”
Our Chapter is so proud of Amy and wishes to thank her for continued dedication to families with deaf/hard of hearing children in BC.
Congratulations Amy!
Join some of our BC H&V parents & Guides at our next virtual coffee chat for parents. We’ll share some things we learned from the H&V Leadership conference that may be helpful to our parent community here in BC.
This is a place for parents to chat with other parents who have deaf/hard of hearing children. We will help support any challenges you may be having and join you in celebrating the accomplishments and joys this unique journey provides.
ASL interpreter will be available if requested by October 3, 2024
Registration: https://tinyurl.com/4kknvdad Zoom details will be shared once registered.
By Levi Traxler
My name is Brittany Schweeder. I was born and raised in Salmon Arm, BC, and I’m hard of hearing. My hearing loss is unique; it’s called a “cookie bite” as my access in the high and low frequencies is near normal but my hearing levels dip to the moderate/severe range where the “speech banana” is. I received my first hearing aids in kindergarten, but they did not work well for me, as I found they made voices compete with the background noise. (Thankfully, technology today is more advanced than it was in the 90’s!) I felt I could already hear near perfectly, and eventually by grade three I had stopped wearing my hearing aids consistently. I even went to great lengths like tossing my hearing aids in someone’s yard on my way home from school but my mom knew I wasn’t honest about losing them and I had to go retrieve them.
Professionals told my parents that because my hearing loss was mild to moderate, there was no point in learning sign language, as the town we lived in was small and lacking a Deaf community. I had speech therapy from kindergarten to grade seven and the focus was on hearing technology (i.e., hearing aids and FM system). I was essentially assimilated into the hearing world as a hearing person, not as a hard of hearing person. I wasn’t raised and taught about Deaf culture or the numerous Deaf gains; my identity as a person with hearing loss was negative and I was embarrassed.
I feel that when I attended elementary and secondary school, the teachers set really low expectations for me as a hard of hearing person. My hearing peers were challenged more, and teachers didn’t expect much of me. I internalized their perspective and my confidence was low both academically and socially.
I felt that I was deaf compared to my hearing peers growing up, but when I met deaf peers and adults I gained a better understanding of the hearing loss spectrum and what it means to be hard of hearing. In middle school I had one peer who was also hard of hearing in my grade, but their hearing loss was less than mine, so I felt deaf in comparison.
I did feel fortunate to have a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TODHH) growing up. She advocated for me and taught me to advocate for myself. I learned later that my TODHH told my classroom teachers that I do have potential and to raise expectations for me. The TODHH started working with me when I was really young, grade one or two, and she was my TODHH until grade 11.
When I was 15 or 16 years old, I went on a camping trip that I think was hosted by Deaf Youth Today. I was so thankful to be surrounded by peers who understood my barriers and frustrations as well as the support and tips we gave each other on how to cope in the hearing world. The camping trip was a powerful experience for me. Before the trip, I would only wear my hearing aids if I had a good hair day and my hair was down; if I felt my hair needed to be up I was so embarrassed that I would rather miss out on information then feel like a robot who was different from the rest. After attending the deaf camp, I became proud of myself and my identity was starting to become more positive. I proudly displayed my hearing aids when I returned to school. One of my peers (since kindergarten) said she didn’t know I wore hearing aids until then! She remarked that knowing I wore hearing aids explained a lot because I often appeared bored in conversations and switched topics but really it was because I had heard wrong. Attending the camp was a positive experience for me, and I want the same for other deaf/hard of hearing students. Provincial Outreach Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (POPDHH) has also done some amazing social trips for BC School for the Deaf (BCSD) and students from outside of the lower mainland.
In grade 12, I attended Burnaby South Secondary School. I took some classes in the Oral Program that was offered at that time, and many mainstream classes, while staying at the Victory Hill Dorm. On the weekends I would go back home to Salmon Arm. I felt that I was challenged a great amount at Burnaby South Secondary School and I made the decision to stay an additional year there to better prepare myself for college. Some amazing teachers had high expectations for me, so I strived to keep working on myself. It taught me to persevere, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to improve myself. My experience with the Oral Program definitely encouraged me to pursue higher education and professional jobs, and helped me to develop a positive identity as a hard of hearing person. Living at the Victory Hill dormitory for two years was important for me socially and emotionally. I had youth workers available around the clock to help me develop life skills and independence.
When I lived in Salmon Arm I didn’t have many resources, and I wasn’t aware of the supports available. I was really fortunate to have Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services to help me navigate applying to college and obtaining funding. I was accepted into Douglas College, and during my time there I learned to communicate my needs, find allies and ask for support when needed. Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services helped me to self-advocate for Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) which was a great fit for me. The CART person would type everything that was said in class, and I had a laptop in front of me providing the captioning, plus the captioner would email me the whole thing after the class. With the right supports in place, I was able to pursue my dream and support myself while getting a degree.
I feel that one of the biggest gains from being hard of hearing is that you get to be in both worlds, a Deaf world and a hearing world. But it’s also tricky because I feel that I am not 100% in either world. When I was in my 20s, I felt that it was tough to enter a Deaf world because of my signing skills and hearing ways. I was still learning ASL at the time, and Deaf culture, but a great group of friends took me in and were patient with me, teaching me ASL. Later on, I started working at the BC Provincial School for the Deaf. All of this means I started to become more comfortable being in the Deaf world. My hearing levels are also dropping, and I am glad I am a part of the Deaf world. Now I feel more comfortable in a Deaf environment than a hearing one, curious to see if this will change again or why.
I would suggest to the parents of deaf/hard of hearing children to attend Deaf events, meet Deaf adults, and to be exposed to their language and cultures. It doesn’t matter if the child(ren) is deaf or hard of hearing, the experience can have an everlasting impact on their childhood and self esteem. Just be aware of all of the options, and see which path your child takes. We’re fortunate to have programs to choose from, as one program does not fit all children. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your community and advocate for your kids in school and to use all available resources. I am thankful to be a part of a Deaf community and I am hopeful for the future for the next generation.
By Lisa Cable
One of the things I enjoy the most about my role with Hands & Voices is connecting with parents. Whether they are parents with a brand new baby, or parents of a preschooler getting ready to head off to school or even those with an older child, I love talking to them and sharing stories and learning about their families. Over the years I’ve attended many parent evenings, workshops and panel discussions. And there are some questions we hear every time. One of them is: “Where do I learn ASL?” Or alternately: “How do I support my child being exposed to more ASL?” Well we’re here to help! While this list is not comprehensive by any means, these are some of the resources that we have compiled based on recommendations from a variety of sources (DHH adults, DHH teens, other organizations and our own board members). We hope this is helpful and would love to hear from you if there is anything that you are using that might work for other families as well.
SIGN-UP: Chrome Extension (ASL interpreting for some Netflix and Disney+ movies)
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/signup-sign-language-for/gbllbjbhbafgdcolenjhdoabdjjbjoom
THE DAILY MOTH: News Source in ASL
https://www.dailymoth.com/
LINGVANO: ASL learning resource
https://www.lingvano.com/asl/
ASL LEARNING APPS
https://www.handspeak.com/
https://www.aslnook.com/
https://www.aslathome.org/
ASL RESOURCES FOR SIGNING FAMILIES: From Family Network for Deaf Children
https://www.fndc.ca/asl-resources-families
ASL PLAYLISTS FOR KIDS:
Michelle ASL (scroll down to see her playlists for children): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxQyyrcxlMpEDHdxRWKH0Q
Are You My Mother (Bree Sproule is from BC): (Also, the actor Millicent Simmonds who is Deaf does videos “operation ASL Storytime” and also chose “Are You My Mother”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcmcPJ-1t0c
POPDHH – ASL Story Time videos: https://popdhh.ca/programs-and-services/asl-programs-and-services/asl-story-time/
ASL STORIES DIRECTORY:
This ASL Stories Directory makes it easy for you to find hundreds of free videos of ASL retellings of your child’s or student’s favorite books. . https://deafchildren.org/knowledge-center/asl-resources/sign-language-stories/
By Kimberley Chiu
Becoming a parent is an awe-inspiring journey in itself, but when our daughter was diagnosed with unilateral hearing loss in her right ear, it added an unexpected twist to our adventure. In those early days, when she failed the newborn hearing test at the hospital, it was like walking through a fog of uncertainty. We hoped against hope that perhaps the tests were wrong, that maybe there was nothing to worry about. As we sat through long hours of ABR tests, the reality settled in – she was diagnosed with a gradual sloped hearing loss and suspected ANSD (Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder) in her right ear. It was a surreal experience, navigating the labyrinth of information from our audiologist. Hours were spent scouring the internet for answers, grasping at any shreds of knowledge that could illuminate our path forward. 
Hope came in the form of support we found here in the BC Early Hearing Program. From speech and language therapy at the Children’s Hearing and Speech Centre to the invaluable guidance provided by BC Hands & Voices, we were embraced by a community that understood our journey intimately. And the Facebook groups! They became our touch points, connecting us with other parents who shared similar experiences and even offered to pass on their outgrown hearing aid gear.
Through it all, I’ve come to realize that being a parent of a hard of hearing child is not about dwelling on the challenges but rather about celebrating the victories, big and small. It’s about cherishing the moments of connection, whether it’s through sign language, her hearing aid, or simply holding her close and whispering words of love.
Now, as my daughter is on the cusp of turning one, she’s a talkative, babbly, and active little baby who wears a hearing aid, full of curiosity and laughter. In my desire to empower my daughter and instill in her a sense of self-acceptance and confidence, I decided to take on a project. During my maternity leave, I poured my heart into writing a children’s book based on her called “Cleo’s Super Ear.” It was my way of showing her – and the world – that hearing loss doesn’t define her, but rather adds to her superpowers.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude that libraries in Vancouver, Calgary, and several schools have picked up “Cleo’s Super Ear.” It fills my heart with joy to know that her story is reaching others, spreading a message of acceptance and resilience. I’m thrilled to share “Cleo’s Super Ear” as a digital book for free to our community.
Despite the initial shock of her diagnosis, there’s more clarity and understanding about the path forward. Sure, there are still worries as a parent (like her pulling out the hearing aid), and now I feel we are so much better armed with knowledge and the resources to take on challenges. So, to all the parents out there who may be walking a similar path, know that you are not alone. Reach out, lean on your community, and never underestimate the power of sharing and support.
<LINK TO DOWNLOAD CLEO’S SUPER EAR>
If you’d like to purchase a physical copy: https://kimberleychiu.gumroad.com/l/cleos-super-ear-book
Follow our family adventures on social media:
@kimkchewy on YouTube
@couragebeyondcorporate on Instagram
Come out for a fun afternoon with other families with dhh children! (Please note this event is geared to 7 years and under) Look for the orange & blue balloons! (Parking lot closest to splash pad is at Beta Ave & Dundas Street.)
Bring a picnic lunch, blanket/lawn chairs & water gear if you want to get wet! Parents are responsible for their own children. ASL interpreter will be available.
Please check your email and our FB (https://www.facebook.com/
WHEN: Saturday August 17, 2024 11:00am-2:00pm
WHERE: Confederation Park, Burnaby (Enter Confederation Park Water Park in your maps app)
CONTACT/INFO: Space is limited, please register here: https://tinyurl.com/
Download our flyer here: BCHV SGT 8.17.2024
