Summer Get-Together 2024- 中文 (Chinese)

For our Chinese speaking families. Please register here: https://tinyurl.com/sj7px54f

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Online Resources for ASL Learning

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/ 

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Embracing the Journey: A Mother’s Reflection on Raising a Unilateral Hearing Child

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

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Summer Get-Together 2024

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/handsandvoicesBC) page on the day of as this is a weather dependent event.
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/sj7px54f

Download our flyer here: BCHV SGT 8.17.2024

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Hands & Voices Latino Council Meeting ‘Raising a Multicultural DHH Child’

Written by Catherine Kalchbrenner

I recently had the privilege of attending a Hands & Voices ‘Latino Council’ meeting. The topic for the evening was “ Raising a Multicultural DHH (Deaf/Hard of Hearing) Child”. Although the event used the lens of Latin American families, the ideas shared can be applied to any culture or language. I’ll share some of the speaking points, along with my own experiences raising a dhh child as an immigrant who came to Canada as a young child. 

The panelists were Latin American parents from all over the US and with many different Central and South American backgrounds. They had children with varying hearing levels, modes of communication and identities. The panelists shared how challenging it is to parent children while walking the line of Latino and American; that there isn’t one correct way to do this. We’re all just doing the best we can. 

The speakers acknowledged that sometimes families are needing to navigate learning English and at times ASL (also in an English context). Overcoming language barriers, culture adaptations, and system navigation are just some of the challenges facing new immigrant families. The panel made some excellent suggestions and gave some great advice.

  • We need to start with ourselves, we need complete acceptance of our amazing kids as they are. They are not defined by their hearing levels and will be limitless if we guide them as such.
  • Expose our children to all languages! Spanish and ASL/English from the start. If we have multiple languages, expose them to all of them as soon as we can.
  • Celebrate ALL the holidays. From both our home country and our new country. Culture is not only language, it’s in our food and traditions. Holidays are important.
  • Find our cultural community in our new home. Take our children to events put on by those communities. 
  • The language others use about our children matters! In Latino culture there’s a tendency to “Pobrecito/Pobrecita” /“Oh poor little!” or “El problema que tiene tu hijo”/”The problem your child has with their hearing”. We need to correct and educate! And watch the language that’s being used about our kids and around our kids! 
  • In many cultures it’s not acceptable to talk back/correct our elders but we absolutely need to. We need to educate them in gentle and consistent ways. We need to speak up and set boundaries. 
  • Read/Sign books in both languages. Bilingual books are available in many libraries.
  • Expose our children to music from our home country, let them feel the rhythms and beats of their culture’s music! It’s yet another way to share our culture with them.
  • Seek out elders/families that speak/use both languages. Ask for their advice. 
  • Language is an important way to pass on our culture- we need to speak our native language to our children and not shy away from it. 
  • Other languages allow us to express ourselves in different ways! It’s important! For me personally I know that who I am when I speak Spanish is a bit different than who I am in English- giving our children more tools to express themselves is always a great idea. In their own time, they will choose which tools feel best to them. 
  • Remember that everything you can teach a child with spoken language can be taught in ASL. As with any language, if you aren’t a native user of that language, it will require more effort, but it’s always possible. 

My own views as a Canadian Latina parent of a dhh child have shifted over the years; times have changed and what I believed as a new mom isn’t  the same as what I believe now. I wish I’d exposed my child to even more languages sooner and more often.  My identity as a Latina has grown and with it my yearnings for more connections to my birth country and culture, and wanting to deeply share that with my kids. My own advice to those just starting on this road of raising a multicultural dhh child is to sign, speak, laugh, eat and love in the language you feel your truest self in. Start with that language and work from there! Be bold and unafraid and remember that any language, visual or spoken, is a gift to our kids! We are not only providing ways for them to communicate, but also a path that will allow a connection to their culture(s) and self-identity in the diverse cultural realms they navigate.

En español: https://www.bchandsandvoices.com/post/consejo-latino-de-manos-y-voces-criando-a-un-nino-sordo-o-con-dificultades-auditivas-multicultural/

For more information:

Hands & Voices Latino Council- https://handsandvoices.org/about/latino-council.html

Kids Care Canada has a few videos about learning multiple languages including ASL:  https://kidcarecanada.org/playlists/language-development/

Resources in Spanish- https://handsandvoices.org/resources/espanol/index.htm

FOR READERS IN THE UNITED STATES:
Request for Advocacy Form- https://handsandvoices.org/astra/span-request-form.html

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FAMILIES TOGETHER- 中文 (Chinese)

Register here: www.fndc.ca/familiestogether

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FAMILIES TOGETHER

WHO:BC Hands & Voices, Guide By Your Side, Family Network for Deaf Children, Deaf Youth Today
WHAT: Plan to join us on the morning of Saturday, June 8th for this event bringing families with deaf/hard of hearing children together to play and socialize. An event for all ages.
There is a soft play area for little ones under 2 years, a climbing area with multiple slides for those over 3, a small indoor climbing wall and laser tag for those over 8. More info to come!
This event is a wonderful opportunity to mix & mingle with other families with kids of all ages and with youth/young adults who are deaf/hard of hearing.
WHEN: Saturday June 8, 9:00am-11:00am
WHERE: Fun Circle Indoor Playground – 15355 Fraser Hwy #102, Surrey
CONTACT/INFO: email brianne@fndc.ca and register here: www.fndc.ca/familiestogether

Download the flyer here: FamilesTogether 2024

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September 2024: “Weaving the Threads of Leadership”

By Lisa Cable

The BC Hands & Voices Chapter is so excited to be co-hosting this year’s Annual Hands & Voices Annual Leadership Conference.  We will be co-hosting along with the Washington Chapter and it will be held from September 20th to 22nd in Spokane, Washington. 


This annual conference is an opportunity for leaders, volunteers, parents and professionals from the H&V and DHH communities to gather together and learn from one another.  It’s a great chance to meet people from all over North America and to share experiences and knowledge with one another.  

I had the privilege to attend as a board member in 2022 when the conference was hosted by the New York Chapter.  It was a weekend filled with workshops, panel discussions, social events and connecting with other parents and board members.  On paper, many of the people I met are incredibly different from me.  They live in a different country, have different backgrounds and life experiences and different world views.  However, we all shared one thing in common – a passion to support and serve our DHH community and our families in meaningful ways.  And that alone was enough to create some wonderful connections. 

This year’s theme is “Weaving the Threads of Leadership”. We’re excited about the workshops and presentations that are being prepared for the conference in September.  I encourage you to check out the website for more information HERE.

We would love to have you join us if you can!   

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On the Mat and on the Field – Tips for Navigating Sports with Your Deaf/Hard of Hearing Children

By Maria Ruiz

My name is Maria Ruiz and I am a mother to three beautiful and talented children, two of whom were born hard of hearing. Miah, who is 13, has become a passionate Jiu Jitsu fighter, training 5 days a week at her local Jiu Jitsu gym. Andrew is 11 years old, and is a star Goalkeeper for the Division 1A soccer team, the top competitive team for his age group. Miah’s coach, Matt Kwan, is a passionate and successful Jiu Jitsu coach, and has created an exciting, riveting, challenging, and motivating environment for all of his fighters. Children of all ages come to his gym each night to not only train, but to be inspired by the vision Matt has for each child. We asked Matt to share about his experiences coaching Miah.

Matt, what is it like training someone who is hard of hearing?

“So surprising! What surprised me the most was how Miah embraced and was in charge of her own hearing loss, hearing aids, and her own desire to grow as an athlete. When her hearing aids fall out in class, she lets her opponent know and asks them to wait for her so she can put them back in. When she can’t hear instructions she isn’t afraid to ask us to repeat but I also noticed how intently she listens, too. I see all the adaptations she has to make to come to class ready to learn and that has motivated me to support her desire to be the best fighter. She takes this sport so seriously and that makes me take her more seriously.” 

Coach Matt Kwan and Miah Ruiz

How has having a hard of hearing child changed the way you teach?

“Teaching someone with hearing loss reminded me that I don’t let hearing loss, or other challenges stop me from focusing on teaching from a place of passion. If I lead from passion my hope is that the kids will catch that passion and want to develop even more as a fighter. My job as a coach is to just meet them where they are at and create a space where they feel safe and accepted as they are to perform the best that they can each class.”

What are some adaptations you have made for Miah?

“Well one thing that I’ve started providing is extra materials and resources for all the students in my class. I provide videos as well as additional reading. I also have a podcast for those who want to understand the sport even more.”

Tell me about tournaments and equipment use (e.g., hearing aids, remote microphone system/FM): 

“So at tournaments I love how Miah’s hearing aids and FM were all set up for me to use and that the process was easy and straightforward. However, the funny and interesting part is that other coaches were questioning this and whether it was “fair”. So for me this was a great chance to stand up and advocate for Miah in the Tournament circle, filled with very competitive coaches. I shut down any talk of disallowing the use of the FM, arguing with the other coaches that she has hearing loss and needs this equipment to support her hearing.  On the flip side, sometimes Miah’s hearing aids have fallen out during a match and at that point I know that she has to fully rely on knowledge and experience and can no longer rely on my direction and coaching. That is when she has to rely on what she already knows in order to compete with full confidence.”

Miah took home top place in a 2023 tournament

Matt, what advice would you give to other sports coaches?

“To other coaches out there who are coaching a child with hearing loss, I’d say to treat them like any other child, make them feel welcome and accepted and be willing to make the necessary adjustments so they can arrive confidently, supported, and ready to learn and perform. I’d also tell the coaches to instill respect for all people, having zero tolerance for bullying of any kind.” 

Lastly, Matt, what advice would you give to parents considering putting their deaf/hard of hearing kids in a sport, if they might be nervous about it?

“If there are parents out there unsure of whether or not to put their hard of hearing child in any sport, do it! Sports are so important and teach kids so much. Team sports teach you to rely on others, and for others to rely on your child. This means the other kids understand, and work with your child’s hearing loss. Through this, empathy and patience are instilled. And for your child, it teaches them to talk to other kids about their hearing loss and what they need to hear best. For solo sports, there are a certain set of character building skills that are developed. It teaches kids to set goals for themselves and try to meet those self-set goals. It encourages children with hearing loss to be the boss of their performance goals and to build confidence. They are in control of what they want to learn and how they want to grow. As a coach, I’m there to support their own personal goals to grow and exceed their goals.”

So what can we do as parents when we either are looking for a sports coach for our hard of hearing child or are unsure whether our current coach is good for our kids? For Edwin and I, we have learned that at the end of the day it comes down to the coach themselves and their desire to see any child succeed, do their best, and to see past what most people might see in them. 

We need to find coaches for our kids that:

  • see their hearing as a part of who they are, not as a setback, annoyance, or disturbance. 
  • are willing to adapt to our kids, and help them believe in themselves and beyond. 
  • are willing to provide additional resources, support, and supplementary materials, whether that’s videos, reading, or extra practice. 
  • clearly love the sport, and from there will want that love to be instilled and ignited in the child too, hearing loss or not. 

Our biggest takeaways as parents in terms of sports and hearing loss are that no matter how others see our kids, whether for good or bad, coaches are key people in our kids’ lives, and there is a certain level of expectation we can have of them. When they drop below that line, we can:

  • speak up confidently to the coaches, showing them what we need, how to use equipment, and teaching them how to effectively communicate with our kids. 
  • teach our kids to advocate for themselves in our absence, teaching our kids that they belong there, and so does their hearing. If they can’t hear instructions, speak up. If they notice their coaches are not wearing the equipment, say something. 
  • go as a family to the head managers and team leaders and advocate for our children and their needs when needed. 

We are so grateful for the “Matts” who support the deaf and hard of hearing community and see our kids as treasures, fighters, and talented individuals, because they truly are. And for the coaches who are not yet seeing our kids this way, we know we have tools, a voice, and avenues to take to ensure our hard of hearing kids are given that green light and open door to a wonderful and successful sports career, however long they choose, and for whatever sports they choose; the sky’s the limit!

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Learning from DHH Adults- Parent Connect Evening

WHO:BC Hands & Voices, Guide By Your Side, BC Early Hearing ProgramWHAT: Discover a variety of perspectives and explore your curiosity in a neutral and welcoming environment.They will share some of their experiences growing up as well as-how to develop self confidence in your child from an early age-what it’s like using various technologies in everyday life-insights from firsthand experiences navigating the world with diverse perspectives, including learning a variety of signed & spoken languages-how they have developed meaningful friendships and family relationshipsASL interpreters and CART captioning will be provided.WHEN: Wednesday April 10, 2024 7:00pm-8:30pmWHERE: online via Zoom

CONTACT/INFO: Please register here: http://tinyurl.com/tw8hja7f

Download our full flyer here: DHH Adults 4.10.2024

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