What is IL H & V?

What Is Our Mission?

Illinois Families for Hands & Voices is a parent-driven, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families that have children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing without a bias toward communication modes or methodologies. We want to provide Illinois families with the necessary resources, networking, and information in order to improve communication access and educational outcomes for their children. Our statewide activities, advocacy efforts, and parent/professional collaboration are all focused on enabling our deaf and hard-of-hearing children to reach their fullest potential!

Who Are We?

• We are families with children who have all types of hearing loss.
• We use many different types of communication modes: Auditory Verbal, Auditory Oral, Cued Speech, American Sign Language, Signed English, Simultaneous Communication and Total Communication.
• We are deaf and hard-of-hearing adults.
• We are professionals.
• We are from every corner of the state of Illinois.
• We are united, because we are Hands & Voices.

Families can learn about the variety of resources and options available to them and how to access them. Through this network of resources, families can make informed decisions about their future in regards to educational options, the changing landscape of assistive technologies, and many other issues facing families with deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Families within the same geographic region within the state can share experiences and information as they support each other. They will be given the opportunity to gain knowledge and direction from families who have faced the same challenges and choices.

A Letter from our Chairperson

“Why do you want to start a state chapter of Hands & Voices?”The director of an agency serving deaf and hard of hearing individuals posted this question to me when I approached them about starting up Hands & Voices in Illinois. The first thought that came to my mind was, “It’s a gut feeling.” “Well,” came the reply, “We’re going to need more than a gut feeling as a reason for starting up a state chapter.”Ever since I first laid eyes on the Hands & Voices website, that “gut feeling” has not subsided. If anything, it has grown in intensity day by day. When my oldest son was diagnosed at the age of two, I figured it would be relatively easy to find my way around the “system.” After all, I majored in Deafness Rehabilitation Counseling. Surely I knew what I was doing.I found myself confused with the many agencies and acronyms that bombarded me that first year. CFC was the agency that would provide speech services. DSCC was the agency for assistance with hearing aids. DWC was the agency overseeing the transitioning to school. It certainly didn’t help matters when familiar agencies or organizations changed their name but still went by their old acronyms. The amount of information was never ending. We live with an alphabet soup of agencies and organizations all set to take care of various issues relating to deaf and hard-of-hearing persons. For the parent of a baby with a hearing loss, there is often no other parent to turn to for support immediately after diagnosis.I found my greatest comfort and support from other parents. Some of them I found through the various agencies, others I found by chance. I met a mom at a local Taco Bell who became a close friend. Two that I met through a sign class went on to develop a playgroup that became a wonderful source of support and friendship. A baby that I taught sign to went on to become one of my son’s best friends.I believe strongly in the saying “What works for your child is what makes the choice right.” This is the motto of Hands & Voices. It is something that I have learned to embrace as I continue to meet families who have made a variety of choices for their deaf and hard-of-hearing children. I once thought that cueing was not a very useful tool. Along the way, I had the opportunity to become friends with a family who chose cueing over sign. I watched as their child blossomed with their choice. I once thought that implants were not a wise choice, I went on to meet a family who chose this for their child and their child reaps incredible benefit from their choice. I met a family who chose a Bi-Bi approach and the mom became an interpreter, and the beauty of ASL flows in their home. There are countless other families who have taught me the lesson of choice, and how important it is for families to have information that helps them make choices that are right for their child and their family.Which brings me to the reason why I want to see Hands & Voices in the state of Illinois. Wouldn’t it be great for every parent to have a wonderful resource of parents to turn to after their child was diagnosed with a hearing loss? Wouldn’t it be great for every parent to be able to find out about the plethora of choices without having to gather their information piecemeal? Wouldn’t it be great to have a comforting shoulder to cry on, someone to vent with, someone to laugh with? Wouldn’t it be great for parents to be able to find another soul who’s been there, done that?Maybe it really is more than a gut feeling after all.Karen Putz, Chairperson Illinois Families for Hands & Voices

Board Members