Who is Tennessee Hands & Voices?

"Who are we? We are parents of ASL signers, cued speech users.... parents of kids with cochlear implants or total communicators... we are people who have common interests connected through the community of deafness. Hands & Voices is a safe place to explore options, get unemotional support (although we can be emotional about it!), learn from one another and share what we have in common. We value diversity and honor the role of parents and family as the single greatest factor in raising a WASK, (our favorite acronym: W ell- A djusted S uccessful K id)

"There is room in the community of deafness for an organization like Hands & Voices, and in fact, I think parents, and even many professionals, have been crying out for a group like this," says Leeanne Seaver, Board member. "Somehow parents connecting to other parents provides an element of credibility; there's a level of 'knowing & feeling' that only a parent experiences. And parents, especially parents of babies newly identified with deafness or hearing loss, need a way to connect like this without being wary of a sponsoring agenda from a service provider."

Hands & Voices is a non-profit, parent-driven organization dedicated to supporting families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We are non-biased about communication methodologies and believe that families can make the best choices for their child if they have access to good information and support. Our membership includes families who communicate manually and/or orally. From American Sign Language to cochlear implants, our organization represents people from all different approaches to, and experiences with, deafness or hearing loss. We have local chapters comprised mainly of parents along with professionals. As the largest parent organization for families raising children who are deaf/hard of hearing in the U.S., we are called upon for thought leadership in health, education and parenting arenas, and work with families and the systems that support them from hearing screening, identification, early intervention, school-age, and transition from high school.

Mission:

Hands & Voices is a parent-driven organization that supports families with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing without a bias around communication modes or methodology.

Vision:

We envision a world where children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing have every opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Core Beliefs

  • We believe that children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing and their families should have access to all services appropriate to their needs.

  • We believe that family members should have access to pertinent information to support their child who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

  • We believe that parents should be collaborative partners with agencies, schools, and relevant professional organizations.

  • We believe that communication mode should be a personal choice of the family and the child.

  • We believe that children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, like all children, should have quality, ongoing, and fluid communication, at home, in the classroom, and throughout their community.

Organization Values:

  • Organization is viewed as providing unbiased support for families & professionals through dissemination of information, outreach events, educational seminars, advocacy, lobbying efforts, & parent to parent networking

  • Organization impacts professionals and systems

  • Organization is financially viable

  • Organization that supports informed family choices for their children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

  • We envision an organization united by our mission in which each chapter exemplifies the Hands & Voices philosophy in its vision and culture.  We all have a stake in each other’s success. Hands & Voices will prosper only if each part is committed to the success of the other parts, and to the impact of our organization as a whole.  We are a shared venture with vested ownership.

History of Tennessee Hands & Voices

Tennessee Hands & Voices began in July 2010 during the first Southeast Regional Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Conference in Knoxville. It was at that conference that the leaders of Hands & Voices, Janet DesGeorges and Terri Patterson, joined the evening dinner to share more about Hands & Voices. As we all sat at our tables and learned about the unbiased support families receive through Hands & Voices, we knew we needed this type of support and community for our families of children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Deaf Plus here in Tennessee.

A passionate and committed group comprised of parents and professionals from all over the state of Tennessee got together to form Tennessee Hands & Voices. We became an authorized chapter of Hands & Voices in September 2011.

Since then, we’ve held workshops, events, provided advocacy support, and parent-to-parent support for more than 1,000 people. It is an honor to be able to serve these families by creating a table for everyone.

At our table, we envision a world where children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing have every opportunity to achieve their full potential. We open our table to community members, agencies, and most importantly, families, that share our vision and want to work alongside us to provide the support families need to empower them and their children.

Want to learn more about becoming a Tennessee Hands & Voices Board Member? Email us at staff@tnhandsandvoices.org.

Download the Tennessee Hands & Voices Brochure Here

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