Tennessee Hands & Voices

Tennessee Hands and Voices logoTennessee Hands & Voices (TN H&V) is a non-profit, parent-driven, professional collaborative organization dedicated to supporting Deaf & Hard of Hearing (D/HH) children and their families.  We’ve had a presence in Tennessee since November 2010, starting with a small group of parents and professionals.  It was sparked by the need for parents of D/HH children to be connected with one other and for cohesion among service providers.  TN is one of over 40 Chapters of Hands & Voices in the world.  TN became an “official” Chapter of Hands &Voices in September of 2011.  We’ve accomplished quite a bit in a short period of time.  We believe the secret of our success is the unique structure of our organization.  Parents are in the driver’s seat, working closely with the professionals who serve us, and we are unbiased with regard to communication and technology choices.  We believe “What works for your child, is what makes the choice right”. 

Meetings and events are being held across the state in Memphis, Nashville, Hendersonville, Chattanooga and Knoxville.  We plan on branching out to more areas in the future.  These meetings provide families of D/HH children an opportunity to connect with one another and share experiences and resources.  The children and parents realize they’re not alone and they make connections that last a lifetime! 

We are working with and building strong relationships with other organizations that serve and support D/HH individuals across the state.  We all want the same thing, to improve the lives of Deaf & Hard of Hearing individuals.  So, working together only makes sense. 

Our website is a great place for parents and professionals to obtain more information on our organization and to view events across the state.  Parents can request to be contacted by another parent of a D/HH child.  We believe early contact with a parent who has just learned their child has a hearing loss, by another parent, is essential to the success of the child and the family. 

Our presence is strengthening, becoming more recognized, awareness is increasing and we are looking forward to helping improve the current system of care for families and their Deaf & Hard of Hearing children.  For more information:

P.O. Box 771404        

Memphis, TN 38117

1-800-840-2410

info@tnhandsandvoices.org

www.tnhandsandvoices.org

Source: Julie Beeler, CCC-A/SLP Board Member, Media Outreach Tennessee Hands & Voices