HOPE—Helping
Outreach Programs Expand.
Texas School
for the Deaf has a dual mission.
One is to serve deaf and hard of hearing students on campus in the
school’s 0-22 educational, residential, extracurricular and support service
programs, the other is to function as a statewide resource center on deafness
providing training, technical assistance, short term programs and support to
the state’s 5000 deaf and hard of hearing students, their families and the
professionals that work with them.
Sadly, this important mission of TSD is under-funded and we are unable
to deliver the level of services needed by these important stakeholders. The following list of Outreach
Expansion Project would enable ERCOD to provide more resources and support
statewide.
Outreach Expansion
Projects:
Project
1: Information to Go
Development of
Comprehensive website of Texas Resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students,
their families, and the professionals who serve them.
Cost: $30,000 (site development, resource research,
maintenance)
Project
2: Bilingual Bicultural Services
Hispanic
Family Weekend Retreats – Cost:
$35,000
Deaf
Culture/Role Model Workshops for Hispanic Deaf Youth – Cost $25,000
Hispanic
Teen Leadership Retreat – Cost $25,000
Hispanic
Family Workshops – Cost $2000
Directory
of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Related Resources in English and Spanish –
Cost $1000
Hispanic
Liason Outreach Specialist – Cost $45,000
Project
3: Youth Leadership Retreats
Cost: $30,000
Project
4: Parent Support
Parent
Specialist – Cost $45,000
Guide
by Your Side – Cost $45,000
Remote
ASL Instruction Project - $25,000
Project
5: Support for Hard of Hearing
Students and their Families
Hard
of Hearing Specialist – Cost $45,000
Imagine
being 16 before ever meeting another Deaf individual like yourself?
Imagine
having a baby diagnosed as profoundly deaf and not having access to sign
language classes?
Imagine
knowing no other parent who is going through or has gone through what you are
experiencing as you learn about raising a deaf child?
Imagine
having a deaf or hard of hearing student mainstreamed into your classroom
without having any training about working with deaf or hard of hearing
students?
Imagine
getting ready to teach deaf children without having an internship in a
classroom of deaf children?
Imagine
being a Regional Supervisor unable to find a qualified interpreter for your
deaf students?
Imagine
living in rural Texas and your deaf child is the only one in your county?
Imagine
getting your child implanted but being offered no direction for educational
intervention?
Imagine
suspecting your child is deaf or hard of hearing but professionals tell you to
take a “wait and see” approach as important milestones in language development
are passed by with no progress.