How to Volunteer with the Hearing-Impaired
Volunteering with the hearing-impaired can be an excellent way to develop or improve your skills in American Sign Language, as well as give you the opportunity to work with people in the community. Volunteering is a great way to learn about other cultures, enhance your resume or college application, or simply get out and meet new people. Potential volunteers should be reliable, patient, flexible and polite. They should be ready to help and face situations they might not be familiar with, particularly when it comes to learning new forms of communication.
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Instructions
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Learn some American Sign Language (ASL). Although it's not necessary, it will help you communicate with ASL users during your volunteer experience. Either pick up an ASL book or go online to learn the basics, like the ASL alphabet (see resources).
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Contact your state's deaf school to enquire about volunteer opportunities there. This may involve helping with sporting events, after-school programs, or summer camps. See resources for a list of state schools.
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National organizations such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association are often in need of volunteers. Activities include fund raising, hosting special events, or monitoring educational programs (reference 1). See resources for a list of these organizations.
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Try volunteering with Dogs for the Deaf, if you don't live near one of the deaf schools or national organizations. You may interview potential recipients of hearing-ear dogs, work in the office, or in public relations (reference 2).
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Consider international opportunities, such as volunteering with deaf children in Jamaica or Honduras. One resource is Global Deaf Connection (reference 3). Hearing-impaired children and adults in other parts of the world are often in need of mentors and education, as they are sometimes given a low social status.
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References
Resources
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Comments
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deafbowtie
Jan 25, 2010
By the way, may I suggest to change from Hearing Impaired to Deaf/Hard of Hearing or People with Hearing Loss because Hearing Impaired is politically incorrect because it implies that Deaf people are impaired in some important way. Our ears are not broken. Smiles.
