Success Stories

People who are deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH) may do things differently, but different can still be effective. With support from family, the community, and educators, people who are D/HH can live quality lives.

Here are two success stories from people who are D/HH:

Carrie Spangler

My name is Carrie Spangler. I was born with a mild sloping to profound hearing loss in both ears. Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) was not available at this time resulting in a late diagnosis at 4 years of age. I was fit with my first pair of hearing aids at the age of 4 1/2 and I was sent on my way to navigate the hearing world. I was enrolled in special education services (minimal support) and attended my neighborhood school.

My parents are my greatest supporters and never let my hearing loss define me, it was just a part of me! They did not let hearing loss be an excuse for anything that I wanted to accomplish, we (my village) just knew to navigate a little differently.

Having support and high expectations propelled me to attend college and later obtain my doctorate degree in Audiology. Today, I feel fortunate to be able to support school age children who have hearing challenges achieve their greatest potential! The sky is the limit!

Julie Stewart

My family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and neighbors and I created an all-inclusive environment using signed and spoken languages so I was always part of the family gatherings and social events with my peers. My family had high expectations of me, expecting me to achieve anything I want in life. Those opportunities helped me develop a sense of who I am, and I completed a Master’s degree in Education.