About Iowa 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: Well Adjusted Successful Kid).

"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, former Executive Director of Hands & Voices headquarters organization. "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."

Our Board of Directors currently meets on the third Monday of each month. If you want to join us, please contact us online.

Hands & Voices headquarters as well as Iowa Hands & Voices are non-profit, parent-driven organizations 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.

Guide By Your Side (GBYS) Program

The Iowa Hands & Voices GBYS program provides emotional support and unbiased information to families of infants and toddlers with a hearing loss. Learn more about the Guide By Your Side program.