Making Ripples

Making Ripples

“Even the smallest act of caring for another person is like a drop of water – it will make ripples throughout the entire pond.”- Jessy and Bryan Matteo

For the last two years, I have enjoyed representing Hope Signs as a volunteer with Deaf Teen Quest (DTQ) here in Jacksonville, Florida. DTQ sends groups of caring adults into the world of deaf teenagers – striving to build life-changing relationships with these students, with fun, friendship, fellowship and faith.

It is estimated that 96 percent of children with hearing loss are born to hearing parents who may know very little about deafness or sign language. Even here in the United States, a majority of children, who are deaf and hard of hearing, are born into families where 75% or more do not communicate using ASL fluently.

So to be clear “language acquisition is delayed not by deafness per se, but by an atypical language learning environment in which the parents don’t know sign language …” (Huang et all, 2008, pg. 210). This in turn leads to a lack of incidental learning and insufficient strategies in processing information given through language.

In addition to lack of access to language and effective communication, our culture tends to have low expectations for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. Deaf children grow up thinking they are broken, incomplete, and disabled, but that is the farthest from the truth.

This does not have to be the norm. I strongly believe “ignorance is not bliss,” and we can make every effort to change this destructive cultural perspective by creating high expectations for deaf children and taking every opportunity to expose them to life fulfilling experiences. With language, even basic language, comes the ability to have relationships with others. Humans are relational at the core and desire to have fulfilling contact with one another.

This summer, I got to witness first hand how having access to language equals the playing field for our deaf and hard of hearing children. I accompanied a group of three young ladies from our Florida DTQ club to a week long service project at Eagle Rock in Marysville, TN. There we met up with deaf teenagers from AL, MD, KY, and OH, who were ready to serve shoulder to shoulder, all working towards a common goal.

These awesome students sorted clothes at a food pantry, packaged over 2,000 lbs. of pasta for Second Harvest food bank, and did extensive yard work for a child advocacy center, a women’s crisis center, and Eagle Rock. What an incredible life changing experience for these students!

These students spent a total of 16 hours helping those in need, but they went home with the confidence and happiness that comes from helping those in need. They learned how to interact with others, both deaf and hearing, in unique social situations and how to handle new challenges. Many of them discovered a new passion for helping others and now are ambitious about caring for those in need in their own communities.

When you choose to support Hope Signs you are investing in the lives of these deaf teenagers and deaf individuals from all around the world. You are choosing to look like love, instead of being just enough. You are leaving a legacy that will impact the deaf for generations. Thank you for partnering with us to put love into action.

 

 

Why we are here…

Hi! Welcome to Hope Signs’ new corner of the virtual world! I am Rebecca Diley, the founder and president of Hope Signs. Allow me to share my story with you and how it has led to the development of Hope Signs.

I grew up in Florida and am the oldest of five children, I naturally fell into a responsible role for my younger siblings and in turn they have grown into the greatest gifts in my life. My family is my rock and my biggest support. In 2012, with their support, I graduated with a Undergraduate degree in Special Education and then in 2013 a Graduate Degree in Deaf Education.

I started traveling at a young age and was exposed to different ways of life, ultimately shaping and expanding my worldview. Traveling to different countries and experiencing different cultures was an important and meaningful time in my adolescence. It impacted me in ways I did not expect; especially when I faced overwhelming beauty and darkness in parts of the world I had never considered before. This is what it was like for me in my travels to Peru, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Honduras, Belize and Guatemala. I was faced with the inexplicable contrast of the stunning landscape and lovely people against the lack of opportunity and exploitation of a group of people so near to my heart. Through my travels in Guatemala I was made aware of the significant population of deaf individuals, who due to lack of access to language, education, and even just the basic human rights were being oppressed and silenced.

My heart ached.

And still aches.

My father, an incredible man, is deaf and I grew up communicating through American Sign Language. My father taught me to love reading, to drive, to love and to be compassionate, showed me how to be a leader and supports my every goal in life. So, regardless of any stigma of deafness around the world, I knew there was so much potential for the deaf, if they only had someone to show them, to tell them they were valued and able, and that with God, nothing is impossible.

All that brings us to a warm evening in Guatemala by the rippling waters of Lake Itza, which was remarkably reflecting the night sky. It was Thanksgiving, and I was on the phone with my mother, who was already having a difficult time with my holiday absence; I am still reminded that it was my fault the mashed potatoes were an epic fail that year. Inspite of undercooked potatoes, I found a quiet moment in that conversation to share with my mom that my eyes had been opened, there was work to be done in this place, and I felt called to be here. I knew there was a need for Hope, I didn’t know what that was going to look like, but I knew I had to do something. I could not just leave with fresh relationships and pictures, I had to do something more.

Now almost 10 years later, after many more trips to Guatemala and other developing countries, and with the support of an amazing team, we have founded this organization called Hope Signs. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for the deaf in developing countries by giving them access to language, education, and vocational training.

I am so grateful for the countless experiences and relationships that has brought this dream to life. Thank you for spending some time with me and for joining me on this life journey. We are called to speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. To speak out for justice and to stand up for the poor and destitute. By leaning in to this cause, you are speaking up and I thank you.