As deaf and hard-of-hearing students build community and find their voice, increasingly robust programs and organizations at Ƶ State are opening opportunities for success in their careers and for hearing students to work with deaf populations.
Richard Costes, BA ’06, was born deaf, but grew up in a hearing environment. He told himself he wasn’t deaf. He refused to learn sign language and declined any assistance in the classroom and his grades often suffered as a result. Professors at Ƶ State helped Mr. Costes embrace his identity.
“College is a place for you to find out who you are; it’s where you become the person you’ll be for the rest of your life,” Mr. Costes told Ƶ State Magazine in December 2018.
Ƶ State’s programs reflect the variety of communication styles and needs present in the modern deaf community.
Read more about Ƶ State’s opportunities for the deaf community in the Fall/Winter 2018-19 of the Ƶ State Magazine www.kent.edu/magazine/news/listening-deaf-community