As deaf and hard-of-hearing students build community and find their voice, increasingly robust programs and organizations at Kent 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 Kent 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 Kent State Magazine in December 2018.
Kent State’s programs reflect the variety of communication styles and needs present in the modern deaf community.
Read more about Kent State’s opportunities for the deaf community in the Fall/Winter 2018-19 of the Kent State Magazine www.kent.edu/magazine/news/listening-deaf-community