Honoring National Deaf Awareness Month

September is National Deaf Awareness Month! This month and all year long, SourceAmerica^® is proud to help create job opportunities for people who are deaf and amplify their voices in and out of the workplace.  

Here are five of our favorite stories involving the deaf community: 

1. Wanda Tye supports the U.S. Army’s mail and distribution center at Fort Rucker through her work with SourceAmerica network nonprofit Global Connections to Employment. With an ASL alphabet card by her side, a positive attitude, and the skills to get the job done, Wanda is the epitome of an AbilityOne^® Program rock star! 
2. Walking the talk is everything when it comes to creating inclusive workforces, and SourceAmerica network nonprofit Palmetto Goodwill Services is on a mission to host ASL classes for anyone who’s interested.
3. SourceAmerica Government Affairs Policy Manager Alicia Epstein’s blog about the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2020 hits all the right notes! She shares poignant moments about how being deaf affected her childhood and the role the ADA has played throughout her career. 
4. American Sign Language interpreters open a world of communication for people who are deaf. Read about how two ASL interpreters found fulfilling career paths and are leveraging videoconferencing technology to support people who are deaf in the workplace. 
5. Telework has become vital for millions of workers, kept businesses running despite a pandemic, and increased career opportunities for people with disabilities – including those who are deaf. Learn more in a Q&A with SourceAmerica’s Nathaniel Muncie, senior specialist in the Workforce Development team. 

Want to learn more about hearing loss and find related resources? Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.