About Michigan Hands & Voices:

Hands & Voices: Non-biased Support for Families of Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Hands & Voices is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families and their children who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as the professionals who serve them. We are a parent-driven, parent/professional collaborative group that is unbiased towards communication modes and methods. Our diverse membership includes those who are deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing impaired and their families who communicate orally, with signs, cue, and/or combined methods. We exist to help our children reach their highest potential. For more information about the national organization please visit www.handsandvoices.org

We are an organization dedicated to non-biased support to families who have children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We will provide activities and information statewide to parents and professionals that may include: outreach events, educational seminars, advocacy support, parent-to-parent networking and newsletters. We believe that families will make the best choices for their child if they have access to good information and support. By connecting families with resources and information, informed decisions can be made around the issues of deafness and hearing loss. Our organization represents people who use varying approaches to communication and assistive technology.

What works for your child is what makes the choice right!

Download a brochure:
Michigan Hand & Voices Brochure

Click here for our By-Laws.

Executive Board of Directors & Staff Bios:

		Denise Farrand - Director Denise is a mother to three children. Her second child has a hearing loss. Denise is the Parent Consultant for Michigan’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program and the Coordinator for the state’s Guide By Your Side Program. She has been a Parent Guide with the Guide By Your Side Program since it’s inception. Denise enjoys volunteering for many activities in her children’s lives including their school’s PTO and Girl Scouts. Denise has a college degree in Business Administration with a specialty in Accounting from Wayne State University.
		Rebecca Calaman, MA, NCC , LPC - Co-Director Becky is the parent of 3 young adults, one of whom is Deaf and currently in graduate school. She is also the Outreach Director at Michigan School for the Deaf (MSD) and the former Director of the Families in Transition Program at Deaf Community Advocacy Network (DEAF C.A.N.!). She holds a BA in Sign Language Studies from Madonna University (Livonia, MI), an MA in counseling from Oakland University (Rochester, MI), has national counseling certification and is a licensed professional counselor. She has served on various Boards and is a member of state and national organizations dedicated to the needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.
		Cassi Barron, Treasurer & Guide Cassi is a Guide with EHDI’s Guide by Your Side program. She is also a corporate attorney and the mother of two girls, Ellie and Lila. Her daughter, Ellie, has profound sensorineural hearing loss and uses bilateral cochlear implants to hear. Cassi hales from Minnesota, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of St. Thomas with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. Cassi is actively involved at her daughters’ elementary school, in their classrooms as well as by serving as the Co-Chair of the Fun Run and Vice President of the PTA.
		Deborah Love-Peel - Secretary Deborah is the mother of a Deaf daughter and is a Parent Guide with the GBYS program.