Deaf Service Center of Palm Beach County, Inc.

Resource Connection
We are the first call for help and information about hearing loss. Often the product or service the caller seeks is right here and we can help them in one of the programs run by our agency. When the resources of another agency are needed, we assist the family to make that connection.

Community Outreach & Education
Hearing loss is invisible. Even though one person in ten must deal with a hearing loss, many are in denial and most other people do not know how they can help. Our classes, presentations, workshops, health fairs, newsletters, publications, ASL classes, and events for children, adults, and service providers promote hearing health and public understanding.

FREE Telephone Equipment
Persons who are unable to hear well on standard telephones may communicate via an amplified telephone or TTY (text telephone). Under a contract with the Florida Telecommunications Relay Inc., special volume control phones, ringers, and TTYs are distributed free-of-charge at the Deaf Service Center to qualified Florida residents (by appointment only).

Case Management
Client specialists work with families to sort out problems and assess their options, often using sign language to communicate. We help individuals understand and resolve their issues. We make initial contacts and advocate compliance with the ADA and other federal laws when necessary for those in need. We provide recycled hearing aids from the Hearing Aid Bank for eligible persons. For those with more serious issues, we support their use of licensed mental health counselors and make referrals to appropriate therapists.

Audiology Services
Neighborhood Hearing Health Screenings; Complete Hearing Tests; Fitting Basic Conventional Hearing Aids and Advanced Digital Hearing Aids; Hearing Aid Servicing; Patient Counseling; and Personal TV amplifiers

Contact:

Central County Office: West Palm Beach
561-802-3353 Voice/Video
561-802-3351 TTY/VCO
561-802-3356 Fax
Audiology Services
561-802-3350 V/TTY

South County Office: Delray Beach
561-278-6444 Voice
561-278-1444 TTY/VCO  
561-276-5730 Fax
Audiology Services
561-243-0625 V/TTY

Website: http://deafservicecenter.com

Email: dscpbc@deafservicecenter.com

Counties Served:

Palm Beach County

Deaf Service Center of Southwest Florida, Inc.

The Deaf Service Center of Southwest Florida's mission is primarily one of advocacy and education. We assist local residents and their families by providing information and referrals, sponsoring support groups, and offering educational opportunitiies. We provide outreach and sensitivity training free of charge. We also provide sign language classes and interpreting services for a fee. Our ultimate goal is to see Southwest Florida's deaf and hard of hearing citizens participating fully in community life.

Contact:Lori Timson

(239) 461-0334 voice
(239) 461-0438 tty
(239) 461-0434 fax
(239) 461-0438 Sorenson VP
(866) 947-6618 Sorenson toll free VP

Website: www.dsc.us

Email: Lori@dsc.us

Counties Served:

Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Hendry and Glades counties

Family Center on Deafness

The FAMILY CENTER ON DEAFNESS (FCD) serves individuals in households that include Deaf or Hard of Hearing youth (from birth through integration into the community after leaving school) or parents (with children ages 0 to 18 who are currently living at home). The program provides a multi-faceted support system through which families with Deaf or Hard of Hearing members can build upon their assets in addressing personal goals. The program makes readily accessible resources for information and training in a forum of mutual support and encouragement. Participants are provided opportunities to maximize their potential through access to appropriate program and services. Younger parents learn from interaction with those who have older children or who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing, themselves. Families initially seeking support become mentors for new participants. Teens mature from their interation with Deaf adults while gradually becoming role models for younger children with hearing loss. The FCD is a place where anyone from a family with Deaf or Hard of Hearing members can feel comfortable interacting with people who understand and appreciate their dreams and successes, fostering the development of self-esteem, cultural identity, and an "I Can!" attitude with regard to personal and family destiny.

Contact:

727-549-6664 voice/tty/vp

Counties Served:

Pinellas County

Hearing Impaired Persons of Charlotte County (HIP)

HIP is a Service and Resource Center that provides communication assistance and other program services to the more than 58,000 individuals in our region who are deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened, or deaf-blind.


Some of our programs include:

* FREE amplified telephone equipment to Florida residents with a hearing or speech loss through the Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. (FTRI) Equipment Distribution Program.
* Advocacy Services: providing education and training about the Americans with Disabilities Act, advocating for accessibility and compliance under the ADA and other Federal Civil Rights laws, and assisting clients with the complaint process.
* Community Education: educating the public about hearing health and the dangers of untreated hearing loss, as well as promoting understanding and awareness of hearing loss.
* Classes in American Sign Language, Cued Speech, and Auditory Training and Speech Reading. * Workshops and seminars on common community interests that are accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
* Information and referral services linking individuals with hearing loss to other community resources.
* We are a resource for the purchase of various types of assistive equipment.

Contact:Kim Gaut, Executive Director

941-743-8347 (Voice/TTY/Fax)

Email: kimgaut@yahoo.com

Counties Served:

Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands Counties, part of Sarasota County.