Agency Provides Services For Deaf In RGV

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Agency Provides Services For Deaf In RGV

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Members of the Silver Silent Seniors Program from the Corpus Christi and McAllen Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centers joined center staff and interpreter interns from South Texas College and The University of Texas Pan American at the RGV Livestock Show and Rodeo March 11. (Photo courtesy of Marla Martinez.)
Members of the Silver Silent Seniors Program from the Corpus Christi and McAllen Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centers joined center staff and interpreter interns from South Texas College and The University of Texas Pan American at the RGV Livestock Show and Rodeo March 11. (Photo courtesy of Marla Martinez.)
Marla Martinez uses her native sign language, facial expressions and speech to explain everything DHHC offers deaf and hard-of-hearing residents.
Marla Martinez uses her native sign language, facial expressions and speech to explain everything DHHC offers deaf and hard-of-hearing residents.

Driving down Pecan Boulevard in McAllen, you may miss the homelike office bearing the sign “DHHC.”

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center is one of two in Region 11, which covers 22 counties from Corpus Christi to Laredo. 

“In Hidalgo County alone, over 200,000 residents have hearing loss,” said Marla Martinez, the deaf and hard-of-hearing access specialist and center coordinator in the Rio Grande Valley. The DHHC provides a wide range of services to deaf and hard-of-hearing people.

“I am deaf and I speak,” said Martinez. “My parents are deaf, too, but my brother and sister are hearing.” 

Martinez and her husband Eddie, also deaf, have two adult daughters. She recalled responding to a newspaper advertisement seeking an access specialist to serve the Valley for DHHC. 

“I begged for a small office here,” said Martinez of her hopes to serve the region. 

Jaime Lugo, the executive director and the nonprofit’s board heard her pleas, establishing a DHHC in Edinburg in August 2020. They quickly outgrew it and moved to McAllen. 

The DHHC, through its Silver Silent Seniors Program, offers monthly activities and outings for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults 55-plus. (Photo courtesy of Marla Martinez.)
The DHHC, through its Silver Silent Seniors Program, offers monthly activities and outings for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults 55-plus. (Photo courtesy of Marla Martinez.)

“We have access specialists who teach deaf and hard-of-hearing people how to self-advocate,” Martinez explained, “especially for their Americans with Disabilities Act rights. We teach them how to self-advocate first and we step in when we need to.” 

Training & Information

The ADA is a federal law. It went into effect in 1990, and much work remains to teach municipalities and businesses about its requirements, which includes providing ASL interpreters in law-enforcement, and medical and legal situations. The DHHC technology specialist works with the Texas Workforce Commission to provide technology to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, making their lives easier. 

“Did you know there are Bluetooth hearing aids now?” Martinez asked.

These aids allow users to connect directly to cellular phones, televisions, tablets and other electronic devices. DHHC clients learn about alarm clocks with pulsating lights and bed shakers. This kind of technology is available at reduced prices through Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program vouchers.

Marla Martinez’ husband Eddie helps a youth camper at the DHHCr’s Summer Camp at Camp Rio in Brownsville during Summer 2021. (Photo courtesy of Marla Martinez.)
Marla Martinez’ husband Eddie helps a youth camper at the DHHCr’s Summer Camp at Camp Rio in Brownsville during Summer 2021. (Photo courtesy of Marla Martinez.)

DHHC also works with TWC to provide job placement, helping clients create resumes, write cover and thank-you letters, search for jobs online and ask for interpreters for job interviews. The center also helps clients determine what Social Security disability benefits are available for them. 

The DHHC strives to offer sign-language-interpreting services. Entities needing to hire a sign-language interpreter for a deaf patient, employee, customer or resident can call the DHHC office any day of the week. There are also training sessions provided. Every two years, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement requires training on interacting with drivers who are deaf or hard of hearing. The DHHC offers this free, four-hour training to law enforcement agencies. 

Reaching All Ages

Beyond those rigors and requirements, the DHHC knows how to have fun. It provides outings and camps for deaf and hard-of-hearing senior citizens and youth. For those over 55, there are monthly activities. The DHHC reached out to youth last summer by taking youngsters to Camp Rio in Brownsville for canoeing and archery. 

Another component among DHHC programs is a one-week Baby Sign Language Camp to be held this summer. This camp is specifically designed for hearing parents with hearing babies. Babies understand and use sign language up to a year before they develop speech, allowing them to communicate early. Research shows this early language development carries over to speech and to reading comprehension.

Eddie Martinez and Stephanya Pacheco provide Texas Commission on Law Enforcement training, free of charge, to City of Pharr police officers through the center. (Photo courtesy of Marla Martinez.)
Eddie Martinez and Stephanya Pacheco provide Texas Commission on Law Enforcement training, free of charge, to City of Pharr police officers through the center. (Photo courtesy of Marla Martinez.)

Financial resources are critical for the DHHC. The agency is contracted by the state for its access and technology services, Martinez said. It nonetheless still relies on grants and donations for all youth and senior-citizen programs.

The third Thursday of each month, the DHHC hosts ASL Karaoke at Brick Fire Pizza in Mission.

“It’s a blast,” Martinez said, adding that every dollar they earn makes their mission more attainable. “People can also donate on our website at deafhhcenter.org. They can comment if they want the donation to go for a specific program.”

Martinez’ hands, and her voice, speak with excitement about the growth within the Region 11 DHHCs. 

“We’re here to help people with hearing loss learn to self-advocate,” she said. “We’re here for the community, to help them learn.”

In Summer 2021, DHHC offered its first week-long Summer Camp at Camp Rio in Brownsville for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth ages five to 14. (Photo courtesy of Marla Martinez.)
In Summer 2021, DHHC offered its first week-long Summer Camp at Camp Rio in Brownsville for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth ages five to 14. (Photo courtesy of Marla Martinez.)

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