There are lots of great organizations in Charlotte, Collier and Lee Counties with a mission of helping others. I did not know much about this particular one until I was asked to participate in a wine dinner and auction. Two things I love. So I said yes to helping the hearing impaired in Southwest Florida. Saturday, I helped to emcee the California Dreaming Sign & Dine Wine Dinner to raise money for the Sally J Pimentel Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center. The center is in Fort Myers, however, it provides services and support for much of Southwest Florida.
I participate in numerous non-profit fund raising efforts. However, until I was asked to help with this one, I truly had no idea of the challenges faced by deaf and hard of hearing people in Southwest Florida. They are a segment of our population that are terribly underserved.
For instance, think back to Hurricane Ian. When our county leaders were making important announcements for safety, where were the sign language interpreters? If they WERE there, were they shown on camera? In addition, when there was no power, no television, only radio, how did the deaf get information? Who told them about boil water notices, where to get supplies, and other potentially life saving information?
I often thought, well at least the deaf can read closed captioning, when that is available. But that is not always the case either. How do you teach a deaf person to read when you have no base to explain the letters and words? If hearing impaired children don’t get the help they need, they fall through the cracks in school and education.
Hearing Impaired in Southwest Florida
Also, think of not being able to communicate with doctors if you end up in the emergency room. If medical professionals or someone on staff doesn’t know how to sign, how can they possibly give the best care to a deaf patient. It would be like you or me going to the ER in a foreign country and no one spoke English, or any language you understood.
The center advocates for those who are deaf, late deafened, hard of hearing and more. In addition, they provide interpreter services, education, and sign language classes. If you are looking for a different organization to support, consider this one. In the meantime, here are some photos from the California Dreaming Sign & Dine Wine Dinner held at the charming Tree House in downtown Fort Myers.
