Episode 14 | Sara Kennedy
We first met Sara when Colten was first identified with unilateral hearing loss. She helped guide us through many decisions in the beginning when we were weighing options of equipment and set us up with early intervention. Sara later connected us with families of "Deaf Plus" children- is the reference to the child’s hearing status combined with additional conditions. We are so grateful to have met Sara and been a part of Colorado Hands and Voices.
Sara is a mom of four children, including a daughter who was late-identified following a homebirth. She enjoyed a career as an occupational therapist, but resigned a year after her daughter was identified so that she could help her with language leaning – and while expecting child number 4. She went to one of the first Hands & Voices conferences in Colorado, and raised her hand as a volunteer to edit their four-page newsletter. She had several volunteer and paid positions in El Paso County and statewide, eventually becoming the Director of the Colorado Chapter of Hands & Voices through last Feb 2022. Today, she continues to edit the Hands & Voices Communicator (now an international newspaper) along with many other activities from grantwriting to training and serves as the Co-Chair of the Colorado Infant Hearing Advisory Committee. Sara has a special interest in practical ideas that close the gap for late-identified kids and their families.
She was a lead author of the Parent Safety Toolkit for the O.U.R. Children’s Safety Project, a co-creator for the Virtual Waiting Room, coauthor for the manual Bridge to Preschool: Navigating a Successful Transition, past editions of the Colorado Resource Guide and Parent Funding Toolkit, has written or presented on navigating the IEP/IFSP system, siblings, Eight Reasons to Say Yes to EI, why families move, the decision process regarding cochlear implants and transition from high school. A favorite presentation last year was Introverts Can Be Great Leaders. She reads, hikes, refinishes furniture, and skis when she can.
Contact her at Sara@handsandvoices.org.
O.U.R. Children's Safety Project
Photo by: Melissa Wuertele Photography
