Delta Zeta sorority continues tradition of outreach to speech and hearing impaired
Andrea Roll is always ready to lend a hand to the hearing impaired.
The Lake Orion junior and American Sign Language minor, said her sorority Delta Zeta’s support of people with speech and hearing impairments is a crucial part of the group's work.
“It’s important to support and raise awareness because so many people don’t know how to go about communicating with someone who has a speech or hearing impairment,” she said.
Since 1954, the Delta Zeta sorority has been supporting speech and hearing impairment through public outreach and philanthropy.
“The gift of hearing opens up a whole new world of opportunity to people,” said Sarah Forgrave, a Troy senior and Philanthropy Chairman of Delta Zeta. “It connects individuals to life and helps them realize they can accomplish so much more than they ever thought possible.”
The chapter works with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which promotes hearing health and awareness by providing hearing aids, batteries and other products for children in need. Members of Delta Zeta donate Build-A-Bears wearing hearing aids, for the foundation to pass out to children who are receiving the devices for the first time.
On campus and locally, Delta Zeta puts on Learn 2 Listen week alongside Central Michigan University’s Carl’s Center, a rehabilitation center that dispenses hearing aids, performs hearing evaluations and fits patients with hearing aids.
This year, Learn 2 Listen week will take place the week of Oct. 6. During the week, members of Delta Zeta will be handing out information on how to get a free hearing test and there will be free testing booths on campus.
Delta Zeta will also be chalking campus with facts and statistics about speech and hearing impairment.
“A speech or hearing impairment can affect a person cognitively, physically and emotionally and I feel that the depth of these effects are not as well known as they should be,” said St. Claire senior Amanda LaCroix. “Being a communications disorders major, I understand how detrimental a speech or hearing impairment can be on a person’s communication with others as well as their development.”
LaCroix spends time volunteering at the Carl’s Center by participating in observations with a clinical supervisor on cases and therapies.
Oxford senior Crystal Everett noted the importance of bringing awareness to issues that may not be as commonly known.
“I think it is important to support the lesser-known philanthropies so it can help raise awareness for the social issues that they cater to,” she said.
As the events for Learn 2 Listen week come closer, members of Delta Zeta will be chalking campus to indicate the time and place for their events.
They will also be hosting a pancake breakfast at the Wesley Center in which all of the proceeds will be donated to Carl’s Center. The date for this even is yet to be determined.
