Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Marion Downs Center

Supporting Individuals and Families With Hearing or Communication Challenges

A nonprofit "Center of Excellence," developing and providing hearing, speech/language, and early literacy services and programs.

At the Marion Downs Center, we value comprehensive service, individual attention, family engagement, evidence-based solutions and a wellness approach to hearing and communication challenges.

Rosie’s Ranch

Welcome to Rosie's Ranch in Parker, Colorado - we provide an inclusive therapeutic riding environment where children, with and without special needs, are able to connect with an equine partner and each other under the guidance of qualified staff, building self-confidence, literacy, and language skills through educational and equine-assisted activities.

Mary Mosher-Stathes, has two passions in life: spending time with her horses, and teaching deaf children to communicate.

In April 2010, Mary bought a horse ranch in Parker, Colorado, in order to merge her two passions. She and a dedicated board and group of volunteers are creating a family-centered, authentic Western atmosphere, where children with deafness or other oral language hurdles can expand verbal and reading skills through equine connections.

Mary has dedicated over 40 years to educating children with deafness and helping them listen and speak. She has received numerous state-wide and national awards for her work, including the 2007 Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year Award. In her retirement she and her husband built her dream, this very special equine facility for children. Rosie's Ranch is a supportive and welcoming place where children with special needs learn from their peers and children without special needs learn how to be a friend to someone very different than themselves. In 2018, Mary was honored at the 44th Sportswoman of Colorado Annual Awards Celebration for work creating Rosie's Ranch. That special award was for EMPOWERMENT.

Colorado Lions Camp

The mission of the Colorado Lions Camp is to provide exceptional camping programs to individuals with disabilities which promote independence, challenge their abilities and provide an opportunity to discover their own potential in a safe, positive environment.

Colorado Lions Camp is a year round facility that aims to create a unique experience for each individual who attends. Serving over 175 individuals with a wide range of disabilities, our programs are tailored to meet the needs of every single one of our campers. With a variety of programs and themes we have something for everyone, we encourage you to explore our website to see the diverse range of activities and opportunities offered.

The Colorado Lions Camp was first designed as a blind camp only in the early years. Now the Camp serves over 350 campers with a variety of disabilities: hearing and visually impaired, Down Syndrome, Developmentally Delayed, Autism, Aspergers Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, and many other physical and mental disabilities that may challenge our campers.

Colorado Lions Camp offers Summer Camp and weekend Respite Programs. Check out our website for more information.

National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management

The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM - pronounced "en-cham") is one of many research centers located at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. The mission of NCHAM is to ensure that all infants and young children with hearing loss are identified as early as possible and have access to timely and appropriate audiological, educational, medical intervention, and family support services. NCHAM receives funding from multiple sources to conduct research, training, and technical assistance activities to support and improve newborn and early childhood hearing screening, diagnosis, and early intervention.

Book: I Am Extraordinary

It’s the first day of school for Zoe, a young girl with hearing loss who dreams of playing on her school’s soccer team. But, self-conscious of her hearing aids, Zoe is too nervous to try out. With the help of and perspectives from new friends, what begins as a bumpy, anxiety-filled start for Zoe, soon transitions into an eye-opening experience about what it means to be different—and what it means to be extraordinary. I Am Extraordinary teaches kids how to look inside themselves to find self-acceptance and the confidence to achieve any goal.

Author: Stephen Curry
Illustrator: Geneva Bowers

Affiliate Link included

Book: Cordelia and Me

This book is about children overcoming disabilities whether visible or invisible and to not judge a book by its cover. Kallyn lost her hearing in her left ear at the age of 13 and received a cochlear implant 6 months later. This book shares her experience and journey of her continuous uphill battle. She is a positive young lady and lives life to the fullest every day.
Kallyn is an advocate for empowerment and inclusivity. She wrote this book to uplift and inspire individuals with disabilities. Through storytelling and empathy, she wants to teach others to embrace their authenticity, stand up against bullying, and find strength in their uniqueness.

Author: Kallyn Long
Editor: Christina Davis
Illustrator: Jaden Streeter

Book: Hands that Speak: A Journey of Listening and Learning

In Hands That Speak, Chrissy, the author, shares her personal journey from the hearing world to the Deaf community, and the culture shock that comes with it. As she learns the ABCs and basic words in American Sign Language, she discovers how much fun it can be to communicate in a new way.

Along the way, Chrissy explores how Deaf people navigate the world, finding many places to connect with others in the Deaf community. Learning about Deaf culture opens up an entirely new world, not just for Chrissy, but for anyone willing to listen and learn.

Author: Christine Pestillo
Illustrator: Emily Jerry

Colorado Deaf-Blind Project Intervener Series

2024-2025 Colorado Deaf-Blind Project Intervener Series
The project is pleased to announce a series of intervener webinars that will be offered once a month throughout the 2024-2025 school year. All events will be held virtually.

** Training is for Colorado Interveners and their teams only!

Time: 6:00 - 7:00 PM

September 9, 2024 - Behavior
October 7, 2024 - Role of the Intervener in Educational Settings
November 4, 2024 - Symbolic Communication
February 3, 2025 - Tactile Strategies
March 3, 2025 - Concept Development
April 7, 2025 - Orientation and Mobility for Interveners

Marco Polo App

Marco Polo is driven by one heartfelt purpose—helping people feel close. This purpose began to take form when we were starting our family. When our oldest daughter was a few months old, and our second on the way, we realized we wanted to model something special for the kids. We wanted to show them what it looks like to work on something personally meaningful, that also makes a big difference in the world.

With new additions to our family, staying closely connected to loved ones felt more important than ever. Everyone wanted to see the kids, and watch them grow. We didn’t want to just send the occasional photo or text. We wanted the family to be part of our kid’s lives—many of whom live 5,000 miles away. Video calls weren’t a great option. We tried. With family spread across the US, and other parts of the world, weekends felt overscheduled—coordinating different time zones was a challenge. It became like a barrier to feeling close, more like a chore.

At the same time, we were researching happiness and learned that having meaningful connections is one of the key ingredients to feeling happy. Ideas began to percolate. And before we even knew what we were going to create, the purpose of helping people feel close was born. The idea for the app soon followed. And after many iterations, our dream caught fire and Marco Polo became a reality that’s fulfilling that dream. Now, when we visit our family in Poland, our kids aren’t so shy. They don’t need a warm-up period. They’ve already spent hours on Marco Polo with the family, and loads of time with their Babcia (grandma) learning to speak Polish. Everyone is a familiar face because they see and talk to each other every day. We hope that Marco Polo brings you closer to your family and friends too.

Free Speech AAC

Communication goes beyond the power of speech, and FreeSpeech AAC understands this. As a free and open-source AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) app, we provide a daily communication tool for children, teens, and adults who may not have the ability to speak. The development of language skills is also possible with our easy-to-navigate interface. With only a few taps after creating an account and launching the app, users can instantly start sharing their thoughts with the world.

Glide – Video Chat App

Glide is the fastest live video messenger app on the planet. It combines the convenience of texting with the expressiveness of video chat. Now you and your friends/family can share real moments as they happen, and enjoy quality facetime.