Community Centers for the Deaf

The Community Centers for the Deaf (CCD) are Ohio’s only centralized resource for Deaf and hard of hearing Ohioans.

Each Center receives funding from RSC to provide community support and language services for Deaf Ohioans, their families, and their communities.

Turning Disabilities Into a Strength to Help Others

Cathy Kooser’s hearing has diminished since childhood. At age 40 in 1994, she sought advice from the Community Services for the Deaf (CSD) in Dayton, which encouraged the nursing assistant to return to college and apply for counseling and tuition assistance from RSC. With assistance from the agency, Kooser attended Sinclair

Community College and then Wright State University. She relied on accommodations such as FM systems and captioning by court reporters to complete her studies.

After she graduated, CSD hired Kooser to design an outreach program for people who are hard-of-hearing. Kooser’s successful local workshops evolved into “The Kooser Program: The Hidden Impact of Hearing Loss” with programs throughout Ohio. RSC counselors encouraged clients with hearing loss to attend a Kooser workshop, which treats deafness and hearing loss as different disabilities requiring separate strategies. She now works for the Hearing Aid Company and markets “The Kooser Program” to audiologists nationwide.