DENVER (Nov. 15, 2022) — The Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind recently received the Outstanding Partner of 2022 award from Deaf Overcoming Violence through Empowerment (DOVE) during the nonprofit organization's annual benefit celebration. The award recognizes the commission’s collaborative efforts to serve deaf, deafblind, deafdisabled and hard of hearing survivors of domestic abuse.
DOVE is a Colorado non-profit dedicated to providing advocacy services for deaf, deafblind, deafdisabled or hard of hearing victims who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of abuse. The DOVE annual benefit celebration came as the state wrapped up Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.
“DOVE has a fitting name because it is a symbol of peace, freedom or love. They have a very important mission advocating for victims and survivors,” said Cliff Moers, director for the commission. “They not only change survivors’ lives forever, they bring peace, freedom and love to the world.”
The commission works with DOVE year-round on projects such as deaf awareness events, training, and providing resources and services to support DOVE’s activities around the state, including the Resiliency and Communication Education project. This project will provide educational resources and healing tools to deaf, deafblind, deafdisabled and hard of hearing community members and survivors. The work of the commission and DOVE go hand in hand as they work to reach the deaf communities in the far corners of Colorado’s rural areas.
“We could not do the work we do without DOVE as a resource for the community. We refer folks to them, collaborate with them and rely on their expertise,” said Katie Cue, outreach and consultative services manager for the commission. “We are thankful that we have DOVE as a partner in doing the work we do.”
Programs and services the commission provides include:
- DeafBlind Services
- Legal Auxiliary Services
- Rural Auxiliary Services
- Colorado Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
- Communications Technology Program
- Outreach and Consultative Services
- Grants, Systems Advocacy, and more
In giving the Outstanding Partner award, DOVE Executive Director Sabrina Roult gave heartfelt thanks, saying, “Thank you so much for all of these years of amazing collaboration and support.”
The Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind connects people with assistance and resources, and supports effective communication for everyone. More than 755,569 Coloradans are deaf or hard of hearing and approximately 1,200 Coloradans are deafblind. Each year, about 200 babies are born in Colorado with hearing differences. We strive to be agents of change for a sustainable statewide network of resources, dedicated to cultural and linguistic equality. We envision a barrier-free Colorado.
Media contact:
Alex Urbach
Communications Specialist
alex.urbach@state.co.us
720.391.3557