Effective Communication with Persons who are Hard of Hearing

Audience: Professionals working with individuals who are Hard of Hearing 

Purpose: You spoke with an individual who is unable to hear or understand what you are saying, maybe they cannot speak, and/or their lives changed in other ways due to hearing loss. Maybe you find yourself raising your voice to make communication more effective, but you are beginning to wonder whether it is really working. If this sounds like a familiar scenario, take the opportunity to come and hear joint speakers, Karen Rhoads with the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Melissa Lamboy with New Jersey Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, presenting about resources and services available to help you better serve the Hard of Hearing community.

Goals/Objectives:

• Raise awareness and recognize the services provided to the hard-of-hearing community.

• Identify the range of hearing levels and how they affect communication

• Recognize common challenges faced by individuals who are hard of hearing in various environments.

• Learn practical techniques for clear, accessible communication

• Explore different communication modes, including spoken language, captioning, written communication, and assistive listening devices.

Melissa Lamboy

Melissa Lamboy is a Program Specialist 1 with the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH), where she supports the planning, coordination, and delivery of statewide services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. Her responsibilities include policy implementation, provider coordination, staff training, and data documentation, with a focus on serving diverse populations and individuals with disabilities. 

As a Certified Community Resource Specialist, Ms. Lamboy applies professional knowledge and skills to advance accessibility, strengthen service systems, and promote inclusive and equitable service delivery. She provides education, advocacy, and direct services to reduce barriers and increase access to programs, services, and information that are customarily available to the general population. 

Ms. Lamboy supports individuals, community partners, and agencies through outreach initiatives that enable people with hearing loss to fully access medical, social, vocational, economic, legal, and personal services. She plans and conducts Deaf and Hard of Hearing Sensitivity Trainings (DSTs) for public information sessions for constituents, organizations, and professionals. In addition, she provides consultation and referrals related to communication access services and offers guidance and assistance to New Jersey residents who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late-Deafened, or Deaf-Blind. A New Jersey native, Ms. Lamboy holds a master's degree in social work from Rutgers University and is currently in the fifth year of service at DDHH. 

Karen Rhoads

Crabs! Crabs! Crabs! Oh my! A native Marylander, Karen Rhoads, was born deaf and grew up in a large family in northern Maryland. Raised in a mixed deaf and hearing household in the countryside, she spent her childhood surrounded by siblings and friends, learning early to push past limitations and ultimately becoming a trailblazer who helped open doors for Deaf people everywhere. She attended a Deaf boarding school in Maryland through seventh grade before transferring to a local public school, where she graduated as the only mainstreamed deaf student. She later continued on to college, becoming a pioneer who helped create pathways for future deaf students to follow.

During her teen years, she helped champion the recognition of American Sign Language in Maryland contributed to the creation of the state’s Youth Suicide Hotline, and served as an active leader in her high school’s student government.

She and her husband of more than 30 years have raised five hearing children whose first language is American Sign Language, and they are now proud grandparents of six. Three years ago, they moved to Virginia with two of their children to support her husband in establishing a Deaf church. In early 2023, Karen served as a Regional Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist for the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing’s Technology Assistance Program, supporting 16 counties. She was later promoted to Community Services Specialist, where she continues to provide services and educational training throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.