Helen Keller once said that deafness is "a worse misfortune than being blind. When you lose your vision, you lose contact with things; when you lose your hearing, you lose contact with people."

You’re deaf. You use sign language. You need help. You go to different places, but people there can’t communicate with you. So you come to GCD. We use your language, whether it’s sign or speech. Here you can connect with others like you. Here you can find help you need.

Where do you turn when you get turned down for access or services you need? The Goodrich Center offers a Deafness Resource Specialist (DRS) to assist with advocacy, self empowerment, and sensitivity training. The specialist also works with Federal and State laws and regulations to ensure that deaf consumers receive equal access to services. This position is funded by the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS). For more information the program, click on this link: DHHS Specialists.

Videophones allow Deaf people to communicate with each other in their own native language (American Sign Language). They can also call hearing people through a Video Relay Service and use the full expressiveness of ASL, which is much easier, faster, and clearer than typing in English on a computer or TTY. For those who don’t have videophones at home, the Goodrich Center affords access to this service. Deaf people gain independence through being able to handle many of their own business calls without involving a case worker.