About Us

Ohio Valley Voices (OVV) is one of the top early intervention and educational programs in the country for children who are deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) from birth to eight years old. Our curriculum is designed to provide a comfortable, loving environment that fosters confidence and a life-long love of learning through talking.

Unlike traditional programs for children who are D/HH, sign language is not taught at OVV. Every child enrolled in our programs learns spoken language through the use of their cochlear implants or hearing aids and the listening and spoken language curriculum. 

This type of education produces fantastic results but requires hours of one-on-one interaction. There are currently 52 children enrolled at Ohio Valley Voices, with 25 staff members dedicated to direct services for them including audiologists, therapists, and educators.

Hearing loss knows no boundaries. We serve children and families from across the tri-state region, so our student population is very diverse. We serve children of all racial, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In fact, despite the cost of providing this type of specialized education, OVV has never turned away a child for financial reasons.

Tele-therapy is working...
...but it won't cut it

Along with all schools in Ohio, OVV closed its doors to its students on Friday, March 13. By Tuesday, March 17, we opened virtual classrooms for the first time. Our staff worked diligently to ensure all 52 of our students had access to the necessary resources to continue their learning, by dropping off iPads or securing internet for families.

Now, seven weeks later and knowing we will not be returning to in-person interaction before the end of the school year, we have settled into a rhythm. Some children have a weekly, live cooking class with our Specials Teacher, Janice. Others are reading books in small groups over video with their teachers and friends. And ALL OF OUR CHILDREN are still receiving one-on-one listening and spoken language therapy multiple times a week.

Check out this news segment from WCPO to get a look at what teletherapy looks like.

Despite all of this hard work, there is no way for us to provide the same kind of interactions, and the same amount of attention, that we would in person. The harsh truth is that a close approximation of our services is not enough, and time is of the essence.

There is a small and crucial window of time that a child has to develop listening and language skills. For every passing day that our children are not fully immersed in the language-rich environment we provide, that language gap is closing. For the children who were most at risk before, those vulnerabilities will only be compounded.

You can help!

Ohio Valley Voices has an incredible 20-year history of changing the lives of children with profound hearing loss. We know from experience that opening up a bright future requires setting the foundation now. Our alumni are nearly 20% more likely to attend post-secondary education than the national average, and over 35% more likely than the average deaf individual.

This summer, we will be extending our school year to make up some of the lost time and interaction. Such an extension will increase costs that will not be covered by school districts and cannot be covered by families. Even before the financial hardships, 30% of our families lived at or below the poverty line.

Your contribution will make this possible.

Make a Gift Today

School days may look different for a while: staggering the times when groups are in the building, blending in-person therapy with video education. One thing that will never change is our commitment to our children. We hope you will join us in this mission and keep these children's futures bright.