Shannon Simonson is supremely devoted to improving the lives of individuals with hearing loss, both young and old. Her efforts range from working with parents of newborns recently identified with hearing loss to helping senior centers increase identification of hearing loss.
Shannon is the Director of Education and Social Services at the Hearing Speech Center of Northern California (HSCNC). In this role, she manages and coordinates efforts for counseling, outreach, public relations and fundraising. She is also responsible for the adult/senior program and the deaf and hard of hearing programs within educational classrooms. Shannon serves as the Family Communications Coordinator at HSCNC where she provides educational training and technical assistance for students who are deaf or hard of hearing and acts as a liaison and advocate between families of these students and school districts.
Shannon founded and serves as the director of both a weekly after school program and a summer camp for youth who are deaf or hard of hearing. She's involved in San Francisco's Special Needs Inclusion Project (SNIP), an organization requiring non-profit programs to make accommodations for individuals with disabilities. She also works with parents of children who have been recently diagnosed with hearing loss, facilitates support groups for teens who are deaf or hard of hearing, and assists with educational placement and services for families.
Shannon is often described as a powerful promoter of empowerment and advocacy who has an incredibly positive and effervescent personality. She makes her difficult work look effortless and is undeterred by any obstacles. Shannon is a critical role model to individuals in the deaf and hard of hearing community and beyond.
We thank Shannon for her leadership within her community and we are proud to present her with this year's Hamilton Relay Better Hearing and Speech Month Recognition Award.
This leadership recognition has been brought to you by Hamilton Relay.
About Hamilton Relay
Hamilton Relay provides contracted Telecommunications Relay and/or Captioned Telephone services to 16 states and the Island of Saipan, and is a provider of Internet-based Captioned Telephone services nationwide. More information is available at hamiltonrelay.com.