Denise Portis is a passionate advocate for the rights of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. She is a native of Frederick, and currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland.
Denise is a dedicated member of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), and in 2002, was involved in chartering the Frederick, Maryland chapter. For eight years she served as the chapter coordinator where she brought interesting and helpful programs to the ever increasing membership. During those years, Denise also published the chapter's member newsletter.
In 2005, Denise received a cochlear implant. Two years later, she welcomed Chloe, her assistance dog, into her life. Chloe came to Denise from Fido's for Freedom, a Baltimore organization for which Denise advocates. Recently, when Denise and Chloe were denied entrance to a shopping mall, Denise transformed the negative experience into a positive one by initiating a workshop for mall employees on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and hearing loss. She has since volunteered her time to organizations and businesses in the area to educate them as well.
Denise received her Bachelor's degree in Administrative Management and the Bible in 1988, and completed her Master's degree in Psychology in 2011. She currently teaches Psychology and American Sign Language at Chieftain Institute.
In addition to home schooling her two children, Denise is active with her church family. Since 1997, Denise has kept an online blog about her hearing loss journey and is a motivational speaker and writer. Denise's positive outlook is contagious to those around her and we are pleased to recognize Denise for her efforts and accomplishments in Maryland.
This leadership recognition has been brought to you by Hamilton Relay.
About Hamilton Relay
Hamilton Relay offers a variety of services including Telecommunications Relay Services, Captioned Telephone and Internet Relay services. Hamilton provides Telecommunications Relay and/or Captioned Telephone services to 18 states, the District of Columbia, the Island of Saipan and the Virgin Islands. More information is available at hamiltonrelay.com.