Interpreters from Kentucky’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS) Branch, in partnership with the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (KCDHH), hosted the inaugural Julie Beth Hayden Job Fair at DeaFestival 2022 on September 3 at the Norton Center for the Arts at Centre College in Danville, KY.
DeaFestival is a biennial, one-day event where Deaf people from all areas of Kentucky come together in a fully accessible environment to meet and enjoy artists, performers, and exhibitors who are Deaf. Tara Eversole, Lisa Amstutz, Sarah Grubb, and Tina Vice, HDI employees, were members of the interpreting team who provided services to allow hearing people to fully participate in the event.
Approximately 7,000 people attended DeaFestival and were given an opportunity to meet DHHS staff, learn about their services, receive assistance with job fair activities, and network with employers. The job fair will be part of DeaFestival in years to come! In addition to meeting the needs of the community, the event will honor the memory of Julie Beth Hayden.
Julie Beth Hayden is remembered for serving the students at Kentucky School for the Deaf and the Deaf community at large. She was an advocate, counselor and, role model to anyone who met her.
If you want to learn more about services available to people who are Hard of Hearing, Deaf, and Deaf/Blind, visit https://kcc.ky.gov/Vocational-Rehabilitation/programservices/Pages/Deaf-and-Hard-of-Hearing-Services.aspx or call 502-564-4440 or 800-372-7172 (V/TTY).