Deaf Planet Soul

Deaf Planet Soul is working to improve the lives of the Deaf and hard of hearing through service and empowerment. Our goals include the following:
1. Increase the rates of gainful employment
2. Increase literacy rates
3. Decrease social isolation
4. Decrease rates of domestic violence
5. Improve health and fitness
5. Provide a safe haven for members of the broader Deaf community
6. Strengthen the Deaf Ecosystem

Deaf Planet Soul works to fill the voids we see in our community. Our goals and related strategies are as follows:

Goal: Increase the rates of gainful employment
Strategy: Extensive programming in job training, including resume building, job interview practice and extensive vocational skills workshops

Goal: Decrease social isolation
Strategy: Frequent social events through which members of the broader Deaf community are able to come together to enjoy outings and meaningful social experiences together.

Goal: Decrease rates of domestic violence
Strategy: Women's self-defense classes through which participants learn practical self defense strategies while also engaging in discussions about empowerment, de-escalation and how to access vital supports

Goal: Improve health and fitness
Strategy: Frequent health and fitness sessions through which participants engage in group fitness classes and nutrition lessons, all taught in American Sign Language and led by Deaf individuals

Goal: Provide a safe haven for members of the broader Deaf community
Strategy: [in progress] Create a community space wherein members of the Deaf community can gather to socialize, connect with one another and access needed social services.

Goal: Strengthen the Deaf Ecosystem
Strategy: Through our Deaf Ecosystem Development program, we work 1:1 with emerging small business owners and provide them with the support they need to successfully launch their businesses.

Goal: Increase literacy rates
Strategy: Deaf childhood literacy program, through which children's books are adapted to ASL and made available to Deaf children and Deaf education classrooms.

Since our founding in 2015, our team has worked tirelessly to meet our goals. Despite our small size and limited budget, we have already been able to accomplish much more than we initially thought possible, as can be seen in the metrics section below. Because our organization is run by an entirely-Deaf team, we are uniquely suited to understand and meet the needs of the Deaf community.

Since our founding, we have accomplished a number of goals, including the following:

1. Hosted over 150 workshops, CPR classes, fitness sessions and social events
2. Established ASL instruction programs and developed related curricula
2. Taught weekly American Sign Language classes both online and in-person
3. Established entrepreneurship programs designed to support economic development within the Deaf community
4. Established the city's first Deaf mentorship program, benefitting Deaf adults with additional disabilities
5. Adapted and distributed over 50 children's books, benefitting Deaf children struggling with literacy

As our organization continues to grow, we're eager to watch our programs grow as well!