By MARTI ROSE SHANKER
On May 1st, 2014, Jericho High School graduate Melanie Paticoff launched “Hearing Our Way,” a magazine that aims to help children who are deaf or hard of hearing build self-confidence and deal with issues related to hearing loss. Paticoff said, “It all started with my cousin Julie, who is deaf and has bilateral cochlear implants. I wanted to help other families so that no siblings, cousins, or friends would have a language barrier between them.”
After watching her cousin struggle and succeed, Paticoff became passionate about deaf studies and pursued her interest at Washington University. Paticoff realized that there was a lack of literature related to children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have cochlear implants. Her first endeavor to change this involved creating a series of children’s novels called “Sophie’s Tales” centered around a Maltese dog with a cochlear implant. Paticoff received a tremendous amount of positive feedback, which motivated her to design a product geared towards older children with hearing loss, which became the springboard for the creation of “Hearing Our Way.”
According to “Hearing Our Way’s” website, “The first issue of “Hearing Our Way” gives a great picture of what we’re all about. Inside you’ll find a guide to the language, listening, and self-advocacy tips you can look for throughout the issue.” The premiere issue of “Hearing Our Way” features Jericho High School graduate Julie Rosenthal. “I felt honored when I was asked to be on the cover of the first magazine,” Rosenthal said, and hopes that many deaf or hard of hearing children will be able to relate to her experiences. Jericho teacher of the deaf Erica Axelrod said, “I’m thrilled that Ms. Paticoff has broken new ground to reach out to deaf and hard of hearing teens. I think it’s an excellent resource for my students, and I look forward to reading the next issue.”
The digital magazine encompasses many other topics and includes a hashtag, #hearinglossmoments, so that other deaf teenagers can connect through various social media platforms. Junior Rabia Afzal who also has bilateral cochlear implants said, “I love that there is finally a magazine that I can truly connect to on a personal level.”
