DENVER — In honor of Disability Awareness Month, Denver7 is sharing the uplifting story of a former Denver Public Schools (DPS) student who returned to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center Program (D/HH) at Lowry Elementary School as a paraprofessional.
According to Ashley West, the low-incidence disabilities manager with DPS, the D/HH program used to be at Carson Elementary School but moved to Lowry Elementary School to provide more access across the district. Students are helped with their academic and communication needs with teachers of the deaf, paraprofessionals, and interpreters in classrooms.
"For the deaf and hard of hearing community, knowing somebody else who has hearing loss, knowing somebody else who communicates the same way as you, it's really important," West said. "So if they're using sign language, most of the kids here are using ASL, and having that connection with other people who communicate the same way as you is really important to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community."
Landon Squibbs is a paraprofessional in the D/HH program, where he supports his students from the playground to the classroom. When he was born, he was really sick and was in the hospital for a while, eventually losing his hearing. He remembers going through the same program and learning the skills to conquer challenges that may come in his path.
"I was scared. I'm like, I'm going to be the only kid with hearing aids and stuff like that. When I saw other kids that had the same hearing aids as me, I'm like, 'Oh, cool. I'm not the only one. I'm not the outsider, you know?' And we fit in," Squibbs said.
While in the classroom, Squibbs works with preschool and elementary students on different needs, from understanding fundamental signs to classroom etiquette.
"We're trying to set them to be successful when they get older for the next grade as well," said Squibbs. "Also teaching them the rules and expectations in the classroom and in the hallways and in the cafeteria, too, and outside. It's like, look, you got to share and you guys are friends, stuff like that."
Squibbs has memories of the program and the role models who stepped up to support him. Julie Hemphill, senior manager of special services for DPS, was his second-grade teacher and now watches him shine as a paraprofessional.
"Landon's a special one for sure, and every time I see him, he always gives me a hug, always genuinely asks how I'm doing, how my children are, and he's a good kid," Hemphill said.
Looking to the future, Squibbs said his goal is to become a teacher of the deaf and give back to kids to make sure they have the support they need.
