In The News

Sound foundation

Specialist empowers hearing-impaired

June 28, 2009 - 9:30 PM
By KIMBERLY A. CAMPBELL
For The Telegraph

Angela Botz, the independent living specialist at IMPACT CIL in Alton, is one woman who won't let a disability stand in her way.

Botz works to help other deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing people gain individual empowerment, as well as helping them learn how to better communicate with the hearing world.

Botz was born deaf but can hear through the use of a cochlear implant in her right ear and a hearing aid in her left ear.

She attended the Illinois School for the Deaf, graduating in 1985.

"I am an advocate for a permanent tax increase, allowing the state to continue funding for all of Human Services' independent living centers," Botz said. "The Illinois School for the Deaf is one institution that has programs that provide equal communication access and an equal environment for students with disabilities."

"ISD is an important asset to the area because many of the student who attend the elementary, junior or high school are from lower-income families, and without us they would have no place to go," Campbell said.

ISD and ISVI (Illinois School for the Visually Impaired) are at risk of losing part of their state funding.

"Public schools are not properly trained to teach students with disabilities - somewhere along the line, the students will be the ones who suffer," Botz said. "The state only has a number of interpreters to go around, and many public school can't even afford to have them - ISD already has interpreters."

Botz lives in Pontoon Beach with her deaf husband, Bill, and their two hearing children, Kiefer, 18, and Katrina, 13.

Besides her involvement with ISD and IMPACT CIL, Botz belongs to many local organizations for the hearing-impaired including: Alton Deaf Social, the Hearing Loss Association and the Illinois Association of the Deaf.

Botz is an event coordinator for the St. Louis DEAFestival, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Kirkwood Community Center.

She is a committee member for the Hearing Loss Association's Walk 4 Hearing, set for Oct. 3 at Tower Grove Park in south St. Louis. 

In her spare time, Botz teaches on-site sign language classes at IMPACT CIL and at off-site locations such as Cope Plastics or Challenge Unlimited.

"There are only 23 independent living centers in the state of Illinois," Botz said. "Without the continued funding, people with hearing loss, or brain injuries would be set back more than ever - where would they go?"

Botz encourages anyone who wishes to express their support for the continuation of funding for ISD to call their local legislature, or to "vote yes for HB174."

Botz has created a video with captions that explain why the funding should not be cut. The video is available at www.angelabotz.com. For information on DEAFestival, go to www.stldeafestival.com.

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