Today we’d like to introduce you to Emilee Segura
Hi Emilee, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born profoundly deaf and my parents received early intervention services to learn how to raise a deaf baby. They had a deaf mentor teach them American Sign Language (ASL). Then at 18 months they decided to get me a cochlear implant, which is a tool to help me hear. I did speech therapy for 5 years to learn how to hear and talk. Now I’ve come full circle and I work as an early intervention specialist for the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind Parent Infant Program (PIP). Just like my parents received support when I was a baby, I now visit families that have a deaf or hard of hearing baby from 0-3 years old. I answer their questions, do language assessments, and help teach language strategies. I also started sharing my story on social media. I share about my life as a Deaf person with a cochlear implant. I’ve been able to help many more families that have a baby with hearing loss on my platform.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A lot of times people think a cochlear implant is a fix to give me perfect hearing, but that isn’t true. I still struggle to hear in many situations, especially when there is a lot of background noise. And listening through a device is exhausting, it’s called listening fatigue. Everyday I face times when it is difficult to hear.
When I share my life on social media, there often is negativity. I receive a lot of comments and DMs from people who disagree about what I share on social media about loving my cochlear implant. Cochlear implants are very controversial in the deaf community and so I face a lot of backlash.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work for the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind (USDB) Parent Infant Program (PIP). I am an early intervention specialist or also known as a Parent Advisor. I visit families that have a baby with hearing loss from 0-3 years old. I help answer their questions, do language assessments, teach language strategies, and so much more. I love going into their homes and helping them! One thing that sets me apart is I’m one of few people on my team that is Deaf with a cochlear implant. This is special because I am able to help families in a different way because I am deaf myself. I can answer their questions personally because of my experience. Many families appreciate the perspective and hope that I can bring. I often join other Parent Advisors in their visits because families want to meet me and ask me questions. I love being an open book and helping them!
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I loved dancing growing up! I have very fond memories of going to dance practice, recitals, and competitions. I loved doing jazz and ballet. As a person with hearing loss, I faced more challenges being a deaf dancer. I relied a lot on visual cues, counting the music, and feeling the beat/vibrations. Even though I had these extra challenges, I absolutely loved being a dancer!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emileesegura.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilee_segura?igsh=MTRseDFpa3EwN3c4bw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15fzTFUs4q/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Emileesegura
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@emileesegura?_t=ZT-8u97A2MsPUJ&_r=1
