Many organizations serve the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people, families with deaf and hard of hearing members, and hearing people working in deaf-related fields. New organizations are also forming all the time.

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Unity Organizations

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance. This group is a lobbying voice for all of the deaf and hard of hearing organizations regardless of their respective missions.

Deaf Organizations

These organizations are generally associated with deaf people, although hard of hearing people are welcome to join.

Association of Late-Deafened Adults (ALDA). The Association of Late-Deafened Adults (ALDA) provides support to late-deafened adults.

Deaf Women United. Deaf women can join this national organization.

Intertribal Deaf Council. The Intertribal Deaf Council is the national organization for deaf Native Americans.

National Asian Deaf Congress. The National Asian Deaf Congress unites deaf Asian Americans and holds conferences as well as celebrations of the Lunar New Year.

National Association of the Deaf. The National Association of the Deaf is one of the oldest American organizations for the deaf, dating back to the 19th century.

National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA). The National Black Deaf Advocates represents the interests of the African-American deaf community.

National Council of Hispano Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The National Council of Hispano Deaf and Hard of Hearing represents the interests of deaf Latinos nationally.

World Federation of the Deaf. The World Federation of the Deaf links together national deaf organizations across the globe.

Hard of Hearing Organizations

These organizations generally represent hard of hearing people, although deaf people are welcome to join.

Hearing Loss Association of America. The Hearing Loss Association of America is widely recognized as the premier association for hard of hearing people in the United States.

International Federation of Hard of Hearing People. The International Federation of Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH) is an international association for hard of hearing people.

Parenting and Education Organizations

Support for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children is crucial to ensuring the success of subsequent generations of children with hearing loss. These parenting organizations are ready to offer help and advice.

Alexander Graham Bell Association. The Alexander Graham Bell Association has for a long time supported families with deaf and hard of hearing children, particularly those using oral language.

Alexander Graham Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. The Alexander Graham Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language supports auditory-verbal therapy, an educational option that involves the use of listening only to develop language.

American Society for Deaf Children. The American Society for Deaf Children is a parenting organization for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children.

Cochlear Implant Awareness Foundation. As the number of cochlear implant users expanded, the Cochlear Implant Awareness Foundation came into being to offer support to implantees and their families.

Hands and Voices. Hands and Voices is a growing parenting organization that embraces all methods of communication and education for deaf and hard of hearing children.

Professionals Working With Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Deaf and hard of hearing people have needs that range from audiology to sign language interpreters. Professionals who work in fields that serve the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people have professional associations.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association represents the interests of audiologists and speech-language pathologists.

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf is a national association for all types of interpreters for the deaf.

Hearing Children With Deaf Families

Even hearing children who grow up with deaf parents have their own unique needs and common interests. They have organizations of their own.

Children of Deaf Adults. Hearing children who grew up with deaf parents have similar concerns and challenges. The national organization Children of Deaf Adults brings them together.

Kids of Deaf Adults. There is no longer a national organization called Kids of Deaf Adults (KODA), but the concept survives in smaller KODA organizations and the term KODA is part of deaf community vocabulary.

Other Organizations for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

These organizations could be considered specialized organizations as they link deaf and hard of hearing people with unique interests.