JaynaAltman.com - role model and advocate for all types of disabilities.
About JaynaAltman.com
A profoundly deaf individual dedicated to a mission to empower others with a disability, most notelably hearing loss. Born severely premature, Jayna spent the first three months of her life in the intensive care unit where she underwent 14 pnemothoraxis due to pulmonary distress, open heart surgery at 6 weeks old, and 2 complete blood exchanges, among many other medical complications.
Medications given to sustain her life, left Jayna with a profound hearing loss. Doctors predicted as a result of such complications that Jayna would never learn to speak, or obtain beyond a third grade education.
Despite such predictions, Jayna learned to speak beautifully as a result of intensive auditory verbal therapy for 12 years. She went on to graduate with distinction and honors from the University of California, San Diego, and has completed classes towards a doctorate in Audiology.
Today and in the past, Jayna serves as a role model and advocate for all types of disabilities, specifically hearing loss. She has worked with several organizations, which has allowed her the opportunity to travel more than 100,000 miles speaking on behalf of disability related causes. Additionally, she has assisted in raising more than $8 million dollars towards various charitable and educational organizations working towards greater awareness on such issues.
Below are some of roles she currently, and/or has served over the years:
Spokesperson/Speaker for Special Olympics Speaker/Advocate for Ability Beyond Disability Poster child/ Alumni Spokesperson for John Tracy Clinic State Board Trustee for Hearing Loss Association of America State Conference Speaker with Heather Whitestone - McCallum (Miss America 1995) Honorary Chair for Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) National and State Conference Speaker for Alexander Graham Bell Association Miss International 2008 Miss Missouri (Int) 2008
