Nearly 200 Arizonans came together at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale for the AZ Hands & Voices Annual Family Picnic April 4.
In a state where more than 1.1 million residents are hard of hearing and gaps in services persist, the free event connected 39 families of deaf and hard of hearing children, four Deaf community members and two American Sign Language interpreter students to community and resources, according to a press release.
Ages ranged from 5 months to 13 years old, with half under the age of three, an age group critical for early intervention and language development.