When you walk into the Austin Deaf Club (also known as the Austin Association of the Deaf) in Texas, you are guaranteed to feel a mega-watt smile coming from Juliette “Jo” Bienvenu. Her heart and dedication is remarkable, and she has been serving the deaf community ever since she was young. Her already impressive experience with event planning, providing organizational support, and being a loyal community member is inspiring for all. With that, we are delighted to award Jo a #NADhandwave this month.
A native from Louisiana, she has been living in Austin for over 25 years. In 2015, Jo decided to run for president for a local deaf club, and when she became the president, she brought the club to the next level. A lot of her free time goes towards improving the experience of people visiting the club and ensuring that the club is financially stable and healthy. Since becoming president, she has brought about renovations for the facility and hosted various events for the local community in Austin.
Not only is she involved with the Austin Deaf Club, Jo also is known for being one of the co-founders of Deaf Women of Austin as well as Deaf Abused Women and Children Advocacy Services. Previously, Jo served as a board member for Greater Austin Foundation of the Deaf. Additionally, she has planned successful events forDeaf Women United, Deaf Lesbian Festival, National Deaf Bowling Association tournament, and many others. She does not stop there! She also serves other organizations such as the National Black Deaf Advocates, Broward County Association for the Deaf, and Texas Association for the Deaf, to name a few.
She is truly a valued gem in Austin, but also for many of us. Thank you, Jo, for being a living example of how to give back to the community.
The NAD gives monthly #NADhandwaves to people in our community. This is a great opportunity for the NAD to recognize exemplary people or the work they do. With such great people, the world continues to progress. If you know someone who deserves a #NADHandwave, submit your suggestions online!
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The NAD was established in 1880 by deaf leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to have its interests represented at the national level. As a nonprofit federation, the mission of the NAD is to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States. The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering the breadth of a lifetime and impacting future generations in the areas of early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology, telecommunications, youth leadership, and more.