About Us

Deaf Streetlight was originally named “The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Institute for Christian Education,” or “Deaf Institute” for short. It was founded in 1968 by Cecil Bennett, a father with a deaf daughter. When Cheryl Bennett was 16, Cecil and his wife Rena, saw the need for more opportunities for Cheryl and other deaf people to connect with the church and the bible; to have their own experience with Jesus and a relationship with God. Thus, the Deaf Institute was born. Cheryl (and others) loved experiencing God’s Word through ASL interpretation at church.

After Will Dickmann was appointed Director of Deaf Institute in 2021, an initiative was started to refresh and rebrand the organization. In the few years prior to Will becoming Director, the organization had experienced an increase in inquiries about the “school” or the “institution” in question. Language is constantly changing, and the word “institute” was becoming outdated and irrelevant. In an effort to reduce confusion and to become more modern, it was decided in late 2021 to rebrand Deaf Institute as “Deaf Streetlight”. The new name also served as an image of hope and a symbol; a beacon of light, guiding people back to the Lord. The Deaf also need sufficient lighting in order to see sign language and to communicate. By coming into the presence of the source of the light, darkness is overcome and it is a safe place for the Deaf to gather together. The duality of this meaning is very special and reflects both the practical need for light and the spiritual need to share and shine God’s light in the Deaf community.

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people matter to God. The Deaf are just as lost as anyone else, like sheep waiting to be found by the Shepherd. But the Deaf tend to fall by the wayside; a forgotten people. They are a ‘silent’ minority (many Deaf do not use their voice; they use ASL!) that tends to be overlooked, dismissed, ignored. Not many people are willing to come into a strange, unknown world of silence and an unfamiliar language. Most people feel threatened by things strange and unknown to them, and the most common reaction is to avoid. But the Deaf need the message of the Gospel! Who is willing to come into the Deaf-World and develop these relationships and introduce Jesus?

Not many. There are churches sprinkled here and there that offer Sign Language interpretation during Sunday morning worship services, but a fully-Deaf church, with Deaf preaching to Deaf is a rare treat! Deaf Streetlight serves to connect as many people as possible with whatever style of church they are searching for; Deaf-friendly with interpreting, or full-Deaf. Deaf Streetlight also serves to support existing churches to develop their own Deaf Ministries or full-Deaf church by providing training, support, and resources for those churches to become accessible and inclusive.

Deaf Streetlight is also an advocate of people learning American Sign Language. We provide resources and support for individuals to learn and understand the importance of language acquisition, no matter what the language is. However, if a family is wanting to pursue speech, we also support that journey. Ultimately the choices is yours; you know what is best for your family and we wish the best for you, so we will also provide resources that support speech, cochlear implants, hearing aids, and whatever else you choose to pursue in providing the best opportunities for your child. We hope to make sure you are fully informed of ALL the various options, no matter how controversial. God has you exactly where you are in life for a reason; he chose you to be the parent of this deaf child, and we will partner with you to do what you believe to be the best for this child whom God has entrusted you to raise. Deaf Streetlight wishes to encourage the development of stronger family bonds and to connect people, both hearing and deaf, with as many resources and community connections as possible. We would love for you to join us at our events, such as the Deaf Family Connect Fair, Deaf Camp (open to all hearing abilities and all ages!) and any other programming we conduct in order to experience these opportunities to connect more deeply with YOUR community.