Deaf Education Ohio unites the entire community surrounding Deaf and hard-of-hearing students across the state. We are a dedicated nonprofit network that brings together families, teachers of the deaf, educational interpreters, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and Deaf adult role models. Together, we share resources, foster collaboration, and break down barriers to ensure every learner has the access, support, and advocacy they deserve to thrive.
Our Team.
The heart of our mission! We are educators, advocates, parents, and professionals who believe every d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing child deserves access to high-quality, culturally responsive education. Together, we bring a wealth of experience, lived expertise, and unwavering commitment to support students, families, educators, and communities across Ohio.
Christy Barr
Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Teacher of the Deaf.
Christy has been in the field of Special Education since 2001 as an ABA therapist, Special Olympics coach, and caregiver. She received her bachelor's in special education from Ohio State University in 2005 and her master's in 2008 from Illinois State University. She earned her BCBA in 2014 and served as a clinician at Trumpet Behavioral Health in Dayton, OH. In 2018, she returned to the classroom as a DHH Preschool Teacher with Montgomery County ESC. She currently serves in the role of an itinerant TOD with MCESC.
Janet Boucher
Hearing Intervention Specialist & Teacher of the Deaf
Janet is celebrating her 31st year in education and her 8th year with the Greene County Educational Service Center (GCESC). She earned her bachelor’s degree in Deaf Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her master’s degree in Special Education from Elon University. Throughout her career, Janet has served as a teacher, intervention specialist, educational interpreter, adjunct professor, presenter, and disability ministry leader. She is passionate about helping Deaf and Hard of Hearing students discover their strengths, build self-advocacy and communication skills, and grow in confidence and independence.
Janet is the founder of AHA (All Hearing Abilities) and is currently developing a Deaf Teen Mentor Program to connect Deaf and Hard of Hearing teens with younger students. She is also completing requirements to become a Certified Life Coach to support teens, adults, and families with different abilities. Janet and her husband, David, are celebrating 39 years of marriage and enjoy life with their two sons, two daughters-in-law, five grandsons, and 13-year-old Shih-Poo, Brady.
Angelica Gagliardi
Teacher of the Deaf & Outreach Specialist
Angelica is a dedicated deaf educator with over 15 years of experience serving students across residential schools for the deaf, day schools for the deaf, and public school deaf education programs. As a certified reading specialist, she is deeply committed to advancing literacy outcomes for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and ensuring every child leaves her classroom with both the skills to read and a genuine love of literature.
She currently serves the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. In addition to her classroom role, she is a stipend employee with the Outreach Center for Deafness and Blindness at OCALI, where she supports statewide initiatives to improve services for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually impaired. She also serves as adjunct faculty in the Deaf Education program at Kent State University, preparing the next generation of educators of the deaf. Angelica also serves as Secretary of the Board for the American Society for Deaf Children and co-chairs the Ohio Deaf Education Conference.
Across every role, Angelica’s work centers on equitable literacy instruction, high expectations, and empowering deaf students to see themselves as capable, confident readers.
Megan Havens
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Megan has been in the field of Special Education since 2001 as an ABA therapist, Special Olympics coach, and caregiver. She received her bachelor's in special education from Ohio State University in 2005 and her master's in 2008 from Illinois State University. She earned her BCBA in 2014 and served as a clinician at Trumpet Behavioral Health in Dayton, OH. In 2018, she returned to the classroom as a DHH Preschool Teacher with Montgomery County ESC. She currently serves in the role of an itinerant TOD with MCESC.
Ashley Humphreys
Educational Interpreter
Ashley is a dedicated wife and proud dog mom who holds a Bachelor of Arts in ASL-English Interpretation with a Specialization in School Interpreting from the University of Northern Colorado, as well as an Associate of Applied Science in ASL Interpreting for the Deaf from Sinclair Community College. She has been a licensed educational interpreter since 2010 and has been an active member of the Ohio School for the Deaf Educational Interpreter Cohort since 2018. Passionate about advocacy, professional growth, and excellence in education, Ashley is committed to advancing standards for educational interpreters and ensuring that d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing students have consistent access to highly qualified interpreting professionals throughout their K–12 journey.
Chelsey Ingalls
Educational Interpreter
Chelsey feels fortunate to have dedicated over a decade to interpreting in Ohio schools. She is a proud graduate of both Sinclair Community College and Wright State University, with a passion for language deprivation, Deaf literacy, and interpreter education and training. She strongly believes that a Deaf student can have the best teacher in the world, but without the best interpreter in the world, access to that education can be significantly impacted. She looks forward to working alongside others to advocate for improved access, educational opportunities, and outcomes for all d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Jean Mendis
Teacher of the Deaf & Intervention Specialist
Jean received her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1990 and her Master’s degree in Secondary Education–Deaf Education in 2024. She brings nine years of experience as a Deaf Access Program Coordinator with the St. Augustine Center and currently serves Cleveland Metropolitan Schools. Jean is passionate about supporting Deaf students and promoting meaningful access to education and opportunities for success.
Colleen Ticherich
Educational Interpreter
Colleen received her Bachelor’s degree in Music from Heidelberg College and Associate of Applied Science degrees in both Occupational Therapy Assisting and Interpreting from Cuyahoga Community College. She has worked as a licensed educational interpreter for over a decade and has additional experience interpreting in community, college, medical, and theater settings. As a proud mom of six and grandmother of one, she is passionate about language acquisition and creating opportunities for families of Deaf children to connect, build relationships, and engage with Deaf adults in their communities.