NUBY Launches International Corporate Responsibility Program to Benefit Deaf Children's Literacy Project

MONROE, La., Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The privately-held Nuby™ baby products company announced this week that its new corporate responsibility program will benefit the Deaf Children's Literacy Project (DCLP) of the National Cued Speech Association.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121004/DC86293LOGO-a)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121004/DC86293LOGO-b)

Nuby™ has placed the DCLP logo on most of its baby products. The products include bottles, toys, teethers, breast pumps, medical items and a variety of other items. A percentage of sales from these products will benefit the DCLP.

The Nuby™ brand covers feeding, weaning, soothing, play, bath and nursery and boasts patented innovation in all of its categories. Nuby™ is distributed in over 155 countries around the world since 1970.

Although the company is deeply philanthropic, the Deaf Children's Literacy Project is close to the hearts of company president Edward Hakim and his wife Penny. The parents of four children, their eldest son Abraham became deaf as an infant from bacterial meningitis.

Devastated, the Hakim family found comfort and support from the National Cued Speech Association, which champions effective communication, language development and literacy through the use of Cued Speech. The NCSA launched the Deaf Children's Literacy Project in 1997.

Cued Speech is a mode of communication developed in 1966 by Dr. R. Orin Cornett to counteract literacy issues that pervade deaf education. Today, research has proven that deaf Cued Speech users have the same or better literacy levels as their hearing peers, which in turn allows them to achieve academically.

Understanding that using Cued Speech would allow the Hakim family to easily communicate with their deaf son in English, and that it would provide phonemic information needed for literacy, the family began cueing to Abraham.

Today, Abraham Hakim is a shining example of how Cued Speech can allow a deaf child to excel. An avid reader, he graduated from Tulane University with a BA and an MA in Architecture.

"With Cued Speech, Abraham was mainstreamed into regular schools, attended college and been able to compete with his hearing peers," said Edward Hakim. "Now he is a college graduate and I couldn't be more proud."

"Our company has grown and we are extremely fortunate that our products are so globally popular. It's time for us to give back to the community and what better cause than the Deaf Children's Literacy Project? This organization was there for us when we went through an emotionally turbulent period. Our son Abraham would not be where he is now if it were not for Cued Speech."

"The Deaf Children's Literacy Project is very excited to have the Hakim Family and Nuby as a Corporate Sponsor. This family and Nuby have been touching the lives of newborns around the world with their wonderful products, and now have chosen to continue that through their dedication to the literacy of many deaf children; we're definitely honored," said National Cued Speech Association President, Shannon Howell.

Nuby™ strives to make the lives of parents and children easy, simple and fun so they can enjoy the most wonderful experiences of growing up, safe in the knowledge that our Nuby™ products have been developed, researched and manufactured to the highest standards.

For more information from NUBY, contact Ed Hakim the CEO of Nuby at [email protected]

For more information about Cued Speech and the Deaf Children's Literacy Project, contact [email protected] or visit www.cuedspeech.org.

SOURCE National Cued Speech Association