Patty Kuglitsch

Patty Kuglitsch

People who are deaf or hard of hearing face considerable challenges than those with perfect hearing. Patty Kuglitsch faces those challenges every day, head-on, and always with a smile. Growing up in a family of all deaf members, there was no relay or interpretive services, no closed captioning, no email, etc. But that did not stop her from making an impact on everyone that she came in contact with. Patty with a heart for serving deaf and hard of hearing individuals worked at Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD) for 25 years. She served as Senior Vice President of CSD Administrative Services/Corporate Secretary, provided support to the CEO and his office as well as the CSD Board, and held a variety of other positions during her tenure. Prior to CSD, Patty was a teacher at the South Dakota School for the Deaf, teaching children in kindergarten to 7th grade. In addition to her professional career, she has chaired various committees including the National Association of the Deaf and the South Dakota Board of Vocational Rehabilitation appointed by Gov. Daugaard. Patty was elected as president of the South Dakota Association of the Deaf and served for six years with the belief that every deaf and hard of hearing individual has the right to freely participate in all aspects of society and life to the fullest extent possible – without barriers or limitations. With that animating belief, Patty has played an active role in state legislative affairs contacting state legislators, giving testimony, and helping other deaf and hard of hearing people make their voice heard on key bills affecting the deaf community.

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