Find a local bicycle club at
Georgia Bicycle Clubs, and see if it offers either group rides or safe cycling classes. Both would be beneficial for you, particularly the class. It's not always apparent to new riders how they can best ride in traffic.
Find a map of bicycle routes in and around Atlanta. Learn about the various ways modern roads can provide safe access for bicycles, such as bike lanes, sharrows, greenways, and so on. These options should be shown on a map of bike routes; find them and try them out.
Improve your visibility and personal safety. If you do not already have one, get a helmet. On the helmet, mount a set of lights that can flash to the front and rear so that cars can see you. The helmet lights are important because they will stand out over the tops of parked cars. I also recommend that you get another front and rear light for the bicycle itself. In other words, you'll get seen.
Similarly, get a mirror so that you can check behind you as you ride.
Fwiw, I am deaf. I have been riding for forty years without accidents (other than the ones I cause myself, like running into the back of a stationary bus because I was too fumble-fingered to find the brakes). With the lights and mirrors, and an understanding of safe riding techniques, I can control my own safety on the road.