2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
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| A Diversity Toolkit: Unleashing the Power of Multicultural Programming and The Power of a Connected Community
A Diversity Toolkit: Unleashing the Power of Multicultural Programming and The Power of a Connected Community
At its core, the work to advance diversity & inclusion in the deaf and hard of hearing community is about equity and opportunity. The benefits afforded through well-designed and executed early intervention strategies as well as the continued collaboration of services together have been linked to developmental successes. This diverse group of leaders will discuss ways to challenge existing paradigms to advance equity among all cultures and backgrounds. How Families, professionals, and providers can collaborate to adjust policies and practices to enhance equity, opportunity, accessibility to all. During this session, you will learn what bias is, recognize where it comes from and explore its impact. You will learn strategies to push bias attitudes aside at the individual level and improve your capacity for attracting diverse families to programs and events. The foundation of every community is a sense of connectedness. Those who are connected to their community are more likely to be engaged and actively contribute to a common goal. Finally, learn strategies and fill your toolbox with practical applications of taking DEIA work in your community including tools to measure outreach and build community engagement in the work you do.
- Identify strategies, policies, and best practices to enhance equity, opportunity, and accessibility to build effective Family Engagement Programs.
- Discuss the value of Multicultural Family Engagement in supporting all families of children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
- Transform the system of care advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility for Multicultural Families of children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Presentation:
3478265_16212AnaBrooks.pdf
3478265_16212RosabelAgbayani.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
3478265_16212RosabelAgbayani.pdf
Presenters/Authors
Djenne-amal Morris
(Co-Presenter), Hands & Voices HQ, djennemorris@gmail.com ;
Djenne-amal N. Morris, BA Djenne-amal N. Morris, BA brings passion, humor, and real-life
experience to her role as a national and international parent/professional trainer, facilitator,
and motivational speaker whose view of the world is not as it is, but as it could be. As a mother
of an amazing son with CHARGE Syndrome, she strives to build an atmosphere of support and
empowerment for families of children with special needs and the professionals who serve
them. This has led to her career working with families of children with special needs in various
roles as Women’s Ministry Leader, and Family Specialist for the New England and North
Carolina Deaf-Blind Projects, Parent Educator. She currently is the Family Faculty Advisor for the
NC-LEND program at UNC-Chapel Hill and President of the Board of Directors for Hands &
Voices Headquarters. Djenne is committed to creating an atmosphere of diversity wherever she
goes. She received her certification in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion from Cornell University and
does consulting and training professionally.
Djenne and her husband Michael of 30 years have 3 children. Malik, 26 a graduate of the
Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf. He is independent and living his best life in a group
home for Deaf young men. Imani, 27, is a future MPH focusing on Maternal and Child Health.
Her youngest Zakiya, 21, is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and a future Audiologist. Djenne and
Michael is enjoying their empty nest by traveling, growing their consulting business, and
enjoying evening wine on the porch!
Please visit her website:(www.todaywithdjenne.com)
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Financial relationship with .
Nature: .
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Non-Financial relationship with .
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Rana Ottallah
(Co-Presenter), Louisiana Hands and Voices, Rana.ottallah@la.gov;
A parent and a dedicated Special Education Advocate interacts effectively with individuals and parents of children with disabilities, schools, districts and the State Department of Education to ensure Free and Appropriate Education for students with disabilities, and appropriate home and community services. Advocates passionately for Deaf Education reform, and Language access for diverse population in the state of Louisiana.
-Special Education Advisory Panel Member (SEAP) – LDOE (2013-2017)
-Commissioner for the Deaf (2016- present)
- Deaf Education Alliance Chair (2016-2017)
-MFP Task Force member 2014
-Louisiana Hands and Voices Advisory Panel Member (2014-present)
-Partners in Policy Making 2013 Graduate
- Driving force behind Act 250- Deaf Child Bill of Rights Amendment
- A member of Louisiana ESSA advocacy group that advises and monitors state implementation plan.
- Faculty members of “Collaborate for students with unique communication needs grant”, as a parent advocate presenting on federal and state laws and regulations (2016-present).
- Executive Board member of MUHSEN (Muslims understanding and supporting Special Education Needs)
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Ana Brooks
(Co-Presenter), Hands & Voices, ana@handsandvoices.org;
Ana is a mother of two children residing in Oregon. She is brought to this work due to her oldest child not passing their newborn hearing screening. She is grateful to have experienced guidance from a parent guide early in our journey which led to positive outcomes in her child’s D/HH journey and to have been able to provide that same service to many families herself as a former parent guide.
Her passion and drive is aiding our Hispanic/Latino/x communities from her own lived experience lens. She has experienced and seen the hardships many parents face when attempting to navigate services in a different language. Ana has a unique perspective necessary to identify the many common communication gaps in the D/HH community experience. She continuously seeks ways to collaborate with other family organizations and systems of care to provide outreach and support to D/HH children and their Spanish-speaking families and Latino/x communities . Her work is to assure all information being shared to families is culturally and linguistically appropriate.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Rashaun Davis
(Co-Presenter,Author), DE Hands & Voices, drrashaundavis@gmail.com;
Dr. Rashaun Davis is a 21st Century Advocate, Educator, and Strategist specializing in helping others maximize their potential to maximize impact. A Multifaceted, and goal oriented professional with a passion for equity, Dr. Davis possesses over 20 years of experience working in training and development and leadership roles with varied populations. Dr. Davis considers himself self-motivated, and an energetic problem solver that places emphasis on inclusion, a drive for results, and leveraging innovation.
These acquired skill were obtained at an early age while growing up in Trenton, NJ and garnered while gaining his undergraduate degree at University of Delaware and post graduate degrees from New Brunswick Theological Seminary and United Theological Seminary. The acquired passion was focused and unleashed when his daughter was born with hearing loss. Dr. Davis and his wife swiftly embraced their roles as advocates and passionately pursued avenues that would develop their daughter into the most productive, self-aware and confident child possible. Dr. Davis is married to his wife of 17 years Tyheshia, and parent to Jyare and Maddison Davis.
Dr. Davis’s affiliations and appointments include former board member of the Parent Information Center of Delaware, an organization that educates, informs, and advocates for families of children with special needs. Governor appointment to the state of Delaware Early Hearing and Detective Intervention (EHDI), Delaware Hands and Voices advisory board member, Fostering Joy Core Team Member, and Omega Psi Fraternity, Inc. This commitment to advocacy is driven by the philosophy that accessibility is only beneficial if it is accessible to all.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Rosabel Agbayani
(Primary Presenter,Author), Hands & Voices, Rosabel@handsandvoices.org;
Rosabel is the Consultant for Underrepresented Populations for Hands & Voices Headquarters and member of the Board of Directors for California Hands & Voices. She is the Chair of the Poway Unified School District Special Education Community Advisory Committee and Secretary of the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Target Resource Group for Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, California. She is a mother of a child who is deaf/hard of hearing. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development, Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders & Deaf Education, and a Masters in Public Health Specializing in Health Promotion. With her lived experience and her experiences working with low-income families and at-risk youth from a variety of cultural backgrounds, she understands the importance of family engagement and empowerment by building community capacity through education and advocacy. In all that she does, her spirit of collaboration is the driving force for creating a positive movement for the benefit of ALL children, especially those who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing. Her hope is to continue to build on the ideal of Family-Centered Care giving parents the access to comprehensive information from a wide variety of community resources. Rosabel hopes to bridge those essential connections within the community to enable children who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing reach their highest potential
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Hands & Voices.
Nature: Staff Consultant for Underrepresented Populations .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Michelle Hu
(Co-Presenter), Mama Hu Hears, DrMichellehu@gmail.com;
Michelle has completed her Doctor of Audiology from the Northeast Ohio Audiology Consortium at the University of Akron. She graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and chemistry. She has been part of the Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Management Teams at Rady Children’s Hospital since 2009. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Having been identified with hearing loss when she was a toddler, Michelle is able to share her personal hearing loss journey with patients and peers - especially regarding use of hearing aids and now bilateral cochlear implants. She is also founder of Mama Hu Hears, a social media account where she shares both personal and professional experiences. Helping others realize their capabilities and strengths has been a long time passion of hers. She also feels that her personal struggles and overcoming of challenges lends to her abilities to help parents find their way throughout their DHH journeys. She created the online program, “My Child Has Hearing Loss, Now What?” with the goal to empower parents of DHH children to make choices best fit for their DHH family by giving them access to resources, insight and community. She is also a military spouse and mother of three.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.