2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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3/14/2022  |   9:30 AM - 9:55 AM   |  Supporting Families Without Bias   |  Room 8

Supporting Families Without Bias

Supporting Families Without Bias is a vanguard required training for every Hands & Voices leader and would be extremely beneficial for all professionals and parents. As individuals who are in so many ways connected to each other through deafness/Deaf and Hard of Hearing advocacy and support - professionally, parentally, or otherwise, this training is an opportunity to rally around the things that unite us and show the whole world how to honor and respect the uniqueness of every child and family and their lived experiences. During this training we will explore where does bias come from, the differences between a bias and a personal belief system, and how to effectively deliver information from your own lived experiences and expertise that will not coerce a family. Through unbiased delivery of information and support, families experience independent thought, increased sensitivity and awareness of this child-driven process, a deeper investment and ownership of their family decisions and ultimately more effective advocacy for their children.

  • Participants will be able to identify the difference between a personal belief system and a bias and the fine line of when a personal belief can become a bias if we are not careful in our communication with families.
  • Participants will be able to recognize bias when they see/hear it.
  • Participants will be able to list the benefits of providing unbiased information and support to families.

Presentation:
3353554_14998LisaKovacs.pdf

Handouts:
Handout is not Available

Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference


Presenters/Authors

Janet DesGeorges (InPerson), Hands & Voices, janet@handsandvoices.org;
Janet DesGeorges lives in Boulder, Colorado and is Executive Director of Hands & Voices Headquarters. Janet has presented to groups worldwide about the experiences of families as they journey through life with a child with deafness or hearing loss. Ms. DesGeorges received a program certificate from the MCH Public Health Leadership Institute in 2011 at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. As an EHDI Systems advocate, Janet believes in the principles and guiding philosophies of Hands & Voices towards a parent-driven, professionally-collaborative approach when supporting families in the early years. Her areas of interest include Leadership Development for parents who participate in systemic improvement; Deaf Education Reform and Improvement; Children’s Safety and Success(preventing child abuse and neglect); Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Systems; and Parent/Professional partnerships in Quality Improvement processes.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.

Lisa Kovacs (InPerson), Hands & Voices , lisakovacs@handsandvoices.org ;
Lisa Kovacs is the Director of Programs for Hands & Voices Headquarters and the Director of the Family Leadership in Language and Learning (FL3) Center. She and her husband Brian have four young adult children including her son who is hard of hearing/deaf. Lisa was the 2019 Antonio Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence recipient. Her professional interest include; Parent Advocacy; Implementation of parent participation and engagement in systems building; Parent to Parent support; Deaf Education Reform; IDEA, ESSA, Part C and Part B Training to Parents, and Parent Leadership Training and Development.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.