19th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 8-10, 2020 • Kansas City, MO
3/09/2020 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Discovering Our Common Ground - North Carolina's Journey | Atlanta
Discovering Our Common Ground - North Carolina's Journey
The North Carolina Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program is collaborating with the North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DSDHH) to strengthen the partnership between EHDI and the D/deaf community in our state. We examined the work of The Common Ground Project that The Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD) and OPTION Schools, Inc. have completed. Following this review, the North Carolina Common Ground Workgroup was established. In this presentation, we will provide a summary of partners included in the North Carolina Common Ground Workgroup. Through open and honest communication, we’ve discovered some misperceptions that EHDI and the D/deaf community had about each other, explored implicit and explicit bias, identified strengths and opportunities that exist in the system of care of deaf and hard of hearing children in our state, and agreed upon some shared goals and understandings. This has helped advocates for various communication, education, and cultural options to realize that our long-term goals are the same. We all are seeking to achieve the highest outcomes for all D/deaf and hard of hearing children, regardless of communication mode, educational setting or cultural preferences. In this presentation, we will share how participants were identified, processes used to facilitate open, honest, and safe communication, key components to making the group successful, and our shared goals and understandings. We will also share how we plan to expand this work beyond the initial workgroup to the broader community and how this work can be used for advocacy and policy development.
- Participants will be able to describe at least three ways EHDI programs can partner with other services/agencies for the D/deaf and hard of hearing in their states.
- Participants will be able to identify some misperceptions EHDI and the D/deaf community have regarding each other.
- Participants will be able to describe how EHDI programs and D/deaf communities working together can lead to optimal language, educational, and life outcomes for all D/deaf and hard of hearing children.
Presentation:
21060_12833MarciaFort.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Marcia Fort
(), NC DHHS, marcia.fort@dhhs.nc.gov;
Dr. Fort is the Genetics and Newborn Screening Unit Manager in the Children and Youth Branch of the North Carolina Division of Public Health and serves as the NC EHDI Coordinator. She has worked with the NC EHDI program since 2002. Dr. Fort has 32 years of experience as a pediatric audiologist in hospital, private practice, ENT office and public school settings.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Jan Withers
(), NC Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Jan.Withers@dhhs.nc.gov;
Jan Withers is the director of the Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing within the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to joining DSDHH, Withers served as the director of Student Support Services at the N.C. School for the Deaf in Morganton, N.C. She began her professional career as a mental health therapist for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children. She is a founding member and secretary on the Board of Directors for the National Association of State Agencies of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She is currently the vice president and represents the southeastern states on the Board of Directors for Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, IncMs. Withers received her master’s degree in counseling from Gallaudet University and a bachelor’s degree in art from Davidson College.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.