Deafness is an invisible disability that not many can understand the implications it has on an
individual’s social and emotional understanding. The diversity within the d/Deaf culture is vast
with a long history of oppression. Over 90% of babies who are born deaf are born to parents
who are hearing, which means access to language, learning, and reading can be a long,
challenging road. In this presentation, we will look at the spectrum of language approaches,
cultural diversity within deafness, history of Deaf culture, and how to best support families who
have a child with hearing loss as professionals.
Learning Objectives1. Attendees will understand the language opportunities for children who are deaf and hard
of hearing and the choices families are required to make early on in a child’s life.
2. Attendees will be able to describe the diversity within the d/Deaf culture and the role this plays
on a child’s identity as a d/Deaf individual
3. Attendees will gain information about the Hawaii deaf community, services, and how to best
support families who have children who are deaf and hard of hearing.
The evaluation/CE request form for this program can be found
HERE.
