Presenter: Dr. Danielle Thompson 

Workshop description: This interactive workshop supports families in nurturing a strong cultural identity and empowering Deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth through adulthood. Using a strengths-based, intersectional approach, families will explore how language, culture, race, and community shape their identity over time. Practical tools and shared reflections will help families affirm their child’s Deaf identity while honoring their whole selves.

Presenters: Dr. Victorica Monroe 

Workshop description: In this interactive session, families will explore how language access (including tactile and multilingual communication), culture, race/ethnicity, disability, and community experiences shape identity development over time. The session emphasizes that Deaf experiences are diverse and cannot be reduced to a single narrative. Special attention will be given to children whose experiences are often overlooked in Deaf Education, including DeafBlind children and Deaf youth with neurodiversity and accommodation needs across early childhood, K–12, and higher education settings.