#25 DL for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing with Adam Bair

Why Distance Learning?

In this episode, the team interviews Adam Bair, a parent whose daughter participates in CILC's Community of Learning events. Adam shares his journey and the impact of distance learning on the education of his daughter Emma who is deaf. They discuss the importance of exposure to new content for children with hearing loss and the impact of using American Sign Language (ASL) on learning methods and outcomes. Adam also highlights the evolution of accessibility features in video conferencing and the funding opportunities available for accessibility initiatives. Mention is made that as people age and their hearing is reduced similar accomodation supports their continued mental health. The conversation emphasizes the power of distance learning to provide equitable access to education.

Takeaways

• Distance learning provides access to locations and experiences that may not be possible otherwise.
• ASL interpretation and accessibility features in video conferencing have improved, making distance learning more inclusive.
• Distance learning allows for exposure to new content and concepts, which is crucial for deaf children's incidental learning.
• ASL is a conceptual language that conveys ideas rather than a direct word-for-word translation. (There is also manually signed English which is word-for-word.
• Funding opportunities are available for organizations and individuals looking to support accessibility initiatives.

Episode links:

• Learn more about the resources available at the American Society for Deaf Children here: deafchildren.org/

Host links:
The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) offers free Memberships and interactive virtual learning programs and resources: cilc.org/
Tune-in to the CILC Community of Learning education series that airs every Tuesday -Friday at 1PM. Select programs have live American Sign Language (ASL Interpretation), thanks to Emma and the American Society for Deaf Children. Check out the full schedule and register for FREE here: cilc.org/community.Check out Banyan Global
Check out Learning Live virtual programs for character education at https://banyangloballearning.com/live-virtual-field-trips/.