2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/10/2025 | 11:25 AM - 11:55 AM | You Are The Father!: Engaging Fathers in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community | 306/307
You Are The Father!: Engaging Fathers in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community
Fathers play a critical yet often overlooked role in the development and support of children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH). However, many programs and outreach efforts tend to focus more on mothers, leaving a gap in fatherhood engagement. This session will explore the significance of involving fathers in all aspects of care, education, and community-building for DHH children.
We will focus on the following key areas:
- The unique challenges and opportunities in engaging fathers within the DHH community, including addressing cultural norms and overcoming barriers to involvement.
- Developing programming that is father-friendly and inclusive, ensuring that services and events are designed to welcome and encourage male caregivers.
- Best practices for marketing outreach, ensuring that materials appeal to and reflect the needs of fathers, using gender-neutral or inclusive language and imagery.
- Insights into fostering stronger parent-child connections, focusing on communication modes (ASL, spoken language) that fathers can use to build meaningful relationships with their DHH children.
This session will provide practical strategies and actionable steps for professionals to engage fathers more effectively, ensuring that all family members are included in their child’s journey. By fostering greater father involvement, the DHH community can build a more supportive, holistic environment for children and families alike.
- Discuss the unique challenges and opportunities in engaging fathers
- Provide insights into fostering stronger parent-child connections that fathers can use to build meaningful relationships
- Develop programming that is father-friendly and inclusive.
Presentation:
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Handouts:
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Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Rashaun Davis
(Primary Presenter), Hands & Voices HQ; RCharles Davis Consulting, drrashaundavis@gmail.com;
Dr. Rashaun Davis is a 21st Century Advocate, Educator, and Strategist specializing in helping others maximize their potential to maximize impact. A Multifaceted, and goal oriented professional with a passion for equity, Dr. Davis possesses over 20 years of experience working in training and development and leadership roles with varied populations. Dr. Davis considers himself self-motivated, and an energetic problem solver that places emphasis on inclusion, a drive for results, and leveraging innovation.
These acquired skill were obtained at an early age while growing up in Trenton, NJ and garnered while gaining his undergraduate degree at University of Delaware and post graduate degrees from New Brunswick Theological Seminary and United Theological Seminary. The acquired passion was focused and unleashed when his daughter was born with hearing loss. Dr. Davis and his wife swiftly embraced their roles as advocates and passionately pursued avenues that would develop their daughter into the most productive, self-aware and confident child possible. Dr. Davis is married to his wife of 19 years Tyheshia, and parent to Jyare and Maddison Davis.
Dr. Davis’s affiliations and appointments include former board member of the Parent Information Center of Delaware, an organization that educates, informs, and advocates for families of children with special needs. Governor appointment to the state of Delaware Early Hearing and Detective Intervention (EHDI), Delaware Hands and Voices advisory board member, Fostering Joy Core Team Member, and Omega Psi Fraternity, Inc. This commitment to advocacy is driven by the philosophy that accessibility is only beneficial if it is accessible to all.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.