2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/16/2026 | 3:10 PM - 3:40 PM | Ensuring Access: Georgia’s Birth-to-Literacy Blueprint | City Terrace 11
Ensuring Access: Georgia’s Birth-to-Literacy Blueprint
Georgia’s Birth-to-Literacy Blueprint offers a strategic, statewide approach to ensuring that children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) are supported from the moment of identification through literacy by third grade. At the heart of this effort is systems change: intentionally expanding access for vulnerable families and building structures that deliver measurable improvements in language and literacy outcomes.
This session will share how Georgia leverages creative funding, innovative program design, and cross-agency partnerships to build sustainable solutions for persistent challenges in our EHDI system. Through the Blueprint, state and local agencies work together to align resources, use data to guide decisions, and create systemic supports that help families navigate the journey from birth to literacy. These initiatives guide families through key milestones such as screening, audiologic diagnostic evaluation, early intervention, and school-based services to help maximize educational outcomes.
We will also highlight a pivotal moment in Georgia’s history when ASL and LSL communities came together at a state-wide collaborative planning session called Georgia Pathway. That spirit of collaboration—choosing literacy as the unifying goal—has shaped broader partnerships that continue to strengthen the system today. By focusing on literacy outcomes rather than modality, Georgia has aligned its diverse resources toward the shared vision of every child entering school ready to read, learn, and thrive.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies to apply in their own states and communities: from designing systems-change initiatives, to leveraging partnerships and funding creatively, to aligning language resources across ASL, LSL, and bilingual approaches. Most importantly, participants will see how innovation and collaboration—anchored in literacy—can transform opportunities for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
- Participants will understand how Georgia’s Birth-to-Literacy Blueprint and systems-change strategy expand access for vulnerable families and strengthen statewide supports for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
- Participants will learn how cross-agency partnerships, creative funding strategies, and data-driven planning strengthen statewide supports for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
- Participants will explore how focusing on literacy as the unifying goal—across ASL, LSL, and bilingual approaches—aligns resources and improves opportunities for every child.
Presentation:
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Presenters/Authors
Jessica Bergeron
(Primary Presenter), Georgia DOE Outreach Services , Jessica.Bergeron@doe.k12.ga.us;
Jessica Bergeron, Ph.D., is Director of Georgia’s Outreach Services, where she leads statewide systems-change efforts to improve outcomes for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and children who are Blind and Visually Impaired. She led the Georgia Pathway’s effort to create the Georgia’s Birth-to-Literacy Blueprint, which leverages partnerships, innovative funding, and data-driven planning to strengthen supports for families. In recognition of her leadership, she received the 2025 Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence.
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.
Kimberly Williams
(Co-Presenter), Georgia DOE Outreach Services , Kimberly.Williams@doe.k12.ga.us;
With over 20 years in Deaf Education and five years in Early Intervention, Kimberly brings extensive experience supporting children with hearing and/or vision loss and their families. She holds degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Deaf Education, along with certifications in Early Intervention Studies and Educational Leadership.
Driven by a passion for early intervention as a foundation for lifelong learning, Kimberly has led statewide initiatives through Georgia PINES, Georgia Outreach Services, and key partnerships. As Assistant Director of Outreach Services, she focuses on strengthening service delivery, advancing professional learning, and empowering families through reflective, strengths-based practices.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Georgia Department of Education.
Nature: Employer.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Christine Spratling
(Co-Presenter), Georgia DOE Outreach Services , Christine.Spratling@doe.k12.ga.us;
Christine Spratling is the Program Manager for early intervention services and family education for families with children who are blind or visually impaired and/or Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Her work focuses specifically on children with additional disabilities, including deafblindness.
With over 25 years of experience in Deaf Education and special education, Christine brings a deep well of knowledge and experience to her role. Her involvement in early intervention for infants who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing began in 1989, which sparked a lifelong passion for this vital work.
Additionally, Christine spent seven years as an education specialist for the Georgia Deafblind Project (GSAP), where she provided technical assistance to teachers and families across Georgia.
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.