2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
Award Winner/Nominee Details 2024
Sheri Farinha
I would like to nominate Sheri Farinha for the Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence. Since 2012, Sheri has worked tirelessly to ensure children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and their families receive the education and support they deserve. She was critical in launching the Language Equality & Acquisition for Deaf Kids– Kindergarten - Readiness (LEAD-K) campaign, which she co-founded. Her organization, LEAD-K Family Services, is the current recipient of the HRSA EHDI Grant in California for which Sheri is the PI. LEAD-K Family Services ensures families of newly identified babies are connected with their Part C 0-3 provider and connects families with parent mentors and deaf and hard of hearing coaches.
Sheri is also part of the national LEAD-K campaign which has been hugely successful in getting legislation passed in different states to end language deprivation of children who are DHH. This is a direct response to the alarming number of children who are DHH entering kindergarten without a language foundation in either American Sign Language or spoken English. Each state's legislation differs based on the stakeholders involved. A key to the success has been the inclusive approach towards proponents of both American Sign Language and spoken English for children who are DHH. Since California's LEAD-K law, SB 210, passed in 2015, the language development of children who are DHH, ages 0-5, is being assessed every 6 months in either ASL or English, or both. This provides families and educators with critical information on whether the child is meeting the language milestones and making age-appropriate language growth. It also provides critical information needed to improve California's Deaf education system.
Sheri Farinha is an accomplished leader, advocate, and policy maker for improving the quality of life of children who are DHH. For over 30 years as the Chief Executive Officer of NorCal Services for Deaf & Hard of Hearing, she has been actively involved in supporting families with children w. ho are DHH. Sheri was instrumental in passing the California Assembly Bill 1836, "The Deaf Children's Bill of Rights" in 1994. A product of mainstreamed education, she learned ASL and majored in Deaf Education when she attended California State University Northridge. She went on to receive her master's degree in 1984. Her leadership skills and focus on newly identified children who are DHH has greatly benefited families and California's Newborn Hearing Screening Program.