Janet DesGeorges

730 South 44 th Street
Boulder , CO 80305

Vita/Resume

Title

Executive Director, Colorado Families for Hands & Voices
Outreach Director, Hands & Voices National
Parent Advisor, Marion Downs Hearing Center
Parent Consultant, Colorado Home Intervention Program

Major Professional Interest(s)

Parent Advocacy; implementation of parent participation of systems building of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening systems; parent-to-parent support; Deaf Education Reform movement, parent advocacy in school systems; IDEA, NCLB Part C and Part B Training to Parents

Education and Training

Ventura High School Ventura , CA High School Diploma
25 th National Institute on Educating Individuals with Disabilities (April 2005)
23rd National Institute on Educating Individuals with Disabilities (April 2003)
National Early Hearing, Detection and Intervention Conference, Atlanta (Feb. 2003)
Community Resource Center : Non-Profit Leadership and Management Program ( 6: 2-day trainings 2002)
Colorado Early Childhood Institute (Oct. 2002)
National Symposium on Hearing in Infants (2002)
Wright's Law on Special Education Training (Nov. 2001)
National Symposium on Childhood Deafness (Sept. 2001)
Summer Institute for Early Intervention (2001)
The Advocacy Project: Parent Leadership Training (2000)
National Symposium on Hearing in Infants (2000)
21 st National Institute on Educating Individuals with Disabilities (2000)
Cochlear Implant Summer Institute (1999)
Parent Leadership Colorado Conference (1998)
Exceptional Parent Conference and Training (1997)

Life Experience:

Mother of three daughters; Parent of a 13-year-old daughter who is Deaf
Parent who has personally experienced and navigated the Part C and Part B systems for our child.

Honors

Advocacy Award - Developmental Disabilities Center (1998)

Research and Professional Experience:

Executive Director, Colorado Families for Hands & Voices 1999-present
Director of non-profit organization that supports families who have children with deafness or hearing loss. Duties include personnel management, newsletter editor, Statewide representation on various boards, committees and task forces.

Parent Consultant - Marion Downs Hearing Center 1997-present

Duties Include: Consultant to 19 states who are establishing Universal Newborn Hearing Screening System. Speak at National conferences on the importance of parent participation, and parent experience. State MCH Grant overseeing parent participation by regional parent consultants for families who have deaf/hh children. Liaison to Consumer and Parent activities of the Marion Downs Center . Center Board of Director member.

Outreach Director - Hands & Voices National 2000 - present

Duties include: Thought leadership to the development of state chapters of Hands & Voices. Infrastructure development; technical assistance to state chapters. Development of materials.

Vice President - Marion Downs National Hearing Center Foundation 2002 - 2004

Duties include: Fundraising for non-profit foundation to establish family centered health facility for deaf and hard of hearing children.

Parent Advisor - Colorado Home Intervention Program 1996-present

Duties Include: Statewide representative for the families in the program. Collecting and disseminating information on topics related to deafness to parents/professionals. Attend meetings as parent Advisor where policy implementation for the program is decided by administrative team.

Parent/Professional Collaborative Consultant February, 1999-2001

Duties Include: Creating partnership model in the Denver Metro and then extending in the State of Colorado with the Colorado Hearing Resource Coordinator, gathering statistical information on the newborn hearing system in Colorado .

Family Advocate - Boulder County TransAct 1996-1997

Duties include: Provide support and information to families attending an evaluation clinic for their child, assist in the development of IFSP's to assure a family-directed process. Collaborate with clinicians to make sure the process is family directed.

Director - Boulder County Spokespeople 1997 - 1998

Duties include : Representing families in Part C systems in Boulder County ; Coordinate and establish parent-to-parent support for families with children with special needs in Part C systems.

Home Daycare 1982 - 1997

Duties included: A cumulative of 13 years of caring for children. Working with and listening to parents about the needs of their children.

Selection of State and National Board Appointments

Consensus Conference Participant of Effective Interventions - 2004
Chairperson of the Hearing Aid Legislation Task Force - 2005
Funding Issues for Children Task Force - 2003
Colorado Home Intervention Program Accountability - 2002 - present
National Center for Low Incidence Disabilities - 2001 - present
Colorado Early Intervention Task Force - 1997-present
National Early Childhood Coalition for Kids who are Deaf/hh-2000 - present
Marion Downs Hearing Center Foundation Board of Directors - 2002 - present
National Distance Opportunities for Interpreter Training Center , Advisory Board 2002-present
Colorado Outreach Leadership Team - 1999-present
Deaf Education Reform Task Force - 2000- present
The Part C Natural Environments Committee - 2001
Family Advocacy Coalition - 2000
Hearing Aid Legislative Consortium - 1999 - 2002
Colorado Newborn Hearing Advisory - 1997 - present
Newborn Hearing Database Task Force - 2000 - 2001
Boulder County Part C Parent Support Advisory Board 1997 - 1999

<< Speakers Roster

<< Janet's Publications

Selected Presentations:

DesGeorges, J. (April 2005) Colorado Register of Interpreters for the Deaf, "The New Alliance "

DesGeorges, J. (April 2005) Oregon Parent Workshop, "We are Hands & Voices"

DesGeorges, J., Seaver, L. ( March 2005) Deaf Children Australia, "We are Hands & Voices" and "Supporting Families without Bias", Brisbane , Sydney , Perth , Melbourne Australia

DesGeorges, J. (June 2004) Nebraska Parent Conference. "In our Hands: Parents Creating Change

DesGeorges, J. (Nov. 2003/April 2004) Disabilities in America : Come Home to our House; University of Colorado , Boulder , Guest Lecture

DesGeorges, J. (April 2004) American Academy of Audiology; Early Hearing Detection and Intervention: Parent Perspectives

DesGeorges, J. et al. (April 2004) Genetics Videoconference: Parent Perspectives

DesGeorges, J., Seaver L (Feb - Nov 2004) Hands & Voices Two Day Basic Training for Parent Advocates - Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, New Mexico

DesGeorges, J; Seaver L (Nov 2003) Parent Consultant and Early Intervention full day training: "What do these People Want from me?" Colorado Deaf Symposium

DesGeorges J: Providing Information in an Unbiased Manner (Oct 03) National Symposium on Childhood Deafness, Sioux Falls SD

DesGeorges, J: Pediatrician's Role CDC National Teleconference (Oct 03)

DesGeorges, J: "The Child vs. the Choice" Family Learning Retreat, Minnesota School for the Deaf (June, 2003)

DesGeorges, J., Seaver L., : "In Our Hands: Parents Creating Change" Wisconsin (June, 2003)

DesGeorges, J; CDE Teacher Inservice Trainings; Parent Participation (April, 2003) Statewide regional trainings for deaf/hh professionals

DesGeorges, J; Seaver L (March, 2003) Decision Making Priorities - Hands & Voices Denver Metro Training; Denver , CO

DesGeorges, J; Seaver L ( January, 2003) Parent Consultant and Part C Provider Training, 2 days; Idaho

DesGeorges, J (August 2002) Parent Participation in IDEA; North Dakota School for the Deaf

DesGeorges, J (June, 2002) Parent Perspectives on the Journey: Listening to and Learning from Families, Keynote Presentation - Western Regional Conference on Early Intervention, Jackson , WY

DesGeorges, J. (June, 2002) Parent's Perspectives on Universal Newborn Hearing Systems - Arkansas Nurses Association Annual Meeting, Little Rock , AK

DesGeorges, J. (June, 2002) The Medical Home: Bridging the Gap Between Rhetoric and Reality - CO Screening Coordinators Annual Meeting, Denver, CO

DesGeorges, J., Gabbard, S., Stredler Brown, A., Thomson, V. (April, 2002) Colorado : A Decade of Experience - American Academy of Audiology , Philadelphia , PA

DesGeorges, J., Seaver, L. (April 2002) The Power of Parents - New Mexico CASA, Albuquerque , NM .

DesGeorges, J., (Feb. 2002) Parent/Professional Collaboration - Illinois Speech Hearing Association, Chicago IL

DesGeorges, J. (Feb. 2002) Parent Perspectives on Universal Newborn Hearing Systems - MCH/CDC Annual Conference. Washington , D.C.

DesGeorges, J. (November 2001) Community Life for Deaf/HH Children, CO Symposium on Deafness, Language and Learning, Copper Mtn. CO

DesGeorges, J. (November, 2001) Parent and Deaf/HH Community models of Leadership in Colorado, Invited Speaker, American Speech, Hearing Association New Orleans LA

DesGeorges J. , Johnson C. (September 2001) Deaf Education Reform, National Symposium on Childhood Deafness, Sioux Falls , SD

DesGeorges J., (September 2001) Deaf Child Bill of Rights, Natl. Symposium on Childhood Deafness, Sioux Falls , SD

DesGeorges, J (April, 2001) The Power of Parents in Deaf Education Reform, Western Slope Professional In-service Training, Ouray, CO

DesGeorges, J. (April, 2001) Listening to and Learning from Families - American Academy of Audiology, San Diego CA

DesGeorges J., Seaver, L. (February 2001) Advocacy for Families in the Schools - Parent Survival Symposium, Denver, CO

DesGeorges J., (January 2001) Assuring Quality Outcomes for Families - Illinois Academy of Audiology , Chicago , Illinois

DesGeorges, J. (October, 2000) Newborn Hearing Systems: Assuring Quality Outcomes for Families - International Conference on Newborn Hearing

Screening, Diagnosis and Intervention , Milan , Italy

DesGeorges J, Seaver L., (July, 2000) Have our Choices Changed? Natl. Symposium for Infant Hearing, Denver, CO

DesGeorges, J., (July 2000) Educational Excellence: The Power of Parents Texas Deaf Symposium, Houston , TX

DesGeorges, J. (April 2000) American Academy of Audiology Quality Outcomes for Families

DesGeorges J., (February 2000) Parent's Wishlist for Early Interventionists Conference for Hawaii Early Interventionists, Honolulu , HI

DesGeorges, J. (September 99) Parent Wish list for audiologists and early interventionists; The importance of parents in systems building. Presented at Annual Meeting of the Directors of Speech and Hearing for State Health and Welfare Agencies, Chicago , Ill.

DesGeorges J (April 1999) Pareents wish list for Educaitonal Audiologists. Presented at the National Educaitonal Audiologists Conference in Lake Teneva , WI

DesGeorges, J. (June 1999) Keynote Speaker: The Family's Journey. Presented at Kentucky Early Years family retreat in Danville , Kentucky .

DesGeorges J., Seaver L. (May 1999) Deaf Child Bill of Rights Presented at Colorado Familes for Hands & Voices Workshop in Denver , CO

DesGeorges J., Gabbard, S., Thomson V. (April 1999) Guidelines for infant assessment and amplification. Pressented at the Annual Meeting fot he American Academy of Audkiolgy , Miam , Florida .

DesGeorges., J ( October 1998) Educational Excellence for Deaf/hh Students Copper Mtn. CO

DesGeorges J., Stredler Brown A., Yoshinaga Itano C. , Mayne A. , (November 1998) Systems of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening ASHA Conference, San Antonio TX

DesGeorges J., Stredler Brown A., Yoshinaga Itano C., Hayes D., Arehart K. (April 1998) AAA Los Angeles , CA