Presenters
Dr. Sanjay Gulati is a child psychiatrist who lost hearing throughout childhood, eventually becoming deaf and using ASL. His research focuses on Language Deprivation Syndrome. He is co-editor of the text, Mental Health Care of Deaf People: A Culturally Affirmative Approach. He is staff psychiatrist for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Service at Cambridge Hospital and the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, and on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Wyatte C. Hall is an Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He directs the NIH-funded Visual Language Access and Acquisition Lab, which focuses on the relationship between early childhood experiences and quality of life outcomes across the lifespan in deaf populations; his work especially examines the social epidemic of language deprivation. Dr. Hall also is director of the Language Deprivation track under the Deaf Child Resilience Center at Gallaudet University. Separately, he is co-director of the NIH-funded Future Deaf Scientists program which is a STEM internship experience for deaf high school students. Dr. Hall has over 40 publications and book chapters, has given over 150+ public and invited lectures, and is co-editor of the volume “Language Deprivation and Deaf Mental Health.”
Zaineb Abdulla is the founder and president of Deaf Defy, an international NGO providing humanitarian aid to Deaf children in refugee camps and areas of conflict. Through a medical mission model, Deaf Defy provides hearing tests, fits hearing aids and, most importantly, teaches sign language to children with little or no other access to language. To date, Deaf Defy has served over 1,000 patients in over 30 refugee camps and isolated villages across the Middle East and Africa.
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In Chicago, Zaineb works with marginalized communities, including adults with special needs, refugees, and at-risk youth, ensuring equitable access to communication, education, and advocacy. Her work is grounded in a commitment to ending language deprivation and creating sustainable, community-based systems of support for Deaf individuals worldwide.
Anna Trupiano, M.S.Ed, EIPA 4.6, NIC is a Deaf Education teacher who has 10+ years of experience working as an interpreter primarily in elementary education settings. She has taught in a wide variety of educational settings including schools for the Deaf, mainstream settings, early intervention settings, and most recently a bilingual classroom for language deprived students. She received her her AA in Sign Language Interpretation from Lansing Community College, M.S. Ed in Deaf Education from Saint Joseph's University, and is currently pursuing her Special Education Administration Certificate from Grand Valley State University.
Dr. Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who has experience working at a school for the deaf, as well as presenting and publishing on topics related to language acquisition, bilingualism, and language deprivation. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Vermont in 2010, her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Gallaudet University in 2012, and her Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology (SLPD) in 2022. She is a board-certified specialist in child language (BCS-CL) through the American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders and is co-founder of the American Board of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialists (ABDHHS).
Brandi Czechowskyj is the Program Coordinator for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Total Communication Program of Kent ISD, located in the Northview Public School District. Czechowskyj started as a resource room teacher at Northview, but has been working with DHH students for the last twelve years after returning to school for her DHH endorsement in 2013. She has worked as a DHH preschool and resource room teacher at the elementary level and is currently in her third year in her position as Program Coordinator.
Czechowskyj earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and a Master’s Degree in Special Education (LD emphasis), both from Grand Valley State University. She completed her DHH Endorsement in 2017, and is currently enrolled in the Educational Leadership Program at GVSU.
Rex Vernon is the principal at the Michigan School for the Deaf. As the child of Deaf adults, he has worked for 17 years as both a teacher and an administrator at the Michigan School for the Deaf. His work has included classroom instruction, building school/families partnerships, working with school partners across the state, and extensive work within the Deaf community. He holds an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in Special Education-Deaf Education, and a graduate degree in School Administration from Central Michigan University.
Sara Miller, M.S.Ed is the founder of Language Priority and the content creator behind the @adventuresindeafed Instagram account. She uses her business and social media platforms to raise awareness about deafness, language deprivation, sign language, accessibility, and the Deaf community. With a bachelor’s degree in Deaf Education and a master’s in Educational Leadership, Sara brings over a decade of classroom experience to her work in supporting Deaf children and their families.
As a Deaf Latina, Sara communicates using American Sign Language and spoken/written English. She currently utilizes a hearing aid and a cochlear implant which she received as an adult. After working for 13 years as a Teacher of the Deaf, she transitioned from the classroom to full-time entrepreneurship. Through Language Priority, Sara creates community-centered apparel and merchandise, teaches online ASL classes, and presents on critical topics related to deafness and language access.
Megan Ward, B.S., MA.Ed is a Deaf Education teacher with over a decade of experience. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Deaf Education from Bowling Green State University and a Master's degree from Gallaudet University, specializing in the Education of Deaf Students with Disabilities. In her current role teaching 5th and 6th grade, Megan manages a caseload of students and provides direct instruction in Bilingual Language Arts and Math. She also supports the development of content-specific knowledge by partnering with mainstream teachers and educational interpreters, blending immersive and mainstreamed education. In addition to her classroom experience, she has taken on a leadership role, supporting colleagues in developing more meaningful and compliant IEPs. Her work focuses on creating comprehensive IEPs that support Deaf students with language deprivation.
Kenya Lowe is the Director of the Division on Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. For more than two decades, she has worked to advance equity, accessibility, and language access while empowering families and uplifting underrepresented voices. As panel moderator, Kenya brings both lived experience and seasoned leadership to guide honest, meaningful dialogue on language deprivation.
Bretagne Whitford is a Deaf Associate Professor at Madonna University. She studied at Gallaudet University and earned a master’s degree in Deaf Education from RIT. Although K12 certified in Michigan with a DHH endorsement, her work has focused on higher education, curriculum development, and expanding pathways for Deaf professionals and children. An active contributor to LEAD-K efforts, she brings a broad perspective to the intersections of language access, education, and equity.
Chase Magsig is a Deaf male who grew up in a hearing family. In school, he was aided, communicated orally and learned in a mainstream setting on the Westside of Michigan near Holland. In high school, he was recruited to play baseball and football at Gallaudet University. This is where he learned ASL and where his Deaf identity flourished. After experiencing the best of both worlds, he has returned to Michigan inspired to help children like him. Currently, he works at Holland Public Schools as a Deaf Language Model with DHH students ages 3-19. In this work he supports their language development, teaches them self-advocacy skills and guides them with their DHH identity. In addition to his work at Holland, he is a baseball trainer and will start teaching ASL classes in GRCC this fall. He is married to his wife, who also teaches DHH children, and they have 3 active sons who keep them busy in their free time.
Alayna Lail is the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Communication Access Specialist of the Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing within the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. She has been with the department for ten years and still fighting for accessibility for Michiganders who identify deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Alayna is a Chicago native and identifies herself as Deaf. She currently lives in Farmington with her husband and two daughters. Alayna graduated with a Bachelor of Science & Technology in International Hospitality and Food/Travel Management from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. Alayna is passionate about advocating for people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and will continue to fight for their equality.
Teddy Dorsette III is a Black Deaf filmmaker, social entrepreneur, disability advocate, and fourth-generation Deaf Detroiter. He co-founded TeddyBoy Films & Entertainment and Def Lens Media, both dedicated to inclusive storytelling and accessible media, and also manages Dor’sette Hair Designs VIP, continuing his family’s legacy of entrepreneurship.
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Teddy has built strong relationships with state legislators and the Deaf community, helping advance major policies such as Michigan’s PA 256 LEAD-K bill, HB 4944 and 4963 (“Let My Child Hear”), and the upcoming Michigan Open Caption Bill. He serves as Vice President of the Michigan Coalition for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, President of Detroit Black Deaf Advocates, Midwestern Regional Alt for the National Black Deaf Advocates, and a council member for the MDCR Division on Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind.
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With deep DEI expertise, Teddy ensures diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility shape all his work. He is currently running for Detroit City Council At-Large to expand representation and opportunity for people with disabilities and all Detroiters.
Sebastien Ianno is a Deaf artist from Belgium, now living in Indiana. Through his self-employed, Sebi'Art, he creates LED and fire performances, juggling shows, Visual Vernacular storytelling, and interactive workshops for both children and adults. He also teaches video editing and visual arts.
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Alongside his artistic work, Sebastien serves as a Residential Dean at the Indiana School for the Deaf, supporting students from ECE to High School. Inspired by his long journey through Asia that shaped his passion, he brings bright, visual, and interactive performances that connect audiences through creative visual expression. Check out his website!
Language Deprivation Conference
