Commission News

New Webinar: Minnesota READ Act & Students Who Are Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing

Watch the video and stay tuned for additional related webinars

10/1/2026 3:52:39 PM

A new webinar is now available exploring the Minnesota READ Act Report for students who are Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing.

The Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Working Group brought together educators, literacy experts, state agencies, researchers, and other partners to examine how Minnesota can support equitable literacy access for students who may not fully access sound-based approaches such as phonics.

In this webinar, you’ll learn about:

The collaborative work behind the READ Act report
Key findings and recommendations from the Working Group
Considerations for supporting literacy development for students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Basic considerations for students who are DeafBlind
How this work is shaping practical guidance for educators across Minnesota
And more!

Who should watch?

Educators, literacy leaders and coaches, administrators, special education teams, related-service providers, teacher educators, researchers, policymakers, and anyone supporting students who are Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing.

Watch the newly released webinar and learn more about this important work to expand equitable literacy opportunities for Minnesota students.

And stay tuned—more webinars are coming!

Additional resources

Contributors and Credits

We would like to recognize:

Presenters Kayna Plaisted, Emily Manson, Leah Dolezal, and Danelle Gournaris
Webinar contributors Chris Bretz, Debbie Golos, Ann Mayes, and Anne Sittner Anderson
The members of the READ Act DHH DB Working Group
Interpreters Robin Babb, Yoshiko Chino, Rania Johnson, and Kaylea Longendyke
Teleprompter Operator Debbie Bretz
Teachers of Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Teachers of DeafBlind in Minnesota, students, and families
Descriptive transcript provided by Kaitlyn Mielke

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