June Anne LeFors
June 27, 2025
PM Session
Unspoken Emotions: Language Deprivation, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and the Power of Deaf Culture
When? June 27, 2025
1:30-4:30 pm
Where? In-Person
Crowne Plaza Hotel
4728 Constitution Ave,
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
**On-site of the 53rd Biennial Conference of the LA Association of the Deaf
Cost:
Free to LA Residents
$25 PER WORKSHOP for Out-of-State Residents
YOU MUST REGISTER FOR EACH DAY SEPARATELY
Registration will be closed 6/26/25 at 12pm
RID CEUs have been applied for
Presenter Bio:
June Ann LeFors is an instructor and the American Sign Language Studies Director at Flagler College in Saint Augustine, Florida. She is a freelance certified deaf interpreter and ASL translator in the central and northeast Florida areas. She is an appointed member of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Committee for the Florida Department of Health and serves on the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind Board of Trustees. A state-certified K12 teacher, LeFors previously worked at FSDB for 10 years in several roles, including as an ASL specialist and evaluator, preschool teacher in the Early Learning Center, and as a parent advisor in the Parent Infant Program. She earned her master's degree in deaf education/ deaf studies from Lamar University and a bachelor's in elementary education from Gallaudet University. She and her husband, Eric, a physical education teacher at FSDB, have six daughters, three of whom are deaf or hard of hearing.
Workshop Description for PM Session:
This workshop explores how language deprivation impacts emotional intelligence (EQ) in Deaf individuals and how this affects communication and behavior. Participants will learn about the emotional stages Deaf individuals may experience due to delayed language exposure, while also highlighting the strength, resilience, and cultural richness of the Deaf community.
Rooted in a Power, Privilege, and Oppression (PPO) framework, this session emphasizes understanding over guilt. The focus is on how systemic barriers affect emotional development, and how interpreters can respond with cultural awareness and empathy to support Deaf individuals in their journey of emotional growth and connection.
Workshop Objectives:
Upon successful completion of the workshop, the participant will:
1. Describe the effects of language deprivation on the emotional development (EQ) of Deaf individuals, including impacts on self-awareness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal communication.
2. Identify how audism, hearing privilege, and systemic barriers contribute to emotional and linguistic inequities experienced by Deaf people.
3. Analyze the role of interpreters in settings where language deprivation may be present, and explore strategies for interpreting with emotional sensitivity and cultural responsiveness.
4. Recognize the cultural recovery and resilience of the Deaf community in the face of systemic language and emotional deprivation.
5. Apply principles of allyship and trauma-informed practice when working with Deaf individuals who may have experienced language deprivation.
LRID is an RID-approved CMP Sponsor for continuing education activities. This program is offered for 0.3 PPO at the some content knowledge level.
Target audience: ASL/English
interpreters; both Deaf and
non-Deaf
This training will be presented in ASL. If you need Sign-to-Voice accommodations, please submit your request by
June 13, 2025 to
secretary@lrid.org