On September 22, Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities sponsored the 10th annual Room to Grow: Journey to Cultural and Linguistic Competency Conference. The 2020 virtual event theme, “Understanding and Using Equity Approaches to Promote Health, Justice and Well-Being,” featured multiple speakers with presentations focusing on the latest research and best practices related to addressing and reducing urban inequities and socially-determined disparities in health and healthcare, especially in the d/Deaf* and hard-of-hearing community.
Presentations included “Baltimore City: Decline by Design,” by Elizabeth Nix, PhD; “Equity and Diversity, Women in Leadership and Social Justice: Next Steps,” by Rosita López, EdD; and “Deaf Health Equity and Patient Centered Care,” by Poorna Kushalnagar, PhD. Kimberly Papillon, Esq., presented the afternoon session, “The Neuroscience of Equity in Decision-Making: Addressing Disparities in Health and Healthcare.”
The conference was organized by Kennedy Krieger’s Office for Health, Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity. Harolyn M. E. Belcher, MD, MHS, a Vice President of the Institute, coordinated and moderated the event with expert assistance from the Center for Diversity in Public Health Leadership Training staff.
*Kennedy Krieger recognizes that the word “deaf” can refer to both a condition and a culture. Kennedy Krieger spells the word as “d/Deaf” to be inclusive of both hearing status and cultural identity.
