GVRA Hosts Successful Southeast Regional Institute of Deafness (SERID) Conference

“GVRA was delighted to host the annual Southeast Regional Institute of Deafness (SERID) conference from November 6-8 at the Westin Buckhead in Atlanta,” said Ricky Alewine, GVRA’s deaf services coordinator. “We appreciate all the professionals who were on hand to share new ideas, resources, and evidence-based research. With almost 200 attendees participating in 30 breakout sessions, I am certain our event was a success.”

To energize the crowd on opening day, GVRA Executive Director Chris Wells was onsite to welcome attendees. Following the opening address, participants spent three days immersed in educational workshops. Organizers also hosted an awards luncheon to recognize outstanding professionals who made a positive impact on the lives of deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, or late-deafened individuals over the past year.

This year’s theme was “Rising Up: Advancing Communities Together.” In keeping with that theme, educational sessions were geared toward health professionals, consumers, and educators. All sessions offered are eligible for continuing education credits. Among them were “Ethical Considerations in Transition Planning for Students who are Deaf-Blind”; “Rising Up Every Day from the Impacts of Trauma”; and “Deaf College Prep—Helping our Students Rise Up to the Challenge of Transitioning from High School to College.”

To increase stakeholder involvement in the conference, organizers facilitated a logo design competition for students at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf and the Georgia School for the Deaf. Isaiah McGee, a student at the Georgia School for the Deaf, won the design competition. The logo he created was featured in brochures, posters, agendas, and other conference materials.

During the event, attendees had an opportunity to view the film “Being Michelle.” The documentary chronicles the journey of a deaf-autistic woman in the criminal justice system. The film examines the abuse she suffered during her incarceration, highlighting the system’s failure to accommodate her needs as a person with disabilities. A message of hope is included in the film, as documentarians also focused on her healing process and the help she received from a life coach.

“SERID 2025 was a phenomenal event thanks to the teamwork exhibited by GVRA staff and professionals from other deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind organizations in Georgia,” said planning committee member Russell Fleming, who is also the agency’s deaf-blind specialist. “The committee met virtually every two weeks for 18 months. I believe the number of counselors and other personnel who flew to Georgia from across the country to attend SERID is a testament to the success of this conference,” he concluded.

GVRA will host the SERID conference again in 2033.