Pedersen a part of historic International Congress on Education of the Deaf in Rome

MINOT, N.D. – For Holly Pedersen, presenting at the International Congress on Education of the Deaf wasn’t just a professional milestone; it was the product of years of dedication to education for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

“This conference has been on my professional ‘bucket list’ for quite some time,” Pedersen said. “It is only held once every five years — I had plans to attend in 2020; however, the pandemic made that impossible. So, it was wonderful to finally have the opportunity, not only to represent Minot State, but to be part of the global community in this field.”

Pedersen, Minot Staste associate professor in special education, traveled to Rome to present her research at the conference, a location holding immense meaning in the history of deaf education.

“It was definitely exciting to be there,” she said. “I’ve been a teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) for more than 30 years. The Milan Conference of 1880 is significant in our field because the membership at the time voted to ban all forms of sign language in deaf education. This movement was led by Alexander Graham Bell. Times have changed, and the field now recognizes that all forms of communication and language acquisition are valid so that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can fully participate in our society.”

While presenting at any international conference holds a certain significance, Pedersen felt the gravitas of the congress returning to Italy.

“The conference being back in Italy for the first time since the 19th century was a big deal,” Pedersen said. “The membership endorsed a joint declaration issued by three leading organizations: the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), the European Union of the Deaf (EUD), and the National Association of the Deaf in Italy (ENS). This declaration urges governments, schools, families, and the general public to recognize sign language as a basic human right and to provide full access to it for all deaf children. The President of the WFD said to us, ‘Let us ensure that no deaf child is ever again made to feel ashamed of who they are — or of the way they communicate.’”

Pedersen’s presentation, titled “Faith of Our Fathers: Exploring the Role of Faith, Spirituality and Religion as Support Among Fathers of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing,” explored a unique and often overlooked dimension of family support.

“I spent 10 years of my career working in early hearing detection and intervention, supporting families with young children ages birth to 3,” she said. “Through this work, one of my research interests became how we support fathers in the equation of family support. I’ve published some work on this topic previously, and the topic I presented on at this conference focused on the aspect of faith.”

“One of the goals in early intervention work is to assist the family in identifying natural supports — for some families, faith/spirituality/religion might be a factor that is important to them, and professionals should be aware of how to leverage that aspect for overall healthy family functioning,” Pedersen added about her research. “As recommended by Easler et al. (2025), this can be accomplished by designing family-centered services that focus on both individual father and family strengths, engaging in faith-based conversations when appropriate, and recognizing how parents’ faith can influence their sense of control over adverse situations and leverage this as a natural family support.”

Surrounded by experts from around the globe, Pedersen found inspiration in the collective passion for advancing deaf education.

“I saw several of my DHH colleagues from the U.S. and Canada there. We are a small field, so I know a lot of folks,” she said. “I also had a chance to visit with many different professionals from other countries and learn about how things work there.”

Among the many moments that stood out, one keynote in particular made a lasting impact.

“It's really hard to pick just one moment,” she said. “One of our keynote speakers was Dr. Christine Yoshinaga-Itano from Colorado. She is a legend in our field, as she was instrumental in the 1990s for providing the evidence we needed to convince the American Academy of Pediatrics that newborn hearing screening was essential for our nation. Back then, it was the norm for children who were deaf or hard of hearing not to be identified until 2-5 years old (sometimes later). Because of Dr. Christie’s work, the norm is now before six months, which has been a game-changer for children’s outcomes. Having a chance to hear her reflect on 30-plus years of change in the field was particularly impactful.”

Looking ahead, Pedersen sees a future full of opportunity and transformation for deaf education.

“So many potential changes could be happening with new advances in technology,” she said. “I think one thing that struck me was access; many Europeans speak several languages. I learned at the conference that this is now becoming mainstream for many DHH individuals as well. Learning not only their native language, but also other languages in spoken, written, and signed forms. In the U.S., we are seeing many DHH students whose families have immigrated, so they are multilingual. It presents both challenges and opportunities!”

Pederson, who has spent her career as both an educator and researcher, also shared encouragement for others who dream of presenting their work on a global stage.

“I love everything about education, both being in the classroom, directly working with students, and getting to train future teachers,” she said. “It is true that teaching can be hard; we know that every day isn’t sunshine and roses. But, I’ve never wished I had chosen something else. As an alumna, I’m grateful to MSU for the education I received, and now, as a professor, I’m grateful for the opportunity to teach and learn with others.”

For Pederson, the conference in Rome was more than an academic experience: it was a moment of reflection, connection, and renewed commitment to ensuring every deaf and hard-of-hearing child has access to the support and communication they deserve.