Alumna offers TED talk on deaf education

Jill Ellis MEd ’75 discussed hearing loss in young children at a TEDx conference focused on teaching compassion.

Ellis is the executive director and cofounder of the Center for Early Intervention on Deafness (CEID) headquartered in Berkeley. In her June 11 presentation, Ellis referred to infant hearing loss as the “invisible handicap” and discussed the services and programs offered at the CEID to help young children affected by hearing loss develop communication, social, and academic skills. Founded more than 30 years ago, the CEID organization is the only program of its type offering a full array of both home- and center-based services to children from birth to age five who are deaf or hard-of-hearing or have significant language or speech delays, all day inclusive childcare and pediatric audiology all on one site. 

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to the mission, “Ideas Worth Sharing.” The TED conference began in 1984 as a way to bring together people from three worlds: technology, entertainment, and design. Since then, its scope has expanded. The TEDx program gives communities, organizations, and individuals the opportunity to spark deep discussion and connection at the local level. Ellis presented at the TEDxGoldenGateED event in Richmond, California.

Learn more about Jill Ellis and her work in this profile from the Lewis & Clark Chronicle.