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EHDI: Early Hearing Detection & Intervention

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Last Modified: 06/23/2023

Web Resource Guide: Checklist of Key Website Components

Web Resource Guide Checklist: Print Version

Use the website checklist to find valuable suggestions that could help to improve your State's EHDI website.

Content

Overview of State EHDI Program

  • Describe your State's EHDI Program by including:
    • Mission statement that defines "EHDI" (Early Hearing Detection and Intervention)
    • Description "1-3-6 milestones" in association with EHDI process
  • Provide information pertaining to the history of EHDI in your state, including legislative history
  • Explain the importance of infant hearing screening
  • Include contact information for your State's EHDI program
    • How to contact your State's program coordinator, address, phone numbers, e-mail
    • TTY information
    • Contact for families who speak a language other than EnglishInformation for Various Stakeholders

Information for Various Stakeholders

Families

Include relevant information for parents, guardians, and/or caregivers:

  • Explain the importance of having a child's hearing screening completed before 1 month of age
  • Describe what to do if a parent or caregiver doesn't know his/her child's newborn hearing screening results
  • Define and explain terms found in a screening result, such as "pass," "fail," "refer," or "incomplete"
  • Describe what to do if a parent or caregiver has concerns about their child's hearing
  • Explain the importance of continued hearing screenings for a child, throughout their childhood
  • Provide a way to email questions and/or provide links to access resources, pay for services, find or locate parent support groups, learn more about assistive technology
  • Provide information on where to find a pediatric audiologist
  • Provide information and resources in other languages such as: PDF's, brochures, and web content
Healthcare providers

Include relevant information for hospital workers/midwives, medical homes/primary care doctors, and audiologists/ENTs:

  • Describe the provider's role in conducting a hearing screening and following up on hearing screenings that have been completed
  • Describe how the provider reports screening results to EHDI and other reporting procedures
  • Explain how to deliver and explain hearing screening/diagnostic results to families
  • Provide referral sites for rescreening, diagnostic evaluations, and early intervention, including contact information for these services
Early Intervention (IE) Providers

Include relevant information for Part C programs, Schools for the Deaf, private therapists, and audiologists:

  • Describe the EI providers role in early hearing screening and diagnostic evaluations–how to partner with Part C
  • Describe how EI providers report results to EHDI
  • Explain the importance of audiological follow-up–how to partner with audiologists
  • Provide contact information/links for families for various agencies and pediatric audiologists in the community
  • Provide information about EI resources for children who are deaf/hard of hearing: family organizations, resource guides to help families learn about communication options, etc.

Information about the EHDI process

Screening
  • Explain why screening is important for children
  • Define screening and rescreening
  • Describe when hearing should be screened and rescreened
  • Describe who conducts screenings
  • Provide information on where to obtain a screening
Diagnosis
  • Define diagnostic evaluation
  • Describe when diagnostic evaluation is needed
  • Describe who should conduct diagnostic evaluations
  • Provide information on where to obtain diagnostic evaluation
  • Provide information about financial support for families in need of diagnostic evaluation (insurance, public programs)
Early intervention
  • Define early intervention
  • Identify who to contact (i.e. early intervention services)
  • Provide information on a variety of communication options
Audiological Intervention
  • Describe hearing devices (hearing aids, cochlear implants)
  • Explain the importance of consistent, routine monitoring of hearing devices
Family support (etc.)
  • Define family support
  • Discuss why family support is important
  • Provide information on family support organizations and other resources
Surveillance
  • Discuss the role of the state EHDI program in surveillance to ensure children are screened
  • Discuss the role of health care providers in reporting to the EHDI program

Design & Layout

Organization

  • Allow any webpage to be read without the use of style sheets and still be organized
  • Include headings that are consistent and can be identified by screen readers
  • Provide important information first with an option to learn more

Style of Presentation

  • Follow a consistent page design
  • Have sufficient color contrast between background and text
  • Provide consistency for all text elements

Navigation

  • Provide several methods to locate a web page
  • Provide a method that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links

Visual Media

  • Reflect cultural diversity for visual content
  • Use "ALT Text" for all images/graphics
  • Provide captioning and descriptive text transcripts for audio and video

Browser Compatibility

  • Function in multiple browsers

Accessibility

Keyboard Accessible

  • Allow users to navigate through the website using only the keyboard

Links

  • Provide links that make sense out of context
  • Use links that work (no broken links)

Health Literacy

  • Provide content with the appropriate reading level