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Workshops

Protactile Evolution
Sponsored by:
Mind Your Language

DeafBlind

.20 CEUs

(PS)

This interactive workshop explores the history, evolution, and lived experience of Protactile as an emergent language and cultural practice within the DeafBlind community. The presentation will be delivered directly in Protactile, with interpretation into ASL for audience viewership, centering tactile-first communication. Participants will engage in guided, hands-on activities translating between ASL and Protactile, offering a practical understanding of modality differences, co-presence, and embodied language. Through experiential learning, attendees will examine how Protactile shifts communication from visual-gestural to tactile-spatial frameworks, reshaping interaction, autonomy, and tactile experience. The session concludes with an open Q&A to deepen dialogue and reflection. This workshop is designed for interpreters, educators, and community members seeking to expand their understanding of DeafBlind language practices and develop foundational translative skills grounded in protactile principles

Hayley Broadway &
Rho Voight-Campbell

Hayley Broadway is an Austin-based Protactile expert, DeafBlind educator, and founder of Touch Seeds who works with families and programs nationwide. She works with Protactile Kids, and is committed to expanding early protactile opportunities for DeafBlind children. She enjoys traveling, writing, and spending time with her family.

Rhonda Voight-Campbell has been teaching DeafBlind and Protactile Studies courses at the Rochester Institute of Technology for over nine years. A dedicated mentor and advocate, she works closely with the DeafBlind community across diverse settings, including retreats, direct training sessions, and online listservs. In addition to her teaching, Rhonda serves as a Protactile Expert for the Protactile Kids Research Study at Gallaudet University, where she engages DeafBlind children in interactive play sessions to support research on Protactile language acquisition. Driven by a deep belief in the inclusion and autonomy of DeafBlind individuals, Rhonda creates spaces that celebrate and cultivate the sense of touch through Protactile plays, storytelling, and rich, embodied experiences.

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