When Ashley Danto's 3-year-old daughter Isla Jade was diagnosed as deaf and hard of hearing last March, Danto was not completely sure how to navigate the new world they were entering.

Now, between scheduling cochlear implant surgery for Isla, learning American Sign Language, and advocating for her daughter's physical and educational needs, Danto is bringing together other parents and children for special deaf and hard of hearing inclusive events, like Tuesday morning's Inclusive Music Class at Rightsize Facility in Southfield.

"It's just about bringing awareness while making sure our kids have a good time," said Danto.

The Inclusive Music Class for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community was led by Lindsay Mall of the Bubble Club, a West Bloomfield based parent-child support group aimed at bringing families together through educational, sensory-conscious classes for kids.

The event was hosted by Rightsize Facility in collaboration with Michigan Hands & Voices, a parent-driven support organization for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and welcomed all children aged newborn to 6 years old with their families for a specially tailored event centered around "making sure everyone can enjoy music."

Danto, who is a business development manager at the Rightsize Facility, a nationwide furniture dealer and facility firm, said she put the event together to ensure that families and children who are deaf and hard of hearing feel the same support she felt when Isla was first diagnosed and that they know a diagnosis does not need to be a limit.

"Music is a very special thing, it connects people across all age groups, and it can and should be enjoyed by everyone," she said.

Danto said when dealing with hearing loss, inclusivity and community support are incredibly important.

"Last fall, we noticed (Isla) wasn't responding when we talked to her, and when she later didn't pass her hearing test we learned she had profound hearing loss. That was when our journey really started, and we luckily had so much support," she said.

"The deaf and hard of hearing community is really small, and I wanted to bring awareness to it. When I found out (Isla) was deaf, I really didn't know anyone else that was deaf, because if you don't have cochlear implants or hearing aids, you're in your own deaf community where you need to rely on sign language. It's rare to have an interpreter at events, so that's why I thought something like this, and especially including an interpreter, was so important."

According to the 2021 American Community Survey, 3.6% of the U.S. population, or 11 million individuals, consider themselves deaf.

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The music class featured colorful fans, rainbow parachutes, bubble machines, drums and maracas, tambourines, and dancing. The event's interpreter, Samantha Christopher, enthusiastically signed throughout the class alongside Mall, who sang familiar songs like "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "The Ants Go Marching," and even put on a puppet show for the kids

"I wanted them to see and feel the music," said Mall, founder of the Bubble Club.

Mall said when tailoring this event specifically for the deaf and hard of hearing community, she made sure that she used instruments and materials that had high vibration and would stimulate other senses besides hearing.

"For a special class like this, I wanted to make sure I incorporated lots of rainbows, vibrations, and familiar songs so that the music can be seen too," Mall said. "Music is a universal language, and it's important to me to make sure that it can also be inclusive and comfortable so that everyone wants to participate in it."

Jessica Stefanson, a board member and Danto's parent guide with Michigan Hands and Voices, and a self-proclaimed "astro-advocate" for the deaf and hard of hearing community, said the importance of a support system within the deaf and hard of hearing community can never be understated.

Parent guides at Michigan Hands and Voices have experience with a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, and get paired up with other parents of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing to provide guidance, emotional support, and anything else that a family may need when navigating doctors and schools.

Stefanson's oldest daughter is deaf, and she said community has been vital in their journey as a family.

"This event is important because we want to introduce peers at an early age so they don't feel alone, both the kids and their parents," Stefanson said. "Music is a good way to access language, and however that can be, even with sign language, we can allow the kids to access it too."

Stefanson added, "Hearing loss is a low-incidence disability, so the more access and awareness we can bring to it, the better."

Michigan's chapter of Hands and Voices is a non-profit, parent-driven organization and is available to support all families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. They can be reached at mihandsandvoices@gmail.com or called at 248-845-8762.

afayad@detroitnews.com