There are approximately roughly 45,000 to 50,000 individuals in the U.S who are deaf-blind. [1] According to the 2007 National Deaf-Blind Child Count, over 10,000 are children under the age of 21.[2]
The word “deaf-blindness” may seem as if a person cannot hear or see at all. The term actually describes a person who has some degree of loss in both vision and hearing. The amount of loss in either vision or hearing will vary from person to person.
Our nation’s special education law, the IDEA, defines “deaf-blindness” as:
…concomitant [simultaneous] hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness. [§300.8(c)(2)]
The National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness observes that the “key feature of deaf-blindness is that the combination of losses limits access to auditory and visual information.” [3] This can severely limit an individual’s natural opportunities to learn and communicate with others.
1 | Gallaudet University Library. (2010). American deaf-blind population. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from: http://libguides.gallaudet.edu/content.php?pid=119476&sid=1029203
2 | National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness. (2008, September). The 2007 national child count of children and youth who are deaf-blind. Retrieved February 19, 2009, from:http://www.nationaldb.org/documents/products/2007-Census-Tables.pdf
3 | National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness. (2007, November). Children who are deaf-blind. Retrieved February 19, 2009, from: http://www.nationaldb.org/documents/products/population.pdf
via http://nichcy.org
F.A.Q. about Deaf-Blindness
As answered by the American Association of Deaf-Blind
http://www.aadb.org/FAQ/faq_DeafBlindness.html
Local, State, National Deaf-Blind Resources
About the National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness
NCDB is a national technical assistance (TA) and dissemination center for children and youth who are deaf-blind. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
National Family Association for Deaf-Blind – NFADB
This national network of families provides parent to parent networking, a family listserv, training for families, and advocates and participates on the national level on behalf of families. A board of directors and an affiliate program help to direct the organizations goals and future direction.
(800) 255-0411
nfadb@aol.com
www.nfadb.org
CHARGE Syndrome Foundation
The CHARGE Syndrome Foundation is a formidable resource for families or individuals with CHARGE syndrome and the professionals who work with them. They provide parent to parent networking, organize an international conference, disseminate information and stay at the forefront of developing medical and educational information. A Board of Directors and a Director of Outreach position help to support, inform and connect families.
(855) 5CHARGE
(855) 524-2743
info@chargesyndrome.org
sheri@chargesyndrome.org
www.chargesyndrome.org
National CHARGE Support & National Usher Support
The New York Deaf-Blind Collaborative uses teleconferencing to provide support to families. Through group conference calls conducted in Spanish, families share their concerns, exchange information and strategies, resulting in increased community and support for culturally diverse families.
(718) 997 4855
Clara.berg@qc.cuny.edu
http://www.qc.cuny.edu/community/nydbc/Pages/default.aspx
Project SPARKLE
Project SPARKLE supports families by providing information and training that can be accessed in their home at any time and provides a vehicle for applying information learned directly to their children. Participation and support is provided by state deaf-blind projects and 25 states across the country are implementing the program.
(435) 797-5600
sparkle@cc.usu.edu
http://www.sparkle.usu.edu