Resource Spotlight

Deafblind Resources from the Ohio Department of Education: This page provides links to various information, programs and resources related to students who are deafblind.

I Can Connect: iCanConnect, also known as the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, is a federal program administered locally in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Communication Safety: The site offers communication strategies listing ready for Deafblind community to communicating with others during Coronavirus Pandemic. Examples of listings of communication strategies: communicating safely in a medical environment and working with SSP (Support service providers).

Health at Home | Parent & Educator Resources: Just like you, we are trying to keep our kids healthy and active in the midst of Coronavirus-related school closures. To help all our families, we’ve set up a Google Classroom to provide you with free and easy access to several of CATCH's evidence-based health, nutrition, P.E., and home education materials. These distance learning materials include fun lessons and physical activities for kids at home and require limited space and supervision. The free health education materials are organized into three sections: Physical Activities, Activity Breaks, and Family Health and Nutrition.

Hold Everything!: This is a book outlining 20 "stay put" play space ideas for students who are deafblind.

Helen Keller Peer Learning Groups: Join former HKNC students in an ongoing dialogue to share perspectives, experiences, and to support each other during this challenging time. Examples of the support groups being offered are on Self Advocacy as a Deafblind, Ushers syndrome peer support (one for Deafblind using ASL and another one using spoken English), Savvy Shopper, TECH TIME for technology support, and Living on your own. View in ASL

Helen Keller Virtual Summer Camps: Helen Keller National Center is providing virtual summer camps for Deafblinds.

Iowa Deafblind Project: They are providing virtual camps for deafblind students and their families.

Math | Khan Academy: Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computing, history, art history, economics, and more, including K-14 and test preparation (SAT, Praxis, LSAT) content. We focus on skill mastery to help learners establish strong foundations, so there's no limit to what they can learn next!

My Physical Educator: Plenty of resources from the adaptive physical education community for all.

National Center on Deaf-Blindness: Improving services, results, and quality of life for children who are deaf-blind.

New York Deaf-Blind Collaborative Tipsheet: A tipsheet from the New York Deaf-Blind Collaborative that includes suggestions for both online and face-to-face communication.

Puberty: Disability and Sexuality: All people are sexual beings, no matter what their bodies can or cannot do physically or what type of support they may need from time to time or all of the time. It’s important for young people living with disabilities to learn about sexuality. They have the same hormones and sexual needs and desires as other people, and they can have different sexual orientations (heterosexual, bisexual, gay, asexual, etc.) and gender identities (transgender, cisgender, gender nonconforming, etc.). Young people with disabilities want the same thing everyone else wants in a relationship—respect, consent, communication and fun, which is why people regardless of their abilities need to learn about expressing romantic interest in a partner, healthy relationships, dealing with rejection and sexual health. If you are a young person with a disability, sex education can help you learn about communicating interest in a partner and healthy relationships as well as any specific concerns about what you can or cannot do in sexual situations. Talk to a parent, guardian, health care provider or other trusted adult about how you can get the sex education you need.

Tactile Communications (TC): The first of its kind: a training center run by DeafBlind people for DeafBlind people. TC is located in Monmouth, Oregon. Firmly rooted in the knowledge, experience, and expertise of our community, we are committed to maximizing the autonomy of DeafBlind people, providing necessary training in a linguistically and culturally appropriate setting. Our aim is to give DeafBlind people the tools they need to become active, productive members of society, and in doing so, improve the quality of their lives.

Transformative Deaf Education: The mission of the Transformative Deaf Education (TDE) is to promote the transformative pedagogy in Deaf Education and deaf programs from birth to high school.

Distance Education Resources | National Federation of the Blind: The National Federation of the Blind is committed to ensuring quality education for blind students, and to providing activities and lessons that are fun.

Distance Learning for DB students with proficient communication skills: This page contains resources on how to provide instruction to students with deaf-blindness during the pandemic. It specifically focuses on students who are proficient communicators. Many of the items were suggested during an April 2020 meeting of state deaf-blind personnel, as well as experts in services for students and adults who are deaf-blind, deaf/hard of hearing, or blind/visually impaired. Thanks to everyone who shared resources.

Literacy for deafblind students: This website is for deaf blind children on resources on literacy development and important part of reading into instructional strategies to improve their literacy skills. Writing, vocabulary development, comprehension, are examples of topic discussed on the website.

Educational Planning for students with cochlear implants: Geared towards professionals who work with students who use cochlear implants, this webcast discusses the knowledge and tools needed to meet the unique needs of those students. Dr. Susan Schatz and Dr. Mary Ann Kinsella-Meier, from the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, focus on factors shown in the evidence as critical to the language, academic, and social-emotional development of students using cochlear implants.

Deaf Learners: Designing Practice to Support Their Learner Variability Using a Whole Child Framework: This webinar discuss the extreme amount of variability among deaf learners- not only in their communication preferences, but also in their language development and learning needs. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for deaf students, so it is supremely important to pay attention to the specific needs of each deaf student. We will provide resources and strategies for families and educators to utilize, to best meet the needs of the students they serve. The link will take you to the Webinar on youtube and here is the link for the PPT.

Resource Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing: There are PD opportunities for professionals to increase their knowledge of working with DHH students. Currently they are offering online PD on Language reading connection, Guide for Listening Functional Evaluation, Audiology Eligibility, How to screen for Usher Syndrome, and DeafEd Express. The site looks like it s offered solely for Florida teachers but out of the state educators can take it. Resources here are also applicable to low vision/blind students.

Braille Your World, Independence in the Kitchen: This is a nice resource for parents to get ideas for how to build braille literacy for their children while also building independence navigating the kitchen in their home.