US National Center on Deafblindness
Who among special educators should not know about this resource?
Through a network on projects and programs, the US National Center on Deafblindness supports teachers and families of children and youths who are deafblind.1 Children who have deafblindness are a unique group of those with disabilities. Few special educators work with deafblind children (it is the category of special education with the fewest students in child counts), but those who do serve students with deafblindness have great need for information and resources about the population. The NCDB provides access to special information and relevant resources for both families and educators.
Leaders in special education, including policy makers and state or national agencies and organizations, will find valuable supplies, materials, and guidance from the NationalDB,org. Among these resources will be connections to more local assistance (e.g., state deafblind projects).
NationalDB.org also has other video resources. Find some of them on its YouTube channel.
The US NCDB is funded with support from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. I hope the center and its funding are not harmed during the changes at the US Department of Education occurring in 2025.
Other Resources
Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind (a product of the Helen Keller Services)
Perkins School for the Blind, which also provides resources about deafblindness
The American Society for Deaf Children has a page covering Deafblindness and learning
Center for Parent Information & Resources has a page devoted to Deafblindness
The Division of Visual Impairments and Deafblindness, a part of the Council for Exceptional Children, has professional resources
The US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders page on deafblindness( efers visitors to NationalDB.org
Footnote
As is often the case, terminology is important in this area of special educaiton. The National Family Association for DeafBlind provided an explanation of the term “deaf blindness”—What Does “DeafBlind” Mean?—that readers will likely find informative.