Deaf-Blindness in the Classroom What it means to have deaf- blindness

Deaf-Blindnessness Defined: …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.

Prevalence Rate of Deaf-Blindness 45,000-50,000 individuals nationwide have some degree of deaf-blindness according to a 2009 study According to the National Deaf-Blind Count, there are more than 10,000 people under the age of 21, who are classified with some level of deaf-blindness

Communication for the Deaf-Blind Individual deaf-blindness can vary greatly. Individuals with slight impairments might just need lips and hand signals close enough to see. Others who’s impairment is more severe may need to hold the signers hands as they go through the motions. By doing so they can feel the signs, movements and position of the sign.

Educating Deaf-Blind Students Children who develop deaf-blindness before the age of three are eligible for early intervention Early intervention helps families and the child develop vital skills. These include: physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, and most importantly self-help.

IDEA and Deaf-Blindness IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) – Required access to all students free and appropriate public education. Until the passage of IDEA deaf-blind students often had to attend state schools rather than attend the school in their area. After IDEA their right to a “free and appropriate public education” necessitated that students who were not “uneducable” could attend their local school.

Problems in Educating Deaf-Blind Individuals The number of deaf-blind students seldom is enough to warrant a public program. Given deaf- blindness’ low prevalence rates, students with deaf-blindness often get swept into special education classrooms. These rooms normally don’t have people trained in working with students with these disabilities. Thus students with generally normal cognitive abilities will be put into rooms where their expected achievement is incredibly low.

Accommodations Deaf-blind students will need the same kinds of accommodations as deaf or blind students. A deaf-blind student may need to sit closer to an interpreter or may need to have a tactile interpreter.

Accommodations A deaf-blind student will probably also need a note taker, Also students will need to have all their materials provided in a format they can read. Deaf-blind students may or may not need to be guided to their class.

Accommodations After they become proficient in independent travel, some people get a specially-trained guide dog. A guide dog does not make decisions about where to go, instead, the blind or deaf-blind person must use orientation and mobility skills to make those decisions and then give the guide dog brief commands.

Only about 10 percent of blind and visually impaired students are taught to read braille. Only 45 percent of blind adults have high school diplomas.

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