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Development of the “All Children Can Read” website began in 2006 as part of the work of the NCDB’s (National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness) Literacy Practice Partnership. This group envisioned the creation of a central location to provide information and resources to individual state deaf-blind projects, teachers, family members and related service providers interested in beginning or enhancing literacy instruction for children who have combined vision and hearing loss and children with other complex learning challenges. Following literature reviews of literacy learning for all children, children who are blind or visually impaired, children who are deaf or hearing impaired, children with multiple disabilities and children with deaf-blindness, a set of literacy indicators and corresponding strategies was developed to help guide instructional planning.

Development of the “All Children Can Read” website began in 2006 as part of the work of the NCDB’s (National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness) Literacy Practice Partnership. This group envisioned the creation of a central location to provide information and resources to individual state deaf-blind projects, teachers, family members and related service providers interested in beginning or enhancing literacy instruction for children who have combined vision and hearing loss and children with other complex learning challenges. Following literature reviews of literacy learning for all children, children who are blind or visually impaired, children who are deaf or hearing impaired, children with multiple disabilities and children with deaf-blindness, a set of literacy indicators and corresponding strategies was developed to help guide instructional planning.

The National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) is a national technical assistance and dissemination center for children and youth who are deaf-blind.

Click here to download the full brochure with schedule and registration information (PDF) What: In contrast to Family Learning Weekends, Enrichment Weekends are designed to create opportunities for students who are deaf & hard of hearing to interact with their peers, rather than providing information for parents and siblings. The theme of the weekend is “Finding Yourself” and activities are implemented to build confidence and a sense of responsibility in each participant. All school aged students are welcome; activities will be modified according to each child’s age and ability. Parents are encouraged to participate activities as appropriate. When: February 25 & 26, 2011 Where: Montana School for the Deaf and Blind Campus Great Falls, MT

Click here to download the registration form for this event (DOC) Untangling the Dots  September 23-24, 2010 MSDB campus - Great Falls Topics this year include: Direct observations of braille students reading and writing braille at MSDB Pre-braille for the young learner Pre-braille for the adventitiously blind or MIVI student Formatting using Literary braille and the Perkins braille writer Transcribing and the use of Technology Functional Braille Creating Efficient braille readers Complex braille issues Review of the Braille Bill Concept Development The Use of Braille Curricula Please return form by September 13, 2010 to: Kerri Norick 145 N. Pheasant Dr. Bozeman, MT 59718 or knorick@msdb.mt.gov

Steve Jobs also delivered a trademark "one more thing" at this year's WWDC. This time out, it was a new telephony product called FaceTime. There have already been various attempts at this, including the HTC Evo's front-facing camera and third-party video conferencing aps, but FaceTime presents the most user-friendly application of the technology. There is no set up, and it is fully integrated into the OS, making it extremely simple to use.

I want to highlight something that was touched upon in the FaceTime video shown at the WWDC. Not much been written about it, but the example shown had a powerful message to a specific community. I grew up in a home with a blind grandmother. The telephone was one of the bright spots in her life. She could not see, but she could speak and hear things like Books for the Blind, which in those days were delivered on vinyl records. She also spoke to family and friends on the phone. Those conversations were very important to her.

However, for the deaf community, the telephone has no meaning. They can't just pick up the phone and talk to friends and family. Only recently has the cell phone become an important communication tool for them—texting has been a godsend. Face-to-face, they use sign language and facial expressions to communicate. The Apple video demonstrated showed a deaf couple signing to each other from separate locations.

The goal of the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) is to ensure that every person with combined hearing and vision loss has access to modern telecommunication tools and the training necessary to use them, granting every individual the opportunity to interact with the world as an involved, contributing member of society. The program — promoted by iCanConnect — provides outreach, assessments, telecommunications technology and training free of charge to those who meet federal eligibility guidelines. For more information about the NDBEDP, including the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) consumer guide and eligibility rules, visit www.fcc.gov/NDBEDP

The goal of the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) is to ensure that every person with combined hearing and vision loss has access to modern telecommunication tools and the training necessary to use them, granting every individual the opportunity to interact with the world as an involved, contributing member of society. The program — promoted by iCanConnect — provides outreach, assessments, telecommunications technology and training free of charge to those who meet federal eligibility guidelines. For more information about the NDBEDP, including the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) consumer guide and eligibility rules, visit www.fcc.gov/NDBEDP.

A storied institution for the blind is promoting and expanding its online resources for educators across the country who teach students who have visual impairments—a move that coincides with a U.S. Department of Education directive that Braille instruction should be the default literacy medium for blind students. The 184-year-old Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Mass., which educated both deaf-blind activist and author Helen Keller and her instructor Anne Sullivan, is looking to increase use of Perkins eLearning, a collection of nearly 100 webinars, tutorials, and seminars.

Click here to download full flyer with registration information (PDF) What: The Northern Rockies Association for the Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind & Visually Impaired is holding its annual conference. Presentations include: Teaching Braille though Arts and Games ~ Jan Zollinger, Distinguished Educators of Blind Children Award, 2004 Stress and the Deaf-Blind Student: Enhancing the Work Environment ~ Robin Greenfield, Coordinator of the Idaho DeafBlind Project Using the Low Vision Assessment Effectively ~ a panel (O&M Specialist; Teacher of the Visually Impaired; etc.) Options for Driving with Optical Devices ~ Dr. Dwight Hansen, Low Vision Specialist Transition and Beyond ~ Dana Ard, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Blind Assistive Technology for Students with Multiply Impairments-Visual Impairments ~ Nora Jehn, Director of the Idaho Center for Assistive Technology Update on Accessible Technology for the Consumer (IPAD, Magnifiers, Notetaking Devices, Auditory Readers, etc.) Low Vision and Low Vision Devices American Printing House: new math and tactual graphics products Dog Guide Issues Where: Sun Valley Inn Ketchum, Idaho When: October 19-21, 2011

Accessibility — also referred to as inclusivity — is all about making the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad work for as wide a range of people as possible. That can include the very young, the very old, people brand new to computers and mobile devices, and also people with disabilities and special needs. With iOS, Apple has added features to specifically help those with visual impairments, including blindness, color blindness, and low vision, with auditory impairments including deafness in one or both ears, physical or motor skill impairments, including limited coordination or range of motion, and learning challenges, including autism and dyslexia. It also includes general features, like Siri and FaceTime which can provide significant value for the blind or the deaf. Many of these features can be found in Settings, all of them can be found on the iPhone and iPad.

LAND O' LAKES - About 155 sign language students at Sunlake High School are communicating each week with students from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine - from their classroom here. The students see and sign each other with the use of Skype technology: a computer program that enables communication through video and blog-style message blocks.

This site is intended to be an online hub for information related to literacy for students who are blind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities or deafblindness.  It includes original content, as well as links to other sites and resources available on the web.