The field of professionals who work with students who are blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind is facing a huge shortage. The problem to be addressed is the decreasing number of experienced teachers for the blind and visually impaired. The number of teachers for the visually impaired has school districts struggling to find teachers to work with…

I was a person who identified as culturally Deaf but at the same time had progressive vision loss. I embraced my Deaf identity, but I did not embrace any inkling of identifying myself as a DeafBlind person considering the stigma associated with it. Due to that stigma, the journey of identifying as a DeafBlind person is difficult mentally,…

Introduction: This study examined the interstate variability in eligibility criteria for the disability category of deafblindness. Methods: We systematically reviewed and coded information related to the location of state data, the use of federal language in state definitions, additional eligibility criteria (i.e., disability eligibility…

Limited inquiries exist for perceptions of physical competence for people with visual impairments, since there are no specific, psychometrically tested scales. The purpose of this study was to establish the psychometric properties of the Test of Perceived Physical Competence (TPPC) for individuals with visual impairments aged 9-19 years. Methods:…

This article describes one family's journey with their child, Teresa, who was diagnosed with a mild-to-moderate hearing loss in her left ear and a condition known as hypotonia shortly after birth. Through the course of several tests and diagnoses over the years, Teresa was diagnosed as deaf-blind. After Teresa's needs outgrew what Maryland School…

To date, no evidence-based practices are identified for working with students who are deafblind (DB). No evidence-based practices have been identified for teaching basic self-help skills such as dressing. The present study examined the efficacy of an intervention package including the system of least prompts (SLP; i.e., SLP and least-to-most…

At the specific request of the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE), the Office of Support and Accountability conducted a follow-up review of the West Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB), April 27-28, 2022, to obtain specific information regarding progress the school has made in addressing the areas of noncompliance identified as…

Despite the importance of writing skill development, we know very little about how writing instruction is provided to students with visual impairments (VI) with and without co-occurring disabilities (e.g., multiple disabilities, deaf-blindness). The purpose of this study was to survey a national sample of U.S. teachers of students with visual…

Introduction: Self-determination is a highly valued but under-researched component of the expanded core curriculum for students with visual impairments. In this study, the authors present results of a literature review on self-determination for children and youths with visual impairments (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision). Method:…

This brief, co-produced by the National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) and Accessible Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Systems (ATLAS), provides important information about students with dual sensory loss who also have significant cognitive disabilities, as well as recommendations for identification and implications for instruction. The…

The Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development Institute, Early Intervention Training Center for Infants and Toddlers with Visual Impairments and Their Families, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was a national project that developed resources with the goal of building the capacity of colleges and universities to prepare personnel to…

Introduction: This study analyzed survey responses from 114 orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists regarding the content and procedures they used in completing O&M assessments. Methods: O&M specialists completed an online survey in 2020 on their assessment practices for children and youths who are visually impaired. Results: Over…

This article presents an overview of recommended practices for assessing students who are deaf/hard of hearing, visually impaired, or deafblind. These recommendations were originally derived from a systematic review of research studies, policy documents, and professional literature on assessment (1990-2013) for the Collaboration for Effective…

The National Deaf-Blind Child Count is conducted each year to supplement OSEP's Federal Part C and Part B child counts, which include children as deaf-blind only when deaf-blindness is their single disability. In contrast, the National Deaf-Blind Child Count includes children whose disability is solely deaf-blindness, as well as those who have…

In recent years, teacher trainees have seen an increase in the number of students with both vision and hearing loss. The faculty of Vanderbilt University's master's degree program in education of the deaf wrote and received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs to address the needs of these unique…