Fourth-annual Deaf-Blind Symposium

Brian writes: We held our fourth-annual Deaf-Blind Symposium for teachers participating in the Deaf-Blind Specialization Program at San Francisco State University (SFSU). It was a celebration of learning, sharing experiences, and of course – the children, parents, and educational teams we serve!

This year, cohort graduate Michelle Kim (a Vision Impairment Specialist with Blind Babies Foundation) welcomed the new students as well as members of past cohorts who came to share wisdom, experiences, and keep in touch with parents and people in the field.

David Brown was the keynote speaker and kept us all on the edge of our seats for a presentation of “25 Things you (Probably) Don’t Know About Deaf-Blindness” that dispelled myths and took us through changes in etiologies and understanding.

We were very happy to have a strong Parent Panel of Angelica Avila, Victoria Criswell, and Jackie Kenley as well as emcee and CDBS’ own Family Specialist Myrna Medina. They shared experiences from the point of view of parents of children with deaf-blindness, and how they navigated or were still exploring the difficulties and triumphs of ensuring the right education and support for their children.

A very special thanks to all the participants, students, parents, speakers, and presenters this year as well as California Deaf-Blind Services staff for putting it all together.