Deafblindness

When most people hear the term “deafblind,” they think of Helen Keller or someone with no vision or hearing. The term actually describes a person who has some degree of loss in both vision and hearing, which may vary from person to person. This can severely limit an individual’s natural opportunities to learn and communicate with others. Connecting with training, services, and supports as early as possible is critical to a child’s development. To learn more about deafblindness and its impact on the individual, click here.

Our nation’s special education law, the IDEA, defines “deaf-blindness” as:

…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. [§300.8(c)(2)]

According to the 2024 National Deaf-Blind Child Count, there are over 11,000 children who are deafblind under the age of 21, making this a low-incidence disability. Nearly eighty percent have additional physical, medical, or cognitive disabilities (NCDB, 2025).

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Connecting Deafblind Children and Their Families to Services

It is vital that children who are deafblind be connected to special education services. These services are available for babies and toddlers to their third birthday (Part C of IDEA) and for school-age children, including preschoolers (Part B of IDEA). The needs of families and children who are deafblind are unique. State Deafblind Projects are available and work alongside the PTIs and other agencies to improve outcomes for children who are deafblind and their families. 

The Deafblind Technical Assistance Network is comprised of the National Center on Deafblindness (NCDB) and the state deafblind projects.  Both are funded through the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to help improve the educational results and outcomes for children who are deafblind.  If you suspect a child may have a combined vision and hearing loss, it will be important to connect with your state deafblind project to determine if the child is eligible for the state deafblind child count and for deafblind services.

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Key Resources

For Families

• An Overview of Deafblindness  (PDF)
• Panorama General de La Sordoceguera  (PDF)
• Learning Resources | National Center on Deafblindness (Recursos para Familias)
• National Family Association for DeafBlind – Welcome

Resources for Birth-3

• Preparing for Transition to Preschool | National Center on Deafblindness
  • Transition to Preschool: Helpful Tips for Families (PDF)
  • Preschool Transition Planning Checklist (PDF)
• A View From Inside The Crib (PDF)
• Early Intervention for Children Who Are Deafblind | National Center on Deafblindness
• How to Engage Your Child in the Early Years | National Center on Deafblindness

Resources for School-Age 

• The Role of the Family in IEP Development
• Educational Personnel
• What is an Intervener?
  • A Family’s Guide to Interveners (PDF)
  • Intervener Services and Interveners in Educational Settings: Definition (PDF)

Resources for Transition to Adult Life

• Transition timeline: Where to start – Perkins School for the Blind (PDF)
• Transition Planning | National Center on Deafblindness
• Transition and Adult Life Success Stories | National Center on Deafblindness
• READY Tool: Readiness Evaluation of Transition to Adulthood for Deaf-Blind Youth

Resources for Educators/Administrators

• Deafblind Instructional Practices – Practice Guides
  • Building Trusting Relationships (PDF)
  • Appropriate Assessment Strategies (PDF)
  • Optimizing Availability for Learning (PDF)
  • Preparing the Learning Environment (PDF)
  • Hand-Under-Hand Technique (PDF)
  • Active Learning (PDF)
  • Supporting Communication (PDF)
• Identification of Children With Deaf-Blindness: Resources for School Administrators resource (PDF)
• Are Intervener Services Appropriate for Your Student who is Deafblind? An IEP Discussion Guide (PDF)

Training Modules

• Open Hands, Open Access Intervener: Deaf-Blind Intervener Learning Modules – An Overview (PDF)
  • Open Hands, Open Access Intervener Training Modules (OHOA)
• Teaching Children Who Are Deafblind: Professional Development for Educators Modules
• Literacy for Children Who Are Deaf-Blind: Building a Foundation Module

For Parent Center Staff

If you are an OSEP funded Parent Center staff member, there are 5 eLearning Hub Modules on deafblindness available for your viewing. Access the eLearning Hub through Hub Central. Hub Central also has information about how to further your partnership with your state deafblind project on the Circle of Expertise on Deafblindness page.

Webinar
On June 25th the National Center on Deafblindness, State Deaflbind projects, and Parent Center Network partners presented a national webinar, Deafblind isn’t just Helen Keller. Find more information about the webinar and access the recording and handouts shared during the webinar here.

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Reference:

National Center on Deafblindness. (2025). 2023 National deafblind child count report. https://www.nationaldb.org/media/doc/2023_National_Deafblind_Child_Count_Report_a .pdf 

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The CPIR is grateful to the members of the Circle of Expertise on Deafblindness, in partnership with the National Center on Deafblindness, who compiled and reviewed the information presented on this page. Their expertise, collaboration, and dedication were instrumental in creating this practical and reliable resource for families and professionals.

February, 2026