VIDBE-Q Volume 64 Issue 4
11
Dorinda Rife, MA, CLVT, COMS;
Dorinda Rife Consulting, LLC;
dorinda@dorindarife.com
You've heard the taglines: Babies count, they matter too! Babies
grow up to be fourth graders! The face of blindness is changing! We need
more data! What's the hype about? Let's dive into the importance of data
on our population in the field of education of young children and students
with visual impairment (VI) and in the practice as teachers of children with
VI, but more importantly how all of us have a duty to participate.
Babies Count is a national registry and was established almost 25
years ago to address the insufficient data collected on infants and toddlers
with (VI). The project's vision is to gather information about children with VI
aged 0-36 months, specifically etiology, visual functioning, coexisting
conditions, and early intervention (EI) services. The data acquired through
Babies Count have the potential to inform personnel preparation, product
development, legislation, and funding to support children with VI across
their educational lifespans.
Call to Action: The Babies Count National Registry of
Infants and Toddlers with Visual Impairment
