VIDBE-Q Volume 67 Issue 4
community. The National Family Association for Deaf-Blind exists to empower
the voices of families with individuals who are deaf-blind and to advocate for their
unique needs.
In 2017, NFADB developed a committee, the Policy, Information, and
Education (PIE) Committee, devoted to sharing information about legislative
activities impacting our families with loved ones who are deaf-blind. Family
Advocacy Training & Education (FATE) Project trains family members who
already possess leadership skills to advocate on issues important to the deaf-blind
field and community. The family members then use their newly honed advocacy
skills to educate legislators on the needs of individuals who are deaf-blind and their
families.
In our pilot year (2021), a national advocacy agenda was developed by
family leaders representing eleven (11) family organizations from across the
United States. The Agenda broadly covers the needs of both children and adults
who are deafblind, but this article just focuses on the following language related to
interveners:
• Qualified Personnel - We suggest that qualified personnel include Teachers
of Students who are Deaf-Blind and Interveners
• Justification - For our children it's not Deaf PLUS Blind, it's Deaf TIMES
Blind, as the dual sensory loss has an exponential impact. They have very
