VIDBE-Q Volume 67 Issue 4
The following are samples of state advocacy efforts related to
interveners in alphabetical order.
Illinois
Michelle Clyne, Project Reach: Illinois DeafBlind Services
The Illinois Intervener for Students Who are Deaf-Blind (p. 223) approval
was accomplished through systemic efforts by the state deaf-blind project over a
number of years. A survey of Illinois educational administrators in 2013 revealed
that AWARENESS was the first step; almost 50% of respondents had not heard of
deaf-blind intervention! In the following years, the project offered free trainings
using the Open Hands, Open Access (OHOA) Modules created by the National
Center on Deaf-Blindness to paraprofessionals and educators to increase
understanding of the benefits of intervention. In 2016, a champion at the SEA
began working with the project, and modeled language for an intervener approval
after existing educational interpreter language. In 2017, as intervener candidates
began university and pilot training programs, the state approval was official.
Candidates completed programs and portfolios, and once candidates received
certificates or credentials, applied for the new Illinois approval. Illinois had its first
two officially approved Interveners for Students Who are Deaf-Blind in 2019.
For more information, visit the National Center on Deaf-Blindness website,
Increasing Recognition and Use of Interveners: Illinois.
