VIDBE-Q Volume 67 Issue 4
Sullivan who was trained in deafblindness and who provided Helen with clear and
consistent access to information about people and things in her environment. This
was critical to her ability to learn, communicate, develop a sense of self, and
function in the world. Just as Helen Keller received this service from Anne
Sullivan, so can children who are deafblind receive one-to-one services from
individuals with training and specialized skills in deafblindness called
interveners. Interveners are individuals who work one-to-one with children and
youth with combined vision and hearing loss, and who have training and
specialized skills in deafblindness. The role of an intervener in educational settings
is to provide access to clear and consistent sensory information, facilitate
communication and interaction, and facilitate social and emotional well-being for
children and youth who are deafblind.
According to the most current National Center on Deaf-Blindness National
Child Count (2020), there are 10,483 children and youth who are deafblind, ages
birth through 21 years, in this country. Because deafblindness is a low incidence
disability, it is not widely understood by educators and service
providers. Educators are not generally trained to serve students who are deafblind,
which results in many of these students not getting a free and appropriate public
education. The National Child Count report states, "Interveners are key players in
providing access to a child or youth who is deaf-blind. They provide access to
