29
VIDBE-Q Volume 63 Issue 3
Adam Graves
DeafBlind Education Specialist
Texas School for the Blind
gravesa@tsbvi.edu
On April 14-18 Deafblind International (DbI), an organization dedicated to
improving services and quality of life for individuals who are DeafBlind around the world,
held a Conference of the Americas at the Resort and Conference Center in Hyannis,
Massachusetts. The conference brought together family members, professionals,
support staff and individuals who are DeafBlind from 26 countries across North and
South America, as well as Europe and Africa. It was the largest conference on
DeafBlindness held in the Americas since the 15
th
DbI World conference in Sao Paulo,
Brazil in 2011.
Among the sponsors for the conference were Perkins School for the Blind and
The National Family Association for Deaf-Blind (NFADB). The conference was
dedicated to Dr. Jan van Dijk, who had planned on attending as one of the keynote
speakers until his unfortunate passing on January 23, 2018. Dr. van Dijk's work with
individuals who are DeafBlind has been well documented and one was keenly aware of
his influence on the field throughout the conference proceedings. Several of the keynote
Reflections on DeafBlind International Conference of the
Americas
