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VIDBE-Q Volume 63 Issue 3
valued." Another member of NFADB, Vivecca Hartman, commented, "It was energizing
to chat with people from not only other states, but other countries to talk about what's
working and what they've done to tweak a routine or daily activity plan based on other
people's experiences."
The final evening of the conference featured an awards banquet which
recognized those individuals from the North and South American continents who have
made significant lifetime contributions to the field of DeafBlindness. It was an
opportunity to honor the people who have made lifelong dedicated efforts in creating a
world with an inclusion mindset as described by George Stern. It also provided
attendees with a chance to look forward to a future in which individuals who are
DeafBlind no longer have to explain the concept of an inclusion mindset to their sighted
hearing peers. Clara Berg, president of NFADB, summed up the experience well by
sharing, "What made this conference so successful was the integration of all the
different communities within the world of deaf-blindness and the affinity among all of
them."
As the conference came to a close, I made my way to the ballroom where the
DbI dance party was already in full swing. I watched as Support Service Providers
(SSPs) provided pro-tactile cues on the backs of individuals who were DeafBlind to
keep the beat of the music for them and describe the steps to dances like the "Cupid
Shuffle". I joined in the dance with people who were DeafBlind, professionals, parents,
siblings and support staff from all walks of life and all corners of the globe to share in
the happiness that arises from connecting with one another. Witnessing the scenes of
enjoyment play out on the dance floor I was moved to reflect once more on the work of
