2. Helen Keller
(June 27, 1880 June 1, 1968)
American author, political activist, and
lecturer
First deaf-blind person to earn a
Bachelor of Arts degree.
The story of how Keller's teacher,
Annie Sullivan, broke through the
isolation imposed by a near complete
lack of language, allowing the girl to
blossom as she learned to
communicate
Keller was well traveled and was
outspoken in her opposition to war.
She campaigned for women's
suffrage, workers' rights, and
socialism, as well as many other
progressive causes.
3. Legal Definition
Simultaneous hearing and visual impairments, the
combination of which causes such severe
communication and other developmental and
educational needs that they cannot be accommodated
in special education programs solely for children with
deafness or children with blindness.
4. Stats and Facts
Affects about 45,000 to 50,000 people in the U.S.
Common for people to have some residual hearing
and/or vision
Causes:
Illness
Accident
Genetic syndrome like Usher Syndrome
Premature birth
Meningitis
Post-natal complications
5. Characteristics
Auditory impairment and visual impairment with vision
loss being the primary disability
Auditory impairment and vision impairment with
auditory impairment as the primary disability
Auditory impairment and blindness; deafness, visual
impairment, and deaf-blindness
6. Characteristics Cont’d
Congenitally Deaf-Adventitiously Blind
Congenitally Deaf-Blind
Adventitiously Deaf-Blind
Adventitiously Deaf-Congenitally Blind
Degrees
Hard of Hearing-Blind
Hard of Hearing-Visually Impaired
Deaf-Visually Impaired
Deaf-Blind
7. Challenges
Dependent on others
Communication
Navigating surroundings
Finding social, living, and employment situations
Reaction from others because of differences
8. Communication
Tactile sign language
Close-vision sign language
Writing notes in large print/ Braille
Gestures
Pictures
Lip reading
Touch cues
Ear/assistive listening device
Text file on computer disk
Audio recordings
9. Education
Early Intervention Services
Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Program of IDEA
(Part C)
Ages birth to 3
Services address developmental and learning needs
Ex: Baby Watch Early Intervention Program
Special Education
Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind (USDB)
10. Learning Strategies
Talk with student (where possible) to see what
resources they require.
Assisted Listening Devices- Small device worn by
instructor that increases volume and clarity of lecture.
Interpreter
Note takers
Tutors
Readers
11. Learning Strategies Cont’d
Handouts that are converted into students
preferred reading style (i.e. braille)
Large Print/Braille Materials or Taped Textbooks
Reading Machines
Audiovisual Materials
Oral tests, extended test time, reading machine,
better lighting and possibly test converted to braille