Being a decision-maker for your own healthcare is important. Families and healthcare providers want children to become good decision-makers. For some children this takes more support, practice, and some special tools. Learning this skill should begin in childhood and continue into adulthood. The Skills and Strategies for Health Care Decision-Making guide helps families and healthcare providers support children to learn the skills they need.

The Montana Deaf-Blind Project is pleased to welcome Julie Maier, California Deafblind Services Educational Specialist, to provide an introduction to and overview of interveners. Attend this free webinar for answers to questions such as:

• What is an Intervener?
• How do they differ from paraprofessionals and interpreters?
• Why might students with deaf-blindness need an intervener?
• How do you determine that an individual student needs an intervener?
• What skills and training does someone need to be an intervener?
• Where can they learn those skills/obtain that training?
• What is the Cogswell-Macy Act and what does it have to do with intervener services?

The Rural Institute partners with the National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) to provide support to Deaf-Blind projects around the country. The Rural Institute provides technical assistance on transition from school to adult life.

For more information on the NCDB, click on the video link below.

Welcome to the National Center on Deaf-Blindness

If you would like to talk to a Rural Institute staff member about the NCDB or Rural Institute Deaf-Blind projects, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Montana Deaf-Blind Project is pleased to announce our three-part "Introduction to Deaf-Blindness" webinar series. Register now for these free opportunities to learn about dual sensory impairments from Dr. Susan M. Bashinski, a nationally-renowned expert.

Session 1, What Is Deaf-Blindness?, will introduce a functional definition of deaf-blindness, along with the key questions to be answered in order to determine if a particular learner experiences deaf-blindness. Session 2, Introduction to Vision Loss and to Hearing Loss, will examine vision loss and hearing loss independently and discuss the way in which diagnosticians describe each sensory loss.  Session 3, Unique Learning Needs and Building Structure through Routines, will discuss general characteristics of learners with Deaf-Blindness within the context of what communication partners should remember and strategies they should utilize when they meet and interact with them. 

MT OPI renewal unit credit is available.

March 24, April 7, and April 21, 2021
Event Flier and Registration Links