If you would like to update or add to the information on this page, please contact us.
General/Comprehensive Resources
See also our FAQ Page for general information about deafblindness.
What
is Transition for the Individual who is DeafBlind?
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A concise Q and A, including
the meaning of transition, basic guidelines and recommendations for
the transition process, and who is part of the transition team.
Was
There Life Before Transition?
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A brief description of the history
and meaning of “transition” in special education.
Self-Determination
for Children and Young Adults Who Are Deaf-Blind
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“Self-determination is &;the
ability of individuals to make the choices that allow them to exercise
control over their own lives, to achieve goals to which they aspire
and to acquire the skills and resources necessary to participate fully
and meaningfully in society.&;”
Enhancing
the Self-Determination of Youth and Young Adults Who are DeafBlind
E-mail Brian Abery:
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Seeks to “Enhance understanding
of the multiple factors that contribute to the self-determination of
these students; Increase knowledge of the environmental factors that
have the potential to facilitate or serve as barriers to their enhanced
self-determination; Develop and field-test a multi-component education
and support program to facilitate such children and youth taking an
age and capacity appropriate degree of personal control over their lives;
and Disseminate this information to educators, families, and persons
who are deafblind at a local, state, and national level. Funded by the
US Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS).
The
Choices for Young Adults Born DeafBlind
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focus on Great Britain, but can
be helpful to those in other countries
Sense
Publications List
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A list of factsheets and articles
related to DeafBlindness.
Youthwork
Links and Ideas &; Deaf and DeafBlind Adolescents
&;Visit website&;:
Articles and links about topics ranging from exploring
your identity and culture, to education and transition.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division &; Services and Resources
for Consumers
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“Whether you are culturally
deaf, oral deaf, late deafened, hard of hearing, deafblind, or a friend,
coworker, or family member of a person with hearing loss, you&;ve
come to the right place. Here you can find information about services
designed to meet your needs. Learn about assistive technology, sign
language interpreters, your legal rights, and more.”
Transition
PACER&;Center
National
Transition Follow-Up Study of Youth Identified as Deafblind: Parent
Perspectives
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“the first research initiative
to thoroughly explore the post-school life of youth who are deaf-blind&;
regarding communication, sensory status, mobility, health, and problem
behaviors, &;secondary school experiences, especially regarding services
and supports, work experience, and transition planning&; “
National
Center on Secondary Education and Transition
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“Headquartered at the Institute
on Community Integration, University of , the NCSET provides
technical assistance and disseminates information focused on four major
areas of national significance for youth with disabilities and their
families:
Providing students with disabilities with improved access and
success in the secondary education curriculum.
Ensuring that students achieve positive postschool results in
accessing postsecondary education, meaningful employment, independent
living and participation in all aspects of community life.
Supporting student and family participation in educational and
postschool decision making and planning.
Improving collaboration and system linkages at all levels through
the development of broad-based partnerships and networks at the
national, state, and local levels.”
TransCen,
Inc.
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“The associates at TransCen,
Inc. have developed, implemented, and researched numerous innovations
regarding school-to-adult life transition and career development for
people with disabilities.”
Tips
for Career Exploration
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How to prepare a self-analysis
profile sheet in order to consider what you have to offer a prospective
employer. From AFB CareerConect: “employment planning for people
who are blind or visually impaired.”
Transition
Planning for Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs and Disabilities:
Information for Families and Teens
&;Visit website&;:http://www.communityinclusion.org/transition/familyguide.html
“The booklet covers four major areas of adulthood:
health, education, employment and recreation.” Available online
as a PDF file.
Disabled Student Services at Public Colleges and Universities
MnSCU
Disability Services &; State Colleges and Universities
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Contact: Steve Frantz, System Director
for Student Affairs, 651-296-0672 or
Disability
Services at University of &; Crookston
Access
Center at University of &; Duluth
Disability
Services at University of &; Twin Cities
See also Websites
on Disability Issues/Topics from the University of &; Crookston.
Disability Rights
See also Disability Rights Laws on our Tools for Independence page.
IDEA/ADA
in Plain Language
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Annotated links to resources
that explain legal rights, especially in educational settings, for people
with disabilities.
Guide to Disability Rights Laws
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Includes brief summaries and
contacts for further information or to file a claim.
ADA
Home Page
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“Information and technical
assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)” from the
U.S. Department of Justice.
Support and Advocacy
State Academy for the Blind&;(MSAB)
State Academy for the Deaf&;(MSAD)
DBTeens
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“A Private Deaf-Blind Discussion
List for Teenagers and Young Adults. The purpose of this list is to
share information, inquiries, ideas and opinions about deaf-blindness
and other issues. This is a private list for teenagers and young adults.”
To subscribe: e-mail , the list owner.
DeafBlind
Pen Pals Directory &; from Sense
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“If you&;re feeling isolated
or just [want to get] to know someone, our penpals section will help.
You can search for people and then contact them electronically for a
chat.”
Zigawhat
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“a Web site for learning,
connecting, growing, coping, and fun for young people with disabilities
and their peers. Zigawhat is maintained by the folks at NICHCY.
Disability Central &; (Active Teen)
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“a dynamic site managed
by and for teens with disabilities. With start-up funding from the U.S.
Department of Education we have created a cyber hang-out for teens with
disabilities, their siblings and their friends.” Note: This page
seems to be no longer active. However, the main
Disability Central site still includes a lot of useful information.
Department of Human Rights
E-mail:
&;Visit website&;:http://www.humanrights.state.mn.us/
“a neutral state agency
that investigates charges of illegal discrimination.” Web site
includes Information about your rights in employment, housing, and other
settings, and a very extensive listing of related resources.
Disability Law Center &; Client Assistance Project
free civil legal assistance to
individuals with disabilities. Client Assistance Project advocates and
mediates for people who have grievances about services from state agencies.
Continuing
Care &; Department of Human Services: People with Disabilities
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” A primary goal of Continuing
Care is to promote independent living for people with disabilities by
funding or providing a broad range of residential care and social services
close to home communities instead of in institutionalized settings.”
For more information on services in your county, see County
Human Services Agencies.
Chemical
Health Division
Program
for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
HIV/AIDS
Programs
Mental
Health Division
Communication and Technology
Telephone Equipment Distribution (TED) Program
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Interpreter Referral Web Site
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“information about sign
language interpreters, how to use them and how to find them&; created
to help ensure that all ns are able to locate needed sign language
interpreter services”
101
Ways to Use Braille
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Easy, low-tech ways to use braille
in your daily life, even if you only know the basic braille alphabet.
Assistive
Technology
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Information about technology
for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or have a speech
or mobility impairment. Includes assistive listening devices, special
telephone technology, relay service, and the telephone equipment distribution
program. From the Department of Human Services.
Assistive
Equipment and Technology Fact Sheet
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Definitions and examples of several
types of technologies used by people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard-of-hearing.
Includes alerting devices, telecommunication devices, assistive listening
devices, and captioning. Available online in PDF
format, or in other forms for people with disabilities by calling
(651) 296-3980 Voice, or (651) 297-1506 TTY.
Effective Interaction: Communicating With and About People with Disabilities in the Workplace
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Clear advice about how to interact
with a person who has a visual, hearing, mobility, or cognitive disability.
Recreation
Camp Information for Youth and Adults Who have Vision and Hearing Loss
a state-by-state list of of camps/retreats for DeafBlind people nationally. From the Helen Keller National Center.
Recreation and Leisure Fact Sheet
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“practical information on how to get people who are deaf-blind with cognitive disabilities involved with recreational activities. The focus is on recreational activities for pre-adolescent children through adult.” Includes steps required to develop a recreational plan, examples of recreation activities with different people who are deaf-blind, extensive resource list. From DB-LINK.
E-mail Sally Prouty:
Visit website
Services for Children and Youth: Advocacy/Support, Training of Families, Info and Referral, Training of Professionals, Serve deafblind children with additional disabilities. Children Linking Families program provides “family workshops, an annual family weekend, support groups and electronic networking of families throughout .”
Notes: Also serves deafblind children/youth who have cognitive and/or physical disabilities; statewide services.
Financial Assistance
&;s
Healthcare Programs
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Description of MA, GAMC and Care:
services covered under each plan, eligibility requirements, and how
to apply.
Medical
Assistance (MA) &; &;s Medicaid Program
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“a joint federally/state-funded
[health care] program which provides necessary medical services
for low-income families, children, pregnant women, and people who
are elderly (65 or older) or have disabilities.” Eligibility
requirements, covered services, how to apply.
MA
Waivers: Home Care/Home and Community Based Services (HC/HCBS)
Waivers
General
Assistance Medical Care (GAMC)
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“pays for medical care
for some 23,300 low-income ns who don&;t qualify for Medicaid
or other state or federal health care programs.”
Care
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“a subsidized health
care program for people who live in and do not have access
to health insurance. There are no health condition barriers, but
applicants must meet income and program guidelines to qualify.”
Disability Health Options (MnDHO)
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“a program for people
with physical disabilities who are eligible for Medical Assistance
(MA). People who are eligible for both MA and Medicare may also
enroll&; Every enrollee is assigned a care coordinator who answers
questions, helps with paperwork, and helps arrange services.”
Economic
and Community Supports
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“The Department
of Human Services supervises a variety of economic assistance programs&; Most economic assistance (including welfare) programs are administered
at local county agencies.”
Child
Support Enforcement Division
Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Services Division
Food
Stamp Program
Food
Stamp Employment and Training (FSET)
General
Assistance
Family Investment Program (MFIP)
Food Assistance Program (MFAP)
Supplemental Aid
Refugee
Assistance Program
Self-Employment
Investment Development Program (SEID)
Telephone
Equipment Distribution (TED) Program
Telephone
Assistance Program (TAP)
State
Services for the Blind (SSB)
Department of Economic Security
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Regional Offices in MN: Bemidji, Brainerd,
Duluth, Hibbing, Mankato, Marshall, Moorhead, Rochester, St. Cloud,
St. Paul.
Services for Adults and Children: Equipment,
information and referral, library and transcription services, Radio
Talking Book Network, self-care assistance for seniors, transition-age
services, vocational training and referral.
Benefits
CheckUp
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“&;helps thousands of
people every day to find programs for seniors [and people of all ages
with disabilities] that may pay for some of their costs of prescription
drugs, health care, utilities, and other essential items or services.
Please fill out our simple questionnaire to find programs that can assist
you or your loved ones.&; Also available in
Spanish for residents of Colorado.
Directory
of Funding Resources for Assistive Technology in
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“information about
and national agencies and organizations that fund technology, in a format
that lets you compare programs and tells you how to get in touch with
people who can help.” From &;s STAR Program.
Post-Secondary
Financial Aid
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advice and resources for people
with disabilities seeking funding for college or vocational school.
HEATH
Resource Center
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National Clearinghouse on Postsecondary
Education for Individuals with Disabilities. Free publications about
education, selecting a college, assistive technology, scholarships,
and financial aid. Comprehensive and very informative.