To celebrate the 2013 Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week, the National Family Association for Deaf-Blind (NFADB) has shared the following videos to raise awareness and offer information and resources for families. All of them can be found on the NFADB You Tube Channel.

In addition, the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of New Jersey (SPAN), the technical assistance center for the federally funded NY parent network partners, provided the following links for information on deaf-blindness.

The actual Deaf-Blindness: Educational Service Guidelines can be found in English and Spanish on the website of Perkins School for the Blind here. 

 A workshop on the Guidelines can be found on the SPAN website here. 

New York State has been making changes to high school graduation requirements and options.  The most common graduation options currently available to high school students are explained in this document.

On June 18, OPWDD is hosting a statewide video conference for individuals and families on self-directed service options and how it relates to their larger initiatives. The video conference will help further the understanding and importance of self-direction. This video conference will explain:

To register to attend one of the two sessions being offered, please complete the registration form at www.surveymonkey.com/s/Self_Direction_June2013_VC or call 518-473-1855. The videoconference will also be recorded and made available on the OPWDD website.

There will also be statewide conferences on the new Front Door Access to Services Information for Individuals and Families.  Please go to http://www3.opwdd.ny.gov/wp/wp_catalogy0109.jsp for more information and to register.

Parents, do you think the Department of Education's Special Education Reform is working?  Your feedback is needed. 

There will be two focus groups, one in the Bronx (in English) and one in Manhattan (in Spanish).

June 4, 2013 from 2 – 3:30 PM at the Bronx Borough President’s Office, 851 Grand Concourse, Room 916, Bronx, NY.  For more information, click here. 

June 5, 2013, from 5 – 6:30 PM at Perry and Associates, Inc., 1 Centre Street, 10th Floor,  Room 1034, New York, NY.  Click here for more information in English, and here for more information in Spanish.

If you are interested, please contact Nancy Baez at nbaez@perryandassociatesinc.com or 347-899-0728.