For Families

Welcome to Families from the Minnesota DeafBlind Project

The Minnesota DeafBlind Project (MNDBP) believes in the importance of families learning all they can about combined hearing and vision loss (deafblindness) and how that impacts their child’s ability to learn and communicate.

Children who are identified as DeafBlind have varying types and degrees of hearing and vision loss. For example, a child might have a cortical visual impairment (CVI) and a hearing loss. Very few children are totally deaf and totally blind. Many children who are DeafBlind also have additional physical, cognitive, or medical needs. When a child has combined hearing and vision loss, they cannot compensate for missing access to the world around them. There are different strategies and approaches that can be used to help provide that access.

The MNDBP can provide support for individual families through video/phone calls and text, by sharing resources, teaching families, and fostering connections within the DeafBlind network and community. We partner with family, state, and national organizations, and other agencies to provide coordinated resources for families all across Minnesota.

Also, the MNDBP hosts fun family events that help parents and guardians to connect with other families. There is a winter party, a moms’ retreat, an annual picnic for families and interveners, and more. We also host virtual Family Learning Community meetings. This is a chance to learn about strategies, new resources, and most importantly, connect with other families.

All services are free for families. Connect with us by completing the “Register Your Child” form found below at the end of this page.