January Monthly Update
Communication Bill of Rights Updated
The Communication Bill of Rights has been updated! This third edition consolidates and simplifies the wording of the rights to make them more understandable. The Rights were developed by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC). The new version was created in response to feedback from the NJC Network, a group consisting of professionals and family members of people with severe disabilities.
Save the Dates: DB TA Network Activities
NCDB is excited to announce the following 2025 upcoming activities. Make sure to mark your calendars. More information will be coming soon.
April 2, 3 to 4:30 p.m. ET [Virtual Meeting]
June 4, 3 to 4:30 p.m. ET [Virtual Meeting]
August 4 [One-day, in-person meeting prior to the 2025 OSEP Conference]
Usher Syndrome Screener
Usher Syndrome Screener for use by the Teacher of Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing is a two-page document developed by the Texas Deafblind Project. It addresses potential signs of retinitis pigmentosa related to difficulty in low light, restricted visual fields, and balance.
Child Count Submission Window
The child count submission window opens on February 1, 2025. The submission portal can be found in the “Reporting” section of the Child Count Management page. New training materials will be emailed soon. Please contact Carlie Rhoads (crhoads@helenkeller.org) with any questions.
JVIB Issue on CVI
The December issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness (JVIB) focuses on evidence-based interventions for cerebral (also called cortical, neurologic, or brain-based) visual impairment. Visit JVIB's current issue to view the table of contents and read the guest editorial.
NCDB Support Email
Do you need help using Basecamp, finding something on NCDB’s website, accessing an article, using the OHOA modules, or finding information on a specific topic? We have staff available who can help! Don’t hesitate to contact us at support@nationaldb.org. We are usually able to respond the same day.
New Publications
If you need assistance accessing any of the items below, contact support@nationaldb.org.
Chen, D. et al. (2024). Assessing the expressive communication of young children with cerebral visual impairment and additional disabilities. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 118(6), 427–435.
Palmer, R., Lahtinen, R., & Holt, R. (2024). Beyond the fingertips: Imagining haptic technologies for a deafblind future. Medical Humanities, 50(4), 610-619
Vervloed, M.P.J. (2024). Communication for everyone: Inaugural lecture. Delivered upon acceptance of the appointment as endowed professor in augmentative and alternative communication in children with multiple disabilities at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Radboud University, The Netherlands.
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