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Deaf-Blind project awarded grant | Kansan.com
A small collaboration of workers received national recognition for an idea that could change the lives of deaf-blind students across the country.
The Kansas Deaf-Blind Project was awarded the Steppingstones New Technology grant to measure the effectiveness of its Distance Mentorship Project, the first program of its kind. The project provides video cameras and other technology equipment for teachers, counselors, therapists, family members and other specialized educators of deaf-blind students. This allows teams to have weekly video conferences with one another to discuss progress, goals, and plans to enhance the student’s education.
“We’re trying to find a way to capture the learning that’s occurring, based on their ability to communicate and their independence,” project coordinator Megan Cote said. The use of video chat is especially useful in coordination between team members, as it makes advising available for families who live too far away to receive help on a regular basis. The grant will go in effect on Oct. 1 and will give $100,000 a year to the project for two years.
So far, staff members have focused on working with a handful of families, but the long-term goal is to spread the use of technology to reach deaf-blind teens and those who help them across the nation. There are 148 youth on the deaf-blind registry in Kansas, and hopefully the progress of this effort can be measured in a concrete way.
“It would be great if our district would adopt this technology, as well as other agencies and experts throughout the country. It would really be of huge value to teachers,” said Kristen Rudd, an advisory board member and teacher in the Blue Valley district who works with deaf-blind students.
The project should also prove useful in helping deaf-blind teens find employment.
“Sometimes, the kids are nonverbal, so they can’t go out on their own and say why they should be employed,” Cote said. The videos can show their potential vocational skills, so the employer will be more likely to hire them even if a standard interview is not possible.”
Staff members like Rudd have enjoyed their learning experience with the project and hope more people can get involved with it.
“The Kansas Deaf-Blind Project is a wealth of knowledge so I would certainly recommend that anyone wanting to learn more about this disability contact them to get more information and training,” Rudd said.
A small collaboration of workers received national recognition for an idea that could change the lives of deaf-blind students across the country.
The Kansas Deaf-Blind Project was awarded the Steppingstones New Technology grant to measure the effectiveness of its Distance Mentorship Project, the first program of its kind. The project provides video cameras and other technology equipment for teachers, counselors, therapists, family members and other specialized educators of deaf-blind students. This allows teams to have weekly video conferences with one another to discuss progress, goals, and plans to enhance the student’s education.
“We’re trying to find a way to capture the learning that’s occurring, based on their ability to communicate and their independence,” project coordinator Megan Cote said. The use of video chat is especially useful in coordination between team members, as it makes advising available for families who live too far away to receive help on a regular basis. The grant will go in effect on Oct. 1 and will give $100,000 a year to the project for two years.
So far, staff members have focused on working with a handful of families, but the long-term goal is to spread the use of technology to reach deaf-blind teens and those who help them across the nation. There are 148 youth on the deaf-blind registry in Kansas, and hopefully the progress of this effort can be measured in a concrete way.
“It would be great if our district would adopt this technology, as well as other agencies and experts throughout the country. It would really be of huge value to teachers,” said Kristen Rudd, an advisory board member and teacher in the Blue Valley district who works with deaf-blind students.
The project should also prove useful in helping deaf-blind teens find employment.
“Sometimes, the kids are nonverbal, so they can’t go out on their own and say why they should be employed,” Cote said. The videos can show their potential vocational skills, so the employer will be more likely to hire them even if a standard interview is not possible.”
Staff members like Rudd have enjoyed their learning experience with the project and hope more people can get involved with it.
“The Kansas Deaf-Blind Project is a wealth of knowledge so I would certainly recommend that anyone wanting to learn more about this disability contact them to get more information and training,” Rudd said.