What is Technical Assistance?
Technical Assistance (TA) is the delivery and implementation of services in order to empower people locally with the knowledge and skills that are needed for sustainable change. NYDBC provides TA on a variety of levels, including general resource sharing through the NYDBC website, social media, informational brochures and referral packets. TA is also delivered through hosting conferences and webinars on deafblind related content as well as through intensive, on-site coaching for committed educational teams.
Meet the Staff
The NYDBC staff is made up of the following personnel: Project Director, three Family Engagement & Outreach Coordinators, four DeafBlind Specialists, Project Assistant and Principal Investigator. Click here to meet the staff. With extensive years of collective experience in deafblindness, the core staff has a very broad range of knowledge and points of view concerning the needs of children and youth with combined hearing and vision loss.
Project Goals & Activities
During the current grant cycle (2018 – 2023), NYDBC intends to achieve the following:
- Provide TA and training on improving outcomes to personnel who serve children who are deafblind;
- Increase early identification and referral of children who are deafblind for appropriate services and supports;
- Facilitate emerging and developing literacy and numeracy for children who are deafblind by promoting access to the general education curriculum and grade-level academic content standards through the use of high-quality practices;
- Continue and expand support to children who are deafblind and their families during the transition to postsecondary education or employment;
- Increase support to families to facilitate their involvement in the education and transition opportunities for children who are deafblind;
- In collaboration with the National Center, collect information to provide a State-by-State needs assessment;
- Increase the number of certified paraprofessionals and qualified teachers within the State who have demonstrated skills to improve the educational, social, and communication outcomes and the classroom experience of children who are deafblind; and
- Increase the use of paraprofessional evaluation systems leading to increased availability of qualified paraprofessionals for children who are deafblind.
Mission & Value Statements
Value Statement
The New York DeafBlind Collaborative (NYDBC) believes that all individuals, including those who are deafblind, have the right to lead a full and rewarding life. All individuals should have access to the necessary skills and supports that provide them with the opportunity to do so.
Mission Statement
The mission of the New York DeafBlind Collaborative (NYDBC) is to achieve measurable improvements in the quality of life for deafblind children and youth throughout New York State. NYDBC will do so through the provision of needs-based technical assistance, training, and support to key agencies, personnel, and families. These initiatives will lead to an enhanced service delivery system, one providing quality, person-centered services responsive to the unique needs of children and youth who are deafblind.
Partners
NYDBC Partners
NYDBC aligns its service regions with those of the New York State Education Program, Office of Special Education, as seen on the OSE Educational Partnerships website. The state is divided into twelve different regions.
Board of Cooperative Educational Services
NYDBC works in partnership with the NYS Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) by providing technical assistance (TA) throughout the 37 BOCES regions. TA may come in the form of professional development, intensive educational team coaching, resource and material sharing, etc.
Helen Keller National Center
NYDBC works closely with Helen Keller National Center to support young adults and their families to transition from the educational environment to life after school. HKNC is a national training facility that provides comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services to adults and young adults (age 16 and above) with combined hearing and vision loss. NYDBC encourages families to register with both NYDBC and HKNC to assist in this life planning process.