Florida & Virgin Islands Deaf-Blind Collaborative

09/01/2026

“We may need to give our students extra opportunities to try new things in order to master them. This process is how they and we learn what they want to do and the specific supports that they need to be successful. We must extend the dignity of risk to individuals who are deafblind, giving them the chance to try something new, with the potential that they might fail. Because if our only consideration is safety, we will fail in teaching and supporting them to have rich and meaningful lives.”
– Brooke Barnhill, M.Ed., teacher of the deafblind, statewide coordinator, Idaho Special Education Support and Technical Assistance

From the latest module in the “Teaching Children Who Are Deafblind” series, “Preparing for Life After High School” https://www.nationaldb.org/products/modules/pd/preparing-for-life-after-high-school/

09/01/2026

Paths to Literacy Dolly Parton’s Literacy Legacy. For teachers, families, and others interested in literacy for children and youth with visual impairments

09/01/2026

Paths to Literacy How to Make a Hanging Little Room. For teachers, families, and others interested in literacy for children and youth with visual impairments

08/31/2026

Groups are filling up, and group meetings are starting very soon!

If you are interested in joining F2FC, please visit the website for information and the registration form. https://tinyurl.com/f2fc-deafblind

DeafBlind Family-to-Family Communities:

Each small group is guided by trained facilitators and meets once per month for 60 or 90 minutes via Zoom or phone.
Topics are chosen by the group and include structured conversation and open sharing.
Regular participation is vital to the group, and connection between meetings is encouraged!
Facilitators will contact participants in August; monthly meetings will be Sept 2026 – May 2027
Time out Together

1st Thursday at 7pm ET
Unwind from the daily hustle, connect with peers for mutual support through shared experiences, and recharge your battery with intentional self-care
Facilitators
Abby Denis & Kim Scheil

Families with Members who have Peroxisomal Disorders
3rd Monday at 8:30pm ET
Empowering families, community, advocacy, education, connection, and life balance.

Facilitators
Abby Denis, Krista Olsen, & Katie Sacra

Families with Members who have Usher Syndrome
3rd Wednesday at 8pm ET
Support for family members, making connections, and sharing resources.

Facilitators
Amanda Campbell & Nicole Nicholson

Families with Children who have Complex Needs
2nd Thursday at 7pm ET (60 min)
Health care, shared resources, education, self-care, balancing family life.

Facilitators
Kristi Arsenault, Michelle John, & Fabiola Spinks

Transition to Life after High School
3rd Monday at 8pm ET
For families of youth ages 14-22, planning for life after high school that is meaningful, purposeful, and enjoyable.
Facilitators
Diane Foster & Dawn Snow

Grandparents and Extended Family
3rd Wednesday at 7pm ET
Connect through meaningful conversations, explore family dynamics, & share practical ideas in supporting your loved ones.
Facilitators
Chris & Tony DiLeo

Dads of Deafblind Children

1st Tuesday at 8:30pm ET
Fathers connect and share their experiences raising deafblind children while balancing the rest of life.
Facilitators
Mark Helvie & Mark Potts

ASL Chat
(meeting in ASL- ideal for conversational signers)
3rd Thursday at 1pm ET (60min)
DeafBlind culture, connections, advocacy, communication, and our children.

Facilitator
Hex Lightfoot

Family-to-Family Communities

08/30/2026

Paths to Literacy Slicing Up a Session: Making Time for All Areas of the ECC - Tech, Literacy, and Everything in Between. For teachers, families, and others interested in literacy for children and youth with visual impairments

08/28/2026

08/28/2026

“None of my son’s needs are special,” Jessica Caromile says of her 12-year-old, who is blind — and she believes the late country music legend understood this, too.

08/28/2026

Paths to Literacy Creating a Shapes Book Three Ways: Tailoring Literacy for Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). For teachers, families, and others interested in literacy for children and youth with visual impairments

08/26/2026

HEARING ≠ LISTENING.

Wait…aren’t they the same thing?

Not quite!

Here’s the difference in under 30 seconds:

👂 HEARING = detecting sound.
🧠 LISTENING = paying attention to sound, processing it, and making meaning from it.

Think of it this way:

Hearing is access to sound.

Listening is what we do with that sound.

For children who are deaf or hard of hearing, developing communication skills can involve listening and spoken language, sign language, visual cues, or a combination of approaches, depending on the child and family.

So the next time someone says, “But they can hear,” remember:

Hearing is only one piece of communication. ❤️

Tag a parent, teacher, audiologist, SLP, or other professional who should see this!

08/26/2026