Who HKNC serves


WHO WE SERVE updates: last modified 06/02/2008

WHO WE SERVE

updates: last modified 06/02/2008

THIS IS THE MAIN PAGE OF "WHO WE SERVE" IN "ABOUT US"

The term "deaf-blind" refers to individuals with a combined hearing and vision loss. Some individuals are profoundly deaf and totally blind, as was our namesake Helen Keller. Others have various degrees of hearing and vision loss.

The Helen Keller National Center serves adults who are deaf-blind according to the definition of deaf-blindness written in The Helen Keller Act - US CODE, TITLE 29 – LABOR, CHAPTER 21 - Sec. 1905. CLICK HERE to read the official definition.

HKNC maintains a national registry of people who are deaf-blind. Using this registry, we try to determine the number of people who are deaf-blind in the United States. The registry currently has about 11,000 people listed. Estimates of the number of Americans who are deaf-blind range from a very conservative of 40-70,000 to a high of more than a million and a quarter people (Sansing, 2006) when we include adults who have lost their vision and hearing due to aging, including Baby Boomers.

Statistical information is important to collect in order to share it with the medical community, service providers, teacher training programs, interpreter training programs, and funding sources, including local, state and federal government. If you would like to register yourself or someone who is deaf-blind, please CLICK HERE or contact your regional representative for more information.

Click the links below for more information about deaf-blindness:

Guidelines for Interacting with a Person Who is Deaf-Blind - CLICK HERE FOR PDF format; CLICK HERE FOR TEXT version

Who are "the deaf-blind?"

Usher syndrome

Congenital rubella syndrome

CHARGE syndrome

Prematurity

Age related hearing and vision loss

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For more information, contact:

Information Services

E-mail: hkncinfo@hknc.org