National Family Association for DeafBlind

06/24/2026

A quick, heartfelt message to our NFADB families and professionals following tonight’s town hall.

Be on the lookout soon for a recording of all the important, meaningful information that we intended to share tonight. The work continues. 🤟

06/23/2026

Blind and low-vision fans now have a new way to experience the 2026 FIFA World Cup through haptic devices that let them feel the match in real time. As part of FIFA’s accessibility efforts, the technology brings fans closer to the action and makes the stadium experience more accessible. The devices simulate live matches, with units deployed in stadiums in Dallas, New York/New Jersey, Seattle, and Vancouver for select matches.

Read more: fifa.fans/4gfgnX8.

06/20/2026

DeafBlind Awareness Week is almost here: let’s get loud on social media! 🤟

Next week (June 25–July 1) we’re asking you to share your stories. Post about your DeafBlind family member, celebrate and honor the week, and let the world know that supportive legislation for the DeafBlind community matters.

A few important things to note:

✨ Posts never need to be fancy. A short caption and a photo is perfect. Share what your DeafBlind family member means to you, that you’re celebrating the week, or why bills like the DeafBlind Data Act and Helen Keller Education Act matter to your family.

📲 Tag your representatives in your posts and ask them to sign on to these critical pieces of legislation. (Especially the Helen Keller Education Act right now.)

Don’t forget to make sure your post is public, tag us NFADB, and use so we can see and share your posts too.

Lastly, want to share your story next week but not sure where to start or what to say? DM us by Thursday, June 25 and we’ll help you get something together. 💛

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Visual Description:

A bright yellow graphic with the NFADB logo in the upper right corner. Bold black text reads “SHARE YOUR DEAFBLIND STORY.” Below, smaller text reads: “It’s almost National DeafBlind Awareness Week: and we want to collaborate with you. Share YOUR family’s story here on social media June 25–July 1, tag us and , and let’s honor National DeafBlind Awareness Week together!” The bottom half of the graphic features a black-and-white photo of three hands clasped together, conveying tactile sign language.

06/06/2026

INCREDIBLE NEWS ALERT!!

DeafBlind students are being seen and heard in powerful ways through the introduction of The Helen Keller Education Act!

This new bill marks a meaningful step toward ensuring DeafBlind students are recognized and equipped with the resources they need!

Click the link below to read the full press release from Co-Sponsors Rep. Morgan McGarvey and Rep. Andrew Garbarino. Link to the full bill text can be found there as well.

https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-mcgarvey-and-garbarino-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-improve-education-resources-for-deafblind-children

Stay tuned for more information and next steps!

The Official U.S. Congressional website of Morgan McGarvey

05/22/2026

IDEA Part D is a lifeline for the DeafBlind community: funding the state DeafBlind projects that provide critical educational and developmental services to youth with combined hearing and vision loss.

The stakes for our families couldn’t be higher as we aim to ensure Part D stays federally funded and maintained.

The DeafBlind DATA Act would require the U.S. Census Bureau to establish an accurate, centralized count of the deafblind population for the first time. (We can better protect what we can count! 💛)

Watch as Kristi and Darlene break down why protecting IDEA Part D and passing the DeafBlind DATA Act are essential steps toward ensuring our community gets the services and support we deserve.

05/14/2026

“Self advocacy could be expressed outside of being linguistic. It could be expressed through the body in a variety of different ways.”
– Susan Bruce, Ph.D., professor emerita, Boston College, special education consultant

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/

05/12/2026

A few weeks ago, history was made! 👊

The first-ever DeafBlind Caucus meeting was held in DC! Alongside the meeting, some fierce advocates spent the week championing the DeafBlind Data Act.

Here’s a look back at that moment as and shared why the caucus matters and why data is everything for our community.

Since our visit, we’re excited to share even more representatives have signed on to the DeafBlind Data Act.

More highlights to come! 🖤

04/17/2026

As the DeafBlind Caucus held its inaugural meeting, its co-chairs came together with a shared vision. This moment marks a new era of visibility, advocacy, and leadership for our community. 🤟🏼💛 Thank you
Rep. April McClain Delaney and Rep. Morgan McGarvey for giving us all a seat at the table!

04/17/2026

Track the DeafBlind DATA Act: https://bit.ly/4tTCG8u

HR 2947 is a bipartisan bill that changes something that might surprise you: right now, the U.S. Census Bureau collects data on people who are deaf and people who are blind. However, it doesn’t collect data to count the DeafBlind community.

That means we don’t have a reliable national count of how many DeafBlind Americans there are.

No accurate count = no accurate funding, no targeted services, no real policy. This bill changes that by requiring the Census to publish that data every year. It’s a simple bill with real, meaningful impact!

We’re so grateful Rep. April McClain Delaney led the charge and sponsored this bill. Our team spent time on Capitol Hill advocating for this bill this week - and we’re excited to see Representative Wesley Bell as a new cosponsor, with (hopefully) more to come! 🤟