Deafblindness – A Definition

A student with deafblindness is one who has a combined loss of vision and hearing, such that neither sense can be used as a primary source for accessing information. Therefore, deafblindness is considered an information-gathering disability.

POPDB Mandate
The mandate for the Provincial Outreach Program for Students with Deafblindness is to provide support to BC teams working with K-12 students with deafblindness.

Students must be registered with a BC Education Authority and education personnel must fill out a referral for service.

Referrals

Step 1: If you suspect a student in your District may be functioning as a student with deafblindness, gather the medical documentation regarding vision and hearing.

Step 2: Contact the Coordinator of POPDB at 604-668-7810, or email at deafblind@sd38.bc.ca. The Coordinator will be able to answer any questions about the Outreach Program and get you started on filling out the referral. The Coordinator may arrange for a pre-visit to meet the student and the school team. 

Step 3: The Coordinator of POPDB will provide you with a referral form to be completed by the school district. 

Step 4: Please ensure that signatures from the parents/guardians, principal, key contact, and district administrator are on the form.

Step 5: Scan and send the completed package to: deafblind@sd38.bc.ca