WHO WE ARE

Mission Statement

The New York Parent Network, a dedicated group of parents and families of people who are deaf-blind, or visually and hearing impaired, and multiply disabled, exists to provide a support network to share resources, knowledge and experiences. We advocate for the integration of our deaf-blind family members into society, and educate others about the needs of our families.

History

The organization began in 1988 when a group of parents, with children who are deaf-blind, joined together to share information and support. Our initial funding came from a grant from the New York State Technical Assistance Project, NYSTAP. New York Parent Network, Inc. has been registered in New York State as a recognized not-for-profit organization since 1992. NYPN gained IRS 501(c)(3) status in 2009, making contributions tax-deductible. Our Board of Directors continues to be parent volunteers.
The New York Parent Network is an affiliate of the National Family Association of Deaf-Blind (NFADB). NYPN works in partnership with the New York Deaf-Blind Collaborative (NYDBC), in consultation with the National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) and with support from the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC).

WHO WE SERVE

We serve families of people of all ages, who are deaf-blind, or visually and hearing impaired throughout New York State. According to NCDB, the term deaf-blind (or dual sensory loss) refers to a combination of “varying degrees of vision and hearing loss.”

The key feature of deaf-blindness is that the combination limits access to auditory and visual information. “Children with dual sensory loss require teaching methods that are different from those for children who have only hearing or vision loss. When both vision and hearing are affected, opportunities to learn, communicate, and socialize can be severely limited. More than 90% of people who are deaf-blind have additional disabilities or health problems.”
Individuals with deaf-blindness and their families face unique challenges throughout their lives. They need support to access information, resources, services, and communication technology

WHAT WE DO

Goals:

• To provide a network of supportive families with whom information and resources about deaf-blindness can be shared.
• To educate the community about how vision and hearing loss affect all aspects of the life of a deaf-blind person.
• To build effective parent-professional partnerships to better educate our children.

Activities:

• We help the families gain access to the information and resources they need.
• We educate and provide information through our newsletters and printed materials.
• We provide opportunities for families to gather, socialize, gain support, and learn through our Family Learning Experiences and Parent/Professional Conferences.
• We provide information and support through monthly focus group calls.