THE INSPIRATION BEHIND DEAFBLIND INTERVENER SERVICES, INC.
Deafblind Intervener Services was created in 2021, out of a desire to help deafblind individuals with additional disabilities. This dream would not have been possible without a remarkable deafblind young man by the name of Seung Lee.
I began working with Seung in 2013 through my job as an Instructional Aide (IA) for the deaf at Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Until meeting Seung, I had no idea how specialized deafblind individuals’ needs were, and how often their needs were not being met due to lack of knowledge and training regarding this low-incidence population.
Seung inspired me to learn about deafblind and deafblind+ individuals (those with additional disabilities) and their unique service needs. I could see there were obstacles to learning and connecting with others that Seung could not overcome on his own, and I was determined to help. I went through training, got certification, and thus began a beautiful trusting relationship at LAUSD where both Seung and I learned, grew, and blossomed.
Working with Seung through his school years and preparing for his transition to adulthood after graduating from LAUSD at age 22, I discovered new obstacles that lay ahead for him and others like him. I learned that state organizations assigned to provide support for deafblind/deafblind+ adults have no idea what is needed and, as a result, deny specialized supports, including interveners.
Interveners are crucial for these young adults as a bridge for communication, learning, and safety; including when at work, attending an adult program, or connecting with others in their communities. However, historically deafblind individuals have been denied intervener services, often resulting in neglect and ignorance of their needs which, in turn, can lead to isolation, anxiety, and a regression in skills and communication.
It is time for these individuals to be heard, understood, included, and valued. Our interveners facilitate this process, assuring that Seung and others like him – our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, neighbors and community members- have access to social and environmental information and a bridge to communication that enables their communities and the world at large to embrace them as active participants in society.
