Montana's Deaf-Blind Project is housed at the University of Montana's Rural Institute on Disabilities.  The purpose of the project is to serve as a resource to youth who experience both a vision and hearing impairment, their families, schools and their service providers.  The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, serves youth (birth to 21) who reside in Montana.  

The Deaf Blind project can assist you by:

• Identifying resources and services your child might be eligible for;
• Connecting the child's team with resources and services;
• Locating and sharing information on deaf-blindness and successful strategies to promote communication, literacy, inclusion, transition to adult lives, or other areas of need;
• Assisting the child's team to identify and locate various assistive technology to promote access to their education, increase their communication, or promote independence and/or participation;
• Loaning technology for short-term trials through the MonTECH Assistive Technology loan program;
• Conducting training at conferences, through webinars or onsite to build capacity of service providers, school staff and families;
• Providing time-limited assistance to an educational team of a student with deaf-blindness around a particular area of need (communication, behavior, transition, inclusion, etc.);
• Mentoring of a student's team longer-term to build capacity of the team, develop or enhance the child's educational program, create a plan for the future, or solve a current issue or address an existing barrier.

Do you know a child who might qualify as Deaf-Blind?

Part of our responsibility as a state Deaf-Blind Project is to keep a statewide census of children with deaf-blindness [PDF] and share that information (anonymously) with the U.S. Department of Education annually.  Please contact Ellen Condon, Project Coordinator, for more information or to refer a student.

It's once again time for recruiting delegates and staff volunteers for the 2014 Montana Youth Leadership Forum. This year, 20 delegates will be chosen through a statewide competition that seeks students with disabilities who have leadership potential. Each applicant submits a standard form, an essay, and a letter of recommendation. The group that is selected is representative of the state in terms of geographic location, gender, economic status, ethnicity, and types of disabilities. Applications must be postmarked no later than April 4, 2014.  The conference will be held July 21-25 on the Carroll College Campus in Helena, Montana.  

Tickets to the Montana Youth Leadership Forum Murder Mystery are still available!  "Death at Dodge City" takes the stage February 8, 2014, as MYLF hosts a this fundraising event at the Lewis & Clark Fairgrounds.   There will be two offerings, one at 2:00 PM and another at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $30 per person or two for $50. Funds raised will be used to sponsor youth to attend the 2014 Forum, purchase iPads, and create a promotional video that can recruit more youth to MYLF. Tickets can be purchased by emailing June Hermanson at mylfjuneh@bresnan.net or calling 406-442-2576. 

The Rural Institute Transition and Employment Projects is pleased to announce four webinars scheduled for 2014. Interested individuals may participate from their own offices or homes, and there is no registration cost for any of the sessions. As training sessions are scheduled, invitations and registration instructions are emailed to Montana Transition Listserv members. To join the Montana Transition Listserv, go to the Transition and Employment Projects Home Page and enter your email address in the box provided.

January 14th, 1-2:30 (MST)
Systematic Instruction and Job Coaching--Part One (archived) 

February 18th, 1-2:30 (MST)
Systematic Instruction and Job Coaching--Part Two

March 18th, 1-2:30 (MDT)
Planning Your Transition from Pediatric to Adult Health Care

May 13th, 1-2:30 (MDT)
Self-Management Strategies for People to Live and Work Independently

The National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth recently posted Keep in Touch: Young People Offer Advice on Staying Connected and Living Independently, a video series in which young people share their stories and suggestions about staying connected to the people and programs that help them. Although the videos are geared toward youth who have experienced homelessness, much of the information is applicable to any young person preparing to live independently.

Transition to Community by Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome: Staying Afloat in a Sea Change by Ellen Giarelli and Kathleen Fisher (Disability and Health Journal, 6(3), 227-235) reports the findings of a study designed to examine the movement out of secondary school to independent living or higher education among young adults with Asperger syndrome. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

Job Acquisition by Urban Youth with Disabilities Transitioning from School to Work (Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 57(1), 31-45) by P.B. Gold, E.S. Fabian, and R.G. Luecking,  reports findings from an evaluation of the Marriott Foundation's Bridges from School-to-Work Program, "a national multisite intervention offering paid competitive employment to high school youth enrolled in special education programs." (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

 Differences in Service Delivery Between Transition VR Counselors and General VR Counselors (Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 57(2), 109-115) by A.J. Plotner, J.S. Trach, K.M. Oertle, and A.R. Fleming, examines the relationship between the VR counselors' primary job roles and the counselors' perceptions of the importance of, frequency of, and preparation for providing a set of transition activities. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD) for Youth published six tip sheets to help guide youth through various life transitions and challenges. Specific action steps and additional resources are included. Topics covered are:

• Becoming a Stronger Self-Advocate
• Leading Your Transition Planning
• Learning Disability History
• Getting Involved in Volunteering
• Serving on Decision-Making Boards
• Participating in Internships and Work-Based Experiences

Jill Houghton, executive director of the US Business Leadership Network, posted Career Mentoring Youth with Disabilities as a Business Strategy on Disability.Blog, the official blog of Disability.gov.