Deafblind & Intervenor Studies Program (C158)

Program Description

Leadership Claims

The first Canadian college to offer a Deafblind Intervenor certificate training program.

Program Overview

George Brown College's Deafblind & Intervenor Studies (C158) program is a one-year certificate that will prepare you to work with individuals who have a combined vision and hearing loss. Significant components of this program are delivered online.

Full Description

This program now starts in September. To apply for September 2024, please visit the 2024-2025 academic year.

George Brown College's Deafblind & Intervenor Studies (C158) program prepares students to be the eyes and ears for people who are Deafblind.

Do you have a passion for helping others? Want to work in a dynamic and evolving sector? Are you creative and a good communicator? If you want to make a difference, consider becoming an intervenor and work with people who are Deafblind. 

The Deafblind & Intervenor Studies (C158) program is a one-year Ontario college certificate that will prepare you to work with individuals who have a combined vision and hearing loss. You will learn various communication methods to support individuals with deafblindness in accessing information and interacting more fully with their environment.

Deafblind & Intervenor Course Format

Most courses are delivered online with some in-person content.

  • Semester 1
    • delivered fully online
  • Semster 2
    • first seven weeks are taught in-person
    • second seven weeks includes two days of in-person placement
    • all other courses are taught online

What you will learn in the Deafblind & Intervenor Studies Program:

  • How to work with deafblind children and adults.
  • How to support individuals with complex medical needs as well as aging. 
  • American Sign Language (ASL) – a visual language that is adapted to accommodate for the vision loss of those with this dual sensory loss.
  • Alternate communication methods, professionalism, values and ethics and sighted guide.
  • How to interact with members of the Deafblind community both virtually and in-person. For those attending from outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), interactive sessions will be arranged in your community.
  • You will get hands-on experience through field practice. This may be completed across Canada in your community through George Brown College partnerships.

Essential skills of an intervenor: 

  • Strong communicator – You will be the eyes and ears for the person who has deafblindness. Clear and effective communication will be key as you will be responsible for providing them with access to visual, auditory and environmental information. 
  • Creative – In some circumstances, relaying this type of situational information and making it accessible will require creativity. 
  • Flexible – Being flexible is a key attribute as each day "on the job" will be different from the next. 
  • Trustworthy – You will play an important role in the lives of your clients, so being able to build trust easily is an important asset. 

Is the Deafblind & Intervenor Studies (C158) program right for you?

Your Field Education Options

The field placement component of this program provides the students with practical experience working directly with individuals who are Deafblind. Of the two placements we offer, one will be learning to work with consumers with congenital deafblindness and the other with acquired deafblindness.

Placements are scheduled two days per week in the second half of semester 2, for a total of 84 hours.

Students will participate in both observation and hands-on practice in each of the placements, applying the theory and technical skills they've learned to date.

Placements can be across the lifespan and can be with children, adults and/or seniors and within a variety of educational and community settings.

Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities

Career Options

Intervenors have the skills to facilitate communication with deafblind people across all aspects of day-to-day life, such as health care, law, business, education and social services.

These specialized communication tools are an asset for anyone who interacts with members of the Deafblind community.

To broaden employment prospects, combine this certificate with:

Industry

Intervenors work with Deafblind individuals (children and adults) across Canada. Graduates can find employment with:

  • organizations serving Deafblind individuals
  • educational institutions and specialized school programs
  • contracts with individuals with deafblindness
  • community residential settings

Educational Pathways

This Deafblind and Intervenor Studies (C158) certificate provides a strong foundation for entering other programs at George Brown College, including:

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