George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
An innovative and in-demand program emerging at George Brown Polytechnic provides a path to meaningful employment working with individuals who are deafblind.
Next spring, the School of Deaf & Deafblind Studies will launch Deafblind & Intervenor Studies, a one-year certificate program that prepares students to support those who have combined hearing and vision loss. As the only program of its kind in Canada, it will respond to the growing need for skilled professionals to help members of this underserved community navigate their daily lives.
“Our goal is to train individuals in communication methods to support individuals with deafblindness to access the world as much as possible and advocate for themselves across all domains—health care, law, business, education and social services,” says Zeenat Janmohamed, academic chair, School of Deaf and Deafblind Studies. “We are anticipating to fill a need that is on the rise across the country.”
In the first semester, which will take place online, participants will learn the difference between congenital and acquired deafblindness, and communication strategies for both. They will also become familiar with American Sign Language (ASL) and gain an understanding of human development and sensory systems.
These competencies will be further developed in the second semester, which will take place partly online, and partly in class at the St. James Campus. Other topics will include the impacts of health and aging on deafblindness, accessibility and program planning.
The second semester will also include a work-integrated learning opportunity that will take place two days per week, with an equal split between working with congenital and acquired deafblind populations. Field placements may take place at hospitals, educational settings or at social service organizations such as the CNIB, the Canadian Helen Keller Institute, and the Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf.
“This hands-on practice will be important, because it will illuminate the particular communication abilities and complex needs of these two distinct populations, and how the role of intervenor really differs for each,” says program co-ordinator and professor Cheryl Ramey.
Ramey, who has worked and volunteered in the deafblindness field for 34 years, notes the field is ideal for those who are creative, flexible, trustworthy and strong communicators.
The program’s partially virtual format makes it accessible to students across Canada. Students will build fundamental skills in a concise timeframe, and learn from instructors with experience the field, including some who are themselves deafblind. Once in the workforce, graduates will enjoy getting to make a direct and significant difference in the quality of life of deafblind people.
“This program reflects George Brown’s commitment to offering educational opportunities that lead to rewarding work that address human rights and social justice issues,” Janmohamed says.