The Canadian Deafblind Association does fundraising every year to provide a program for children’s intervenor services.  The application for funding generally opens in the spring of each year.  The funding is mainly to support the use of intervenors (trained individuals who support those with dual vision and hearing impairments) outside of school hours. 

Side note: If your child has both a hearing and visual impairment (including cortical impairments), request a functional deafblind assessment through their school.  This formal identification will ensure they have support from an intervenor for 100% of their school day, and will open access to specialized deafblind funding for adults when they exit the school system.

Who is eligible to apply?  
Individuals who are deafblind, who are 3-21 and still enrolled in school are eligible to apply.  Applicants must have had a functional deafblind assessment completed (generally this is done through school by consultants from the W Ross Macdonald Provincial School), as well as reports from an audiologist and ophthalmologist.

What can funding be used for?
Allowable expenses include:
-Intervenor Services
– Intervenor admissions to recreation, social, leisure, fitness or
community events
– Program fees, camp fees,
– Parent or caregiver training related to deafblindness
– Intervenor training
– Assessments related to the deafblindness
– Respite programs

How much funding will I receive?
The maximum funding amount from CDBA for Children’s Intervenor Services is $1500 annually.  

For more details, see the 2018/2019 program guidelines.