Ans Withagen
Ans Withagen has years of experience as a special educationalist at a school for visually impaired children at Royal Dutch Visio. Her expertise lies in the field of the tactual development of blind children. At the beginning of 2000, she and a project group started developing a Tactile Profile for children who have been blind from birth. This instrument is now used worldwide and was validated in 2005. Subsequently, she led many projects to stimulate the tactual development of blind children. In 2022, a new project was started. This time to develop a Tactual Profile for adults with acquired deafblindness.
This project will be highlighted during the conference.
Breakout Session 2A: Can You Observe the Future in Your Hands? Yes! Tactual Profile for Acquired Deafblindness, Uniquely Designed Observatory Instrument
Ans Withagen has years of experience as a special educationalist at a school for visually impaired children at Royal Dutch Visio. Her expertise lies in the field of the tactual development of blind children. At the beginning of 2000, she and a project group started developing a Tactile Profile for children who have been blind from birth. This instrument is now used worldwide and was validated in 2005. Subsequently, she led many projects to stimulate the tactual development of blind children. In 2022, a new project was started. This time to develop a Tactual Profile for adults with acquired deafblindness.
This project will be highlighted during the conference.
Breakout Session 2A: Can You Observe the Future in Your Hands? Yes! Tactual Profile for Acquired Deafblindness, Uniquely Designed Observatory Instrument
Walter Wittich
Walter Wittich is an Associate Professor at the School of Optometry at the Université de Montréal, in Quebec, Canada. His research focuses on the rehabilitation of older adults with combined vision and hearing loss. His research domains include basic sensory science, as well as medical, psychosocial, and rehabilitation approaches to sensory loss. He is the inaugural chair of the Deafblind International Research Network, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and is Quebec’s first Certified Low Vision Therapist.
Breakout Session 1A: Elevating Conference Accessibility and Inclusion for Individuals with Deafblindness: Merging Best Practices from Vision, Hearing and Dual Sensory Impairment
Plenary Session 3: The Next Big Thing in Deafblindness Research: Where Do We Go from Here?
Breakout Session 8F/9F: Combined Vison and Hearing Loss in Long-Term Care: Interprofessional Contributions to Integrated Care to Address Sensory-based Communication Barriers
Walter Wittich is an Associate Professor at the School of Optometry at the Université de Montréal, in Quebec, Canada. His research focuses on the rehabilitation of older adults with combined vision and hearing loss. His research domains include basic sensory science, as well as medical, psychosocial, and rehabilitation approaches to sensory loss. He is the inaugural chair of the Deafblind International Research Network, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and is Quebec’s first Certified Low Vision Therapist.
Breakout Session 1A: Elevating Conference Accessibility and Inclusion for Individuals with Deafblindness: Merging Best Practices from Vision, Hearing and Dual Sensory Impairment
Plenary Session 3: The Next Big Thing in Deafblindness Research: Where Do We Go from Here?
Breakout Session 8F/9F: Combined Vison and Hearing Loss in Long-Term Care: Interprofessional Contributions to Integrated Care to Address Sensory-based Communication Barriers
Christopher Woodfill
Chris is the Helen Keller National Center associate executive director. He has been with HKNC since 2012. Prior to working with HKNC, he worked as a teacher at Wisconsin School for the Deaf for thirteen years and as an English as a Second Language instructor at English Language Institute at Gallaudet University for three years. He is and was very active in both Deaf and DeafBlind communities at local, state, national and international levels for almost three decades. He is currently a member of the World Federation of the DeafBlind executive board; as well as other local, national and international boards . He holds a Master degree in Latin American Studies from the George Washington University and a Master degree in Bilingual-Bicultural Deaf Education from McDaniel College. He is also a Certified Rehabilitation Leader (CRL). He is DeafBlind.
Breakout Session 3A: Deafblind Employment Mentoring: A Successful Model in Rehabilitation Setting
Chris is the Helen Keller National Center associate executive director. He has been with HKNC since 2012. Prior to working with HKNC, he worked as a teacher at Wisconsin School for the Deaf for thirteen years and as an English as a Second Language instructor at English Language Institute at Gallaudet University for three years. He is and was very active in both Deaf and DeafBlind communities at local, state, national and international levels for almost three decades. He is currently a member of the World Federation of the DeafBlind executive board; as well as other local, national and international boards . He holds a Master degree in Latin American Studies from the George Washington University and a Master degree in Bilingual-Bicultural Deaf Education from McDaniel College. He is also a Certified Rehabilitation Leader (CRL). He is DeafBlind.
Breakout Session 3A: Deafblind Employment Mentoring: A Successful Model in Rehabilitation Setting
Marta Zaharia
Marta Zaharia is a graduate of the George Brown College Intervenor for Deafblind Persons Program. She has been working in the Deafblind Intervenor Services sector since 1992. She started her career as an intervenor, working her way up to her current role as the consumer support specialist at Canadian Helen Keller Centre. Marta was the first recipient of the CHKC Joan McTavish Award. Marta is an advocate for intervenors and the professionalization of their role in the province of Ontario, most notably as the current president of the Intervenor Organization of Ontario (IOO). As a part of the IOO and Marta’s outstanding work, she became one of the founding board members of the Deafblind Network of Ontario (DBNO). Marta is a member of the Deafblind International Conference committee and is the chair of the communications committee.
Breakout Session 10B: Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS): Why Am I Seeing Things That Aren't Really There?
Marta Zaharia is a graduate of the George Brown College Intervenor for Deafblind Persons Program. She has been working in the Deafblind Intervenor Services sector since 1992. She started her career as an intervenor, working her way up to her current role as the consumer support specialist at Canadian Helen Keller Centre. Marta was the first recipient of the CHKC Joan McTavish Award. Marta is an advocate for intervenors and the professionalization of their role in the province of Ontario, most notably as the current president of the Intervenor Organization of Ontario (IOO). As a part of the IOO and Marta’s outstanding work, she became one of the founding board members of the Deafblind Network of Ontario (DBNO). Marta is a member of the Deafblind International Conference committee and is the chair of the communications committee.
Breakout Session 10B: Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS): Why Am I Seeing Things That Aren't Really There?