Watertown, MA, May 2rd, 2026, with Perkins School for the Blind. Learn, connect, and ask questions for your child, student and family in a supportive environment made up of experts and families like yours—with young children who are blind, deafblind, or low-vision, including those who have multiple complex disabilities.
* There will also be an exhibitor expo with vision supports and resources for families.
2026 Theme -This year’s theme is Action! Discover how professionals, families, and students can take action and effectively work together to amplify their voices, navigate systems, and advocate for the individualized supports and services they need.
Keynote Speaker and Topic: Braving Advocacy – Building a Path to Access, Belonging, and Opportunity. Darlene Norman and her husband, Jared, are proud parents of a 13-year-old daughter with deafblindness. Professionally, Darlene has served as a school psychologist and special education administrator in public schools in the Bay Area. She enjoys serving in school psychology organizations at the local and state levels, advocating for state legislation to support diverse learning needs. As a parent, Darlene has broadened her advocacy for legislative efforts to the national level through the National Family Association for DeafBlind (NFADB), and she attends the annual DeafBlind Day on the Hill meeting with US Congress members and staffers to advocate for deafblind legislation across the lifespan. She is a proud member of the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation and serves on additional support committees affiliated with NFADB.
Workshops will cover:
- Partnering for Progress: Collaboration in AAC
- Bridging the Gap Between Home and School
- Accessing Community Sports and Recreation Opportunities: The “Why” and the “How”
- Facilitating Increased Participation for Infants and Toddlers with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities using the On-Time Communication and Mobility Frameworks
- Parent Voices: Insights and Inspiration
- A Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens to Advocacy
- Navigating How to Individualize Support for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Cerebral Visual Impairment
- In-Person Family Support Group
- Virtual Family Support Group
- In-Person Professional Support Group
- Virtual Professional Support Group
- Virtual Spanish Family and Professional Support Group
Registration is required
