DeafBlind Services Minnesota
DeafBlind Services Minnesota advances the independence of children and adults with combined hearing and vision loss.
The only program of its kind in the country, DeafBlind Services Minnesota (DBSM) brings one-to-one support to deafblind individuals of all ages, throughout Minnesota. Our trained support service providers (SSPs) work with adults, while our interveners teach communication skills to infants, children, and youth.
Call (612) 871-2222 or email info@dbsm.org to find support for yourself or a loved one.
Did you know that you might be eligible for equipment and training through iCanConnect? Click here to learn more.
DeafBlind Services Minnesota is a limited liability corporation (LLC) of Vision Loss Resources.
Adult Community Services
This program provides community support to self-determined deafblind adults age 22 and up (or age 18 and up if not on a school IEP), living throughout Minnesota. Support Services Providers (SSPs) assist deafblind adults with activities of daily living such as grocery shopping, banking, running errands, reading mail and filling out forms. SSPs also help with participating in community life and accessing information.
For more information about or to make a referral to Adult Community Services, please contact Matthew Priebe at (612) 843-3426 (voice), (612) 430-6008 (video phone), or priebem@dbsm.org. TTY users, please dial 711.
Children, Youth and Family Services
We provide support, information, referral, training and advocacy to deafblind children (ages 0-21 while in school on an IFSP/IEP) and their parents, family, educators and other service providers. Our interveners are trained staff who work with deafblind children so that they may learn about their environment and community, meet childhood developmental goals, and develop communication strategies. Interveners assist families with techniques for communicating with their child, developing appropriate expectations of and for their child, and collaborating with educators, schools, and service providers.
For more information or to make a referral, please contact Kim Johnson, Children, Youth and Family Services Manager, at (612) 843-3401 (voice) or kjohnson@dbsm.org.
Deafblind Club
Deafblind Club meets on the third Saturday of each month from 11am to 1:30pm at Bread of Life Deaf (BOLD) church located at 2901 38th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406. For more information please contact Sammie Porter at porters@dbsm.org
Come join members of the Deafblind community for announcements, fun and games, lunch and socializing! Lunch is usually a potluck so bring something to share or $5.00 if you plan to eat. You are also welcome to bring your own lunch for yourself.
Deafblind club is open to ASL and Interpreting students, volunteers or anyone interested in learning more about the Deafblind community in Minnesota! Support Service Providers (SSP) and ASL Interpreters are on hand to offer support and facilitate communication as needed.
Adjustment to Blindness/Deafblindness Training
We offer a variety of training activities and classes focused on the unique needs of deafblind people. This training is offered through the rehabilitation training center at Vision Loss Resources. For more information, visit our Adjustment to Blindness Training. Referrals are typically made by a consumer’s State Services for the Blind counselor. Private pay is also possible.