Census

Submitting Forms

We encourage educators and professionals to report a child/young adult (birth through age 21) to the Florida deaf-blind registry using the online survey:

Educator Survey 

For Families reporting their child with deaf-blindness

PLEASE SUBMIT ANY FORMS WITH IDENTIFYING INFORMATION
(names, addresses, birth dates, etc.):

  • By Fax: 352-273-8539
  • OR contact Shelly Voelker (shellyv@ufl.edu) for mailing instructions
  • EMAIL IS NOT A HIPAA-COMPLIANT MEANS OF EXCHANGING PROTECTED INFORMATION

About the Census

The Florida deaf-blind project is responsible for recording data on the children and young adults with deaf-blindness in our state. School districts are required to report students with both vision and hearing losses to the project. Children and young adults with deaf-blindness are entered in the Florida registry as they are identified and reported to us. The “census” is updated annually, based on the December 1st statistics. Ages, etiologies, sensory loss levels, other disabilities, and de-identified demographic information are reported annually to the federal government via the National Child Count report.

(See more info on the National Child Count of Children and Youth who are Deaf-Blind.)

“Census” forms are used to report children and young adults (ages birth – 22 years) to the Florida deaf-blind project. Individuals with both vision and hearing loss (diagnosed or suspected) will be added to the Florida Deaf-Blind Registry .

Letter from OSEP

Registration

Children and young adults who have been reported to the Florida Deaf-Blind Registry are eligible for Florida deaf-blind project services.

Any professional or family member may report an individual with combined vision and hearing losses to the Florida deaf-blind project (please see Blank Census Record and Census Instructions below).

Forms must be PRINTED AND FAXED to 352-273-8539!

Part C Early Intervention and healthcare providers should obtain Consent For Exchange of Information or report de-identified profiles of children and youth with deaf-blindness to the Florida deaf-blind project.

HIPAA

When collecting data for the National Child  Count of Children and Youth Who Are Deaf-Blind (aka “census”), the Florida deaf-blind project functions as a HIPAA-covered  entity that transforms nonstandard information  on children and youth with deaf-blindness into standard format for the annual  census  Under HIPAA, healthcare providers may disclose de-identified information to the  Florida registry of children and youth who are deaf-blind without  authorization.  In compliance with HIPAA,  FAVI transmits only de-identified information about the health and disability profiles  of children and youth with deaf-blindness to the National Consortium on  Deaf-Blindness for the annual census.

Help Us to Help Families: Make a Referral

Help the Florida deaf-blind project to help children and youth with deaf-blindness and their families!

Encourage  families to complete a Consent for the Exchange of Information & Records, so that we can provide information and offer services to children with  deaf-blindness, their families, and their educational teams.

Consentimiento para el intercambio de información _ registros

Once a family has provided consent, any family member or team member may make a
Request for Technical Assistance from the Florida deaf-blind project.

Solicitud de TA