Maryland State Department of Education Division of Rehabilitation Services
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Deaf-Blind Services

The Deaf-Blind community is an important focus for DORS. Even though this group is small, people who are Deaf-Blind often need specialized supports to take part in everyday life and to find good jobs that match their goals.

DORS is working to make sure that services available to the general public also meet the needs of Deaf-Blind consumers. These services can include Braille training from a Deaf-Blind instructor, Orientation and Mobility (O&M) with teachers who have experience supporting Deaf-Blind individuals, and Job Coaching from providers who are trained to work with Deaf-Blind consumers.

DORS also respects each person’s communication preferences. If you prefer to use American Sign Language (ASL), we have Rehabilitation Counselors for the Deaf who can work with you.

Contact

Deaf-Blind Specialist Dr. Leo Yates, 410-554-9372
​Office for Blindness & Vision Services: [email protected], 410-554-9277​

Resources

Publications​

Deaf-Blind Organizations

Deaf-Blind Advisory Committee

 

The Deaf-Blind Advisory Committee (left to right: Lisa Sudmann-Stannard, Carrie Quigley, Alexander Quaynor, Dr. Leo Yates, and Kyesha West) provides DORS with input from VR, ILOB, and Pre-ETS consumers.

Support Service Provider Program

Support Service Providers (SSP) ​are speci​ally train​ed professionals who enable people with combined vision and hearing loss to access their environment and make informed decisions.

An SSP provides the Deaf-Blind individual with visual and environmental information, sighted guide services, and communication accessibility. SSP services provide access to community and vocational rehabilitation services that a Deaf-Blind individual may not normally be able to access.

Maryland State Department of Education
Division of Rehabilitation Services
2301 Argonne Drive
Baltimore, MD 21218
410-554-9442 | 443-798-2840 VP


The Vocational Rehabilitation program receives 78.7% of its funding through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. For the Federal fiscal year 2025 the total amount of grant funds awarded was $62,023,386. The remaining 21.3% of the costs ($16,786,507) were funded by State appropriations.