Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, USDB

Sometimes, our youngest learners need a little extra support when facing new experiences. Alvin, a preschooler at South Preschool in Cedar City, sometimes forgets his glasses (we’ve all been there!). To ensure he always has visual access at school, Kristina Buck, our Teacher for the Deafblind, came up with a brilliant idea: a special pair of glasses just for school!

To get just the right fit, Alvin needed to be measured for a pair of glasses; however, he was a bit hesitant. But Kristina Buck and USB Outreach Teacher Janna Slye had a clever plan! They turned the fabric measuring tape into a fun game! First, measuring each other's faces, showing Alvin exactly what to expect.

It worked like a charm. Not only did Alvin let them measure, but soon, other preschool students wanted in on the fun, lining up for their turn. Eventually, Alvin did the measuring, measuring Miss Janna’s face for her own pair of glasses.

Happy Summer!

Stateside Adventure: California 2025
The Expanded Core Services Team traveled to San Francisco California for our Stateside Adventure travel program this year. Three students attended classes to learn how to apply Expanded Core Skills to plan a trip. Students explored airline websites and apps, hotel booking websites, and performed Google searches to research attractions in the area. We had a great time on a Hop on Hop off Bus Tour of San Francisco, we hiked 500+ stairs to get to Coit Tower to experience a wonderful breeze, and loved our time at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk where 2 of the students saw the ocean for the very first time: one visually and one physically!

Wasatch Adaptive Sports recently visited the Springville campus, giving students who are blind or have low vision the exciting opportunity to experience bike riding. They brought various adaptive bikes, so every student could participate in a way that best suited their needs. It was a day full of smiles, movement, and new experiences, making cycling accessible and fun for everyone involved.

Congratulations graduates! Enjoy these links to news media coverage and more from the graduation ceremony. https://youtu.be/axahGiRXgfQ?si=gAgfCBgJl_MwtL2d
https://app.criticalmention.com/cm/report/a40ee450-51cc-4f45-acb4-d27683fdbd6b

At USDB, academics are critical and combined with activities in the real world, education is so exciting. If you read these newsletters, you know students who are deaf, blind, or deafblind have many unique learning opportunities. Imagine students who are deaf communicating in a foreign sign language during a study abroad trip, or students who are blind learning to navigate a big city subway system. These trips and experiences are not funded through education budgets or tax payer dollars, they are funded by special trust funds set aside when Utah achieved statehood. In these pictures, we feature the Canoe Crew. They took part in an unforgettable overnight rowing event last week at Utah Lake. Launching at 9:00 p.m., they rowed an impressive 26 miles through the night, finishing at 5:15 a.m. While everyone was exhausted by the end, the experience was a valuable and exciting way to train for the upcoming Seventy48 race, where participants will row 70 miles within 48 hours across Puget Sound near Seattle.

For children in Utah who are blind, deafblind, or low vision, here are details about a summer activity.

Do you know a family with a child in Utah who is blind, deafblind, or has low vision? If yes, tell them to sign up for this event.

Link to sign up:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZcxE__qRwowMkL-a1gy2osOZxvMbwGqloYgreA-JEmxaOtA/viewform