Helen Keller, the most well-known individual with deafblindness in the United States, benefited from constant one-to-one services provided by Anne Sullivan. Although not called an “intervener”, Sullivan gave Helen access to information about people and things in her environment. This was critical to her ability to learn, communicate, and function in the world. Today, students who are deafblind can receive the same services that Helen Keller received from individuals with training and specialized skills in deafblindness. These individuals are called interveners (see also the ASL sign for interveners).
What is an Intervener?
An Intervener is a person who:
- Works consistently one-to-one with an individual who is deafblind.
- Has training and specialized skills in deafblindness.
An intervener provides a bridge to the world for the student who is deafblind. The intervener helps the student gather information, learn concepts and skills, develop communication and language, and establish relationships that lead to greater independence. The intervener is a support person who does with, not for the student.
Specialized training is needed to become an effective intervener. Training should address a wide range of topics necessary to understanding the nature and impact of deafblindness, the role of the intervener, and appropriate educational strategies to work with students with combined vision and hearing loss (Alsop, Killoran, Robinson, Durkel, & Prouty, 2004; McGinnes, 1986; Robinson et al., 2000).
What is the Role of the Intervener?
The role of the Intervener is to:
- Facilitate access to the environmental information that is usually gained through vision and hearing, but which is unavailable or incomplete to the child who is deafblind.
- Facilitate the development and/or use of receptive and expressive communication skills.
- Develop and maintain a trusting, interactive relationship that can promote social and emotional well‐being for the child who is deafblind.
Featured Resources and Trainings
Conversations and Connections an Intervener Chat on March 10, 2026.
Learn everything you need to know about Interveners in the Interveners Special Issue, Visual Impairment and Deafblind Education Quarterly, Volume 67, Issue 4.
This video describes the intervener from the perspective of parents, interveners, teachers, and administrators.
ASL Sign for Interveners
Learn the ASL sign for "interveners"