Excellence
Family Resource Guide
Download a printable Family Resource Guide Here
If you have any questions regarding your child’s rights as a Deaf, Hard-of-hearing, or Deaf-Blind student, please let us know or email LMartin1@mesquiteisd.org
Texas Workforce Commission
This state agency can help young adults ages 14 - 22 with services in preparing for life after high school. Your student will begin working with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor when they enter high school.
These can include:
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Devices like hearing aids or wheelchairs
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Therapy for disabilities such as speech or occupational therapy
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Vocational assessments
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Assistive technologies
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Transportation assistance
If you have a vision-related disability, Rehabilitation Teachers can help with:
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Learning braille
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Orientation & mobility
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Home or health skills
Texas workforce commission website
Did you Know? It's State Law
Visual Smoke Alarms:
If requested by a tenant, a landlord MUST install a visual smoke detector that is capable of alerting a person who is Deaf, of the presence of smoke. SB 1715- the Sephra Burks’ Bill.
The landlord is responsible for the purchase and installation of the visual smoke alarm, just as they are responsible for traditional, audible smoke alarms.
Non-Apartment Residences:
Check with your local fire department for more information about how to get visual smoke alarms for your home.
Interpreting Services are your Right!
You can request an interpreter for your child at ANY place of business!
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Doctor Appointments
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Dentist’s Office
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Eye Doctor
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Concerts/Entertainment Venues
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*Religious Services/Funerals
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Job Interviews
**RARE exceptions include undue burden, religious organizations, and private clubs- these are not the same as private practice.
Technology is Available
Check with TWS, on Amazon, or diglo.com for other visual and tactile devices that could be beneficial for your child at home!
Visual doorbell
There are devices that will light up when someone rings the doorbell! This will give your child access to their environment and let them know if someone is at the door.
Video Phone
Contact ZVRS or Sorenson to apply for a video phone. A video phone allows your child to make phone calls from home to friends, family, or anywhere utilizing interpreting services. It works kind of like FaceTime or Zoom, but with interpreters to facilitate the communication! TWC can also assist with this process.
Other video phone options include:
Convo - Can start conversation anywhere with an interpreter on your device
Global VRS - Deafblind friendly
Wavello - will allow both callers to see each other with an interpreter on the screen
Alarm Clock
Alarm clocks that vibrate, or devices that shake the bed are great options for students who don’t have access to auditory alarms!