August 22, 2026
Delta Hotel, Richmond, VA
Virginia Alpha Delta Kappa
Fall Council of Chapter Presidents
Be the Change:
From Caterpillar to Butterfly
How does that fit your story?
What does it mean to you?
It doesn’t matter where you’re starting from in this journey; there’s always help and support along the way.
“The butterfly is only beautiful because the caterpillar is brave.”
Pledge of Allegiance &
National Anthem
Thought for the Day
Greetings
International
Conway Blankenship, President
Greetings
Southeast Region
Laura Beaton, President-Elect
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
Azalea
Alpha
Epsilon
Sigma
Alpha Lambda
President Stephanie Lopez
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
Blue Ridge
Alpha Kappa
Alpha Omicron
Beta Nu
Gamma Omicron
President Sherri Chapman
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
Theta
Lambda
Upsilon
Beta Pi
Gamma Beta
Gamma Lambda
Gamma Chi
Cardinal
President Amy Ebel
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
Chesapeake Bay
Omicron
Alpha Nu
Alpha Xi
Beta Kappa
Beta Tau
Co-Presidents Mary North and Mary Voss
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
Commonwealth
Zeta
Mu
Beta Delta
Beta Lambda
Beta Chi
Gamma Alpha
Gamma Gamma
Gamma Iota
Co-Presidents Audrey Mitchell and
Nancy Coggeshall
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
James River
Eta
Alpha Epsilon
Alpha Pi
Gamma Mu
Co-Presidents Laurie Allan and
Michelle Bowers
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
Mountain View
Alpha Rho
Beta Eta
Beta Iota
Beta Xi
Beta Rho
Gamma Sigma
President Carleen Puglisi
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
Pocahontas
Delta Kappa
Alpha Beta Alpha Delta
Beta Upsilon Beta Phi Gamma Eta Gamma Kappa
Gamma Pi
President Pattie Sutton
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
Potomac
Iota
Tau
Psi
Alpha Tau
Beta Gamma
Gamma Epsilon
Gamma Theta
President Leslie La Croix
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
Rappahannock
Nu Alpha Iota
Beta Beta Beta Epsilon
Beta Omicron Gamma Omicron
Gamma Upsilon
Co-Presidents Maxine Sachs and
Linda Spellman
Roll Call of Chapters
Elizabeth Hutchins
Secretary, Council of Chapter Presidents
SW Highlands
Xi
Rho
Alpha Phi
Alpha Psi
Gamma Zeta
President Susie Weaver
Membership Report
Membership Initiative
Virginia Violet Award
Welcome to Virginia Alpha Delta Kappa Handbook
New Member Certificate
Announcements
Lunch
Making Sense of Sensory DisABILITIES
Tracy DeLuca,
Guest Speaker
Moment of Reflection
Thank you, Delta Hotel Staff!
Making Sense of Sensory DisABILITIES
Tracy DeLuca,
Guest Speaker
Making Sense of Sensory DisABILITIES
Blindness, Low Vision, Deaf-Blindness
Tracy Nunnally DeLuca, M.Ed, TVI, ECSE
Image id: arms outstretched so that hands stack collectively in the middle
Thank you!
Why this matters …
To provide understanding
To support communication, connections, and collaboration
To share resources and strategies
(Not medical - educational - always wonder and ask!
Image ID: Virginia map illustrating rural and metro areas
Areas of Virginia
Number of Virginians with visual impairments/blindness:
184,978 Virginians with vision difficulty Virginia | American Foundation for the Blind )
Breakdown by age group (2019) :
DB (birth to 21 years only, 2024 childcount): 167 National Child Count | National Center on Deafblindness
What’s all this mean?
Image ID: blurred eye chart with eyeglasses super imposed
Concerns … at any age?
Image ID: baby’s blue eyes and nose
Image ID: lateral view of human eyeball
Image ID: baby exploring the squares of a tactile quilt
Image ID: blurred text
We have one pair of eyes
Concerns?
Begin with your school teams
Visual Impairment Including Blindness | Virginia Department of Education - VDOE website (includes Guidelines and resources)
Deaf-Blindness | Virginia Department of Education - -VDOE website (includes resources and guidance regarding eligibility and clarification of disability category ID for deafblindness )
Image ID: VDOE webpage on Visual Impairments including Blindness)
Impact of Deafblindness:
Vision is our key to exploration and mobility, to building concepts, and to developing social relationships.
Hearing is the basis of the language and communication system that most people use.
The development of communication skills, mobility skills, and social relationships are the three areas most impacted by deafblindness.
Quick strategies
… reduce background visual stimuli (solid colored poster board, material, or construction paper)
… hula hoops, laundry baskets, cardboard boxes, shallow trays
… story boxes (tactile objects from a story)
… clean copies of worksheets
… use descriptive language / describe what’s going on
… what are you wearing? (plain t-shirts make great quick cover ups)
… be mindful of touch (
… be mindful of your words and allow processing time.
No one has all of the answers.
Hand-under-hand guidance and interactions are critical to the development of hand use for children who are deafblind and visually and multiply impaired. Hands are used as tools for exploring the world, for literacy (tactile symbols, braille, etc.), for communication (both receptive and expressive), for social engagement and connection.
Hand Under Hand Guidance:
Hand-Under-Hand Guidance – Texas Deafblind Project
Brief Touch HUH example:
Providing assistance to someone who is blind
How to Be a Sighted Guide: A Step-by-Step Guide for Helping the Blind and Visually Impaired
A few resources:
Active Learning Space. Total developmental/learning approach (assessment, curriculum, equipment, strategies) for learners with multiple disabilities. activelearningspace.org
AFB: American Foundation for the Blind. Mission is to “create equal opportunities and expand possibilities through advocacy, thought leadership, and strategic partnerships.” https://www.afb.org/
*Internships: https://afb.org/internships
*Link to subscriptions: podcasts, FOCUS quarterly journal, and more
AIM-VA. AIM-VA provides accessible instructional materials to eligible Virginia K-12
students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and a documented Print
Disability. https://aimva.org/
American Printing House for the Blind. The APH operates as the world’s largest
nonprofit organization creating accessible learning experiences through educational,
workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are blind and
low vision. https://www.aph.org/
APH CONNECTCenter – ECC Activities, Ideas and Resources
APH HIVE
APH Newsletters
Catalogs
Family Connect
The Arc of Virginia. The Arc of Virginia is the statewide advocacy organization led by
and made up of people with developmental disabilities (DD), their families, and their
allies. Our local chapters, members, and partners drive the priorities that shape our
advocacy, outreach, and support.
The Arc of Virginia
Find your local chapter: https://www.thearcofva.org/local-chapters
Bookshare. The world’s biggest accessible e-book library. Bookshare is free for all US
college and graduate students with qualifying disabilities. Bookshare
CVI Scotland. Homepage — CVI Scotland.
Shares what’s been learned and while being clear that the main source is made up of
first-hand accounts from parents and those affected, while our team, including many
professionals, provides guidance. CVI LOOK CVI COOL CVI ZOOM
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. https://dollyparton.com/imagination-library
For Little Eyes. Parent curated resources, tips, stories. forlittleeyes.com
Hadley School for the Blind. Discover new ways to do things that have become more
difficult due to vision loss and connect with a network of peers who "get it."
I’m Determined. Empowering youth with skills and opportunities to succeed in school,
personal lives, and beyond. https://www.imdetermined.org/
National Federal for the Blind (NFB). Advancing the lives of members and blind
people in the United States.
**Resources for parents of blind children: https://nfb.org/our-community/parents-blind-
children
**Resources for students: https://nfb.org/our-community/students
**Resources for educators: https://nfb.org/our-community/educators
National Braille Press (NBP). Empowers the blind and visually impaired with
programs, materials, and technology supporting braille literacy and learning through
touch.
**Bookstore: https://shop.nbp.org/collections/perfect-gifts-from-national-braille-press
**Teaching Braille: https://info.nbp.org/braille-ignition-kits
**Additional Resources: https://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/tvi-toolbox.html
National Library Service. The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
(NLS) is a free audiobook and braille library service for people with temporary or
permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical, perceptual or reading disability that
makes it difficult to read print.
NOAH: National Organization for Albinism &; Hypopigmentation. Quarterly
supplement for educators adapted from their publication Albinism InSight.
https://www.albinism.org/ed-u/
Objective Ed. Gamified Skill Buildering Apps for Blind/VI. Buddy Books - Teachers
Pediatric Cortical Visual Impairment Society (PCVIS). PCVIS strives to transform
outcomes for children and youth with CVI by advocating for research, policy, education,
practice, heightened awareness and understanding. https://pcvis.vision/
Perkins School for the Blind.
** CVI Now – Perkins School for the Blind
** Perkins Library Newsletters (Dots & Decibels and PerKids)
** Blind New World
** Perkins Academy
** Paths to Literacy (Welcome Parents! Get Started with Questions about Literacy for
Your Young Child)
Strategy to See. For those who work with and/or care for children with CVI. Strategy To
See – For those who care for and work with students with cerebral/cortical visual
impairment (C/CVI).
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. https://www.tsbvi.edu/
**Publications: https://www.tsbvi.edu/statewide-resources/professional-development
** Literacy for Little Ones
** User friendly resources: AT (Braille note, Zoom, APH)
Training and Technical Centers (TTAC).
The VDOE’;s statewide projects with TTACs provide professional development and
support designed to assist schools in addressing accountability and improvement goals
for students with disabilities. Training & Technical Assistance Centers (TTAC) |
Virginia Commonwealth University. Partnership for People with Disabilities:
**Center for Family Involvement. Works with families to increase their skills as
advocates, mentors, and leaders so that families, children, and young adults with
disabilities can lead the lives they want. https://cfi.partnership.vcu.edu/
**Technical Assistance Center for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
TAC-DHH. Tracey Yurechko, Project Director, yurechkot@vcu.edu
LaNeka Brown, Program Support Coordinator, llbrown3@vcu.edu
**Training and Technical Assistance Center: TTAC. https://ttac.vcu.edu/
**Virginia Deaf Blind Project is a statewide grant designed to provide technical
assistance, training, and information to enhance the lives of children in Virginia with
combined vision and hearing loss. https://vadeafblindproject.partnership.vcu.edu/
**Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired. https://www.dbvi.virginia.gov/
The Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired works with Virginians who are blind, vision impaired, or
deafblind to confidently reach their goals for work, school, and life.
**Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education (including one pager library).
Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education | Virginia Department of Education
**Virginia School for the Deaf Blind. The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind
provides a superior education for students who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/vision
impaired, deafblind, and deaf or blind with other disabilities. The Virginia School for the
Deaf and the Blind | Home
**Wonderbaby. A database of articles and resources written by parents dedicated to
helping parents of young children with visual impairments as well as children with
multiple disabilities. https://www.wonderbaby.org/
Thank you!
Thank You,
Tracy!
Announcements
Welcome Back!
Closing General Session
Please choose your seats quickly so we may begin.
President’s Report
Alpha Delta Kappa month
One Short Day State Convention
Founders’ Day
Celebrations
Collegiate Club at
Roanoke College
Ask Agnes a question
NE/SE Regional Conference
Summer District Gatherings
Ronald McDonald House
Altruistic Report
Altruistic Project - Ronald McDonald House
Super Start for Fundraising 2026 - 28
SALES TOTALS - $1,460
Thanks for your support
and TEAMWORK!
Plus today’s SALES!
Altruistic Report
Ronald McDonald House
How can we help?
“Make new friends but keep the old;
One is silver and the other gold.
A circle is round, it has no end;
That’s how long I want to be your friend.”
Joseph Parry
Girl Scout Moments
Announcements & Adjournment
The Lamp of Alpha Delta Kappa