Two Days to Meet, Interact, Discuss and Collaborate!
General Information
Innovate + Empower + Collaborate
Join us for a dynamic two-day pre-conference where the official DbI Networks come together with a shared purpose: to connect, learn, and grow. While each Network brings its own unique perspective and expertise, this pre-conference is designed to highlight what unites us.
Through interactive sessions and collaborative exchanges, we will explore common ground, spark new ideas, and strengthen connections across networks. This is a unique opportunity to meet new colleagues, share experiences, and learn from one another in an open and inspiring environment.
Together, we will innovate by exchanging fresh insights, empower each other through shared knowledge, and collaborate to build stronger, more connected networks for the future.
Be part of the conversation. Be part of the connection.
The joint pre-conference of DbI networks is open to individuals with lived experience, parents, professionals, researchers and anyone else interested.
Come with an open mind. Share your perspective.
Practical information
- Duration: 2 days (9.30-16.00h)
- Costs: 200 euros (to be fully paid at registration)
- Including coffee, tea, pastries and a lunch bag both days.
- Find out more about the conference center’s excellent catering at: Conference Venue – DbI & WFDB World Conference 2027. When registering, please let us know whether you have any specific food allergies or (medically-related) dietary requirements.
- Please, apply if you require IS sign language interpretation when you register for the pre-conference. This covers the traditional pre-conference programme, but reaches its limits during interactive workshops involving small working groups and pair work.
- You can find more information on communication at: Communication – DbI & WFDB World Conference 2027
- Theme sessions (mornings): Participants share their preference for the sessions (first and second choise). We can’t guarantee you can attend their first choice, as we need to have equal numbers of participants in each session (aiming at 33 participants + +/- 5-10 Networks representatives)
- Case discussions (Sunday afternoon): Participants can share their preference for an age group: 0-5, 6-17, 18+years old. We can’t guarantee they can attend their first choice, as we need to have equal numbers of participants in each session (aiming at 33 participants + +/- 5-10 Networks representatives).
- ‘Hands on’ workshops/activities: Participants can share their preference for an activity: Outdoor, Creative Arts or Technology. We can’t guarantee they can attend their first choice, as we need to have equal numbers of participants in each session (aiming at 33 participants + +/- 5-10 Networks representatives)
Pre-Conference Program
| 09:30-12:30 Session A | Theme: Technology, Innovation and Tools for Participation Session title: Making Technology Work for People With Deafblindness. A Forum to Discuss Innovations in Technology for People With Deafblindness. Collaborating DbI Networks: Technology, Usher, ADBN, Africa Session description: Participants will be people with deafblindness, professionals with and without deafblindness and those who work with people with deafblindness. Aims will be to discuss both the positive lived experiences of people accessing and using technology as well as the challenges and gaps for people with deafblindness accessing technology. The focus will be identifying what the gaps are, in general terms, as well in specific geographic locations, for children, young people and adults. This discussion will inevitably cover themes of education, communication and how access needs for people with deafblindness may change over time. Once gaps and challenges have been identified, there will be an opportunity to consider how we might best influence policy making, and innovations in support, good practice and new technology. |
| 09:30-12:30 Session B | Theme: Education, Learning, Knowledge Building and Knowledge Transfer Session title: Shaping the Future of Family Holidays. ‘I might be disabled, but I am not unable to do the things I want’ Collaborating DbI Networks: Education, Outdoor, Creative Arts, Family Session description: Are you ready to turn perspectives into action? How can we transform the way we approach family holidays to ensure true inclusion, learning, and empowerment for families of persons with deafblindness? We invite you to a dynamic World Café* session, an interactive, collaborative forum designed to harness our collective intelligence. This is not a lecture. It is a space for dialogue, connection, and co-creation. Under the powerful guiding principle ‘I might be disabled, but I do the things I want. I am not unable’ we will explore how to bridge the gap between current capacities and the lived reality of individuals with deafblindness and their families. We will dive into how we can enhance learning, capacity building, and knowledge transfer to ensure that every family member, regardless of ability, can experience the joy of exploration and discovery. How it works: Using the World Café* methodology, you will move between themed tables, engaging in focused conversations with diverse participants. You will contribute your expertise, build on others’ ideas, and help us harvest meaningful insights that can drive real change in the sector. Don’t just observe the change—be part of the conversation that creates it. Limited capacity: Max 30 participants. Secure your seat now! *quote from the inclusive post-conference trek after the 1st official DbI Regional Conference in Asia, in Pokhara, Nepal, March 2025. |
| 09:30-12:30 Session C | Theme: Communication, Interaction, Expression and Access Session Title: The 5 W’s of Communication: A World Café* on Connection, Meaning, and Access Collaborating DbI Networks: Communication, CHARGE, Americas Session description: ‘If in truth a person is to be helped, one must, of course, understand more than he—but first and foremost, understand what he understands.’ Søren Kierkegaard How do we truly communicate? Is communication only words, signs, or symbols — or is it something much more? And how do we recognize communication when it looks different from what we expect? Inspired by the idea that we must meet people where they are in order to understand them, this interactive session invites you to explore communication from multiple perspectives. In this World Café* style session, participants rotate between tables focusing on: Who – relationship, trust, connection What – what counts as communication? When – when is something communication? Where – ethics, space, boundaries Why – communication as access Let’s explore communication together. Let’s reflect, share experiences, and gain new insights together. *What Is a World Café? The World Café is a powerful meeting platform for creating dynamic dialogue and harnessing the collective intelligence of a group. The World Café is a method for facilitating dialogue, the exchange of ideas, and collaboration in groups. It’s an informal yet structured approach where participants move between different tables (like in a café), and the conversations are guided by questions around a specific topic. The process unfolds in rounds of conversation. Participants are divided into smaller groups and discuss a shared question for 15-30 minutes. After each round, participants move to a new table, while one person remains as the ‘host’ to share insights from the previous conversation with the new group. The purpose of the World Café is to foster creative thinking and collective wisdom, build engagement and shared understanding, and encourage relationships and collaboration across groups. Finally, all insights from the tables are brought together in a plenary session, where the host at each table presents key takeaways. The organizers then facilitate a summary and documentation of the central points. |
| 13:30-16:00 Case Discussions (all rooms) | Title: Deep Dive: Navigating Complex Realities Through the Incident Method Session description: Children, young people and adults with deafblindness may encounter challenging situations that require more than just a ‘quick fix’ or well-intentioned advice. To truly grow as professionals and collaborators, we need to move beyond surface-level solutions and dive deep into the underlying dynamics of the cases we face. We invite you to join us for an intensive and highly structured session utilising the ‘Incident Method’ (Intervision). This is not a typical discussion group. The Incident Method provides a rigorous framework designed to explore complex cases from multiple angles. We’d like to focus on exploration rather than immediate solutions, encouraging deeper understanding before action. This ensures that when we eventually look at possibilities, they are rooted in deep understanding rather than assumptions. We would like to discuss ‘real’ cases, in small group discussions with participants from different backgrounds. Participants could share their preference for a specific age group. There will be cases of young children (age 0-4 years), children (age 6-17 years) or adults (age 18+ years). Don’t miss this opportunity to transform experience into collective wisdom. |
| 09:30-12:30 Session A | Theme: Technology, Innovation and Tools for Participation Session title: Technology to Love, to Learn, to Live, to Play Collaborating DbI Networks: Technology, Creative Arts, Family, Education Session description: This interactive World Café* workshop will explore practical, accessible, and affordable technologies that can enhance meaningful participation. The central question is: How can affordable and appropriate technology remove barriers to participation in education, family life, and creative arts? During mixed-network café conversations, participants will examine common barriers. They will identify technologies already available today, including built-in accessibility features, digital tools, assistive technologies, and low-tech alternatives. Participants will also consider what can be achieved with no additional budget, a small investment or support from funders, sponsors, and partner organizations. The session will move from discussion to practical action through an Adaptation Recipe Lab, where participants will develop realistic responses to participation barriers, including possible tools, costs, partners, pilot activities and success measures. Every discussion will consider how ideas can be applied in education, family settings and creative arts, as well as what the networks could achieve together. Participants will leave the session with practical tools, adaptable resources, and possible next steps they can use to support more inclusive participation. |
| 10:00-12:30 Session B | Theme: Education, Learning, Knowledge Building and Knowledge Transfer Session Title: Learning Without Borders: Navigating Educational Transitions Together A World Café* on Education, Learning and Transitions Collaborating DbI Networks: Americas, Education, CHARGE Session description: This session will be all about transitions in education, learning, capacity building and knowledge transfer throughout the life span. In this World Café* style session, participants rotate between tables focusing on key transition stages including: Early intervention at home to preschool or kindergarten Kindergarten to primary school Primary to secondary school Transitions between regular and special education Transition from school to adulthood, including work, care, and living arrangements Let’s connect the dots together: Aligning Across Educational Transitions *What Is a World Café? The World Café is a powerful meeting platform for creating dynamic dialogue and harnessing the collective intelligence of a group. The World Café is a method for facilitating dialogue, the exchange of ideas, and collaboration in groups. It’s an informal yet structured approach where participants move between different tables (like in a café), and the conversations are guided by questions around a specific topic. The process unfolds in rounds of conversation. Participants are divided into smaller groups and discuss a shared question for 15-30 minutes. After each round, participants move to a new table, while one person remains as the “host” to share insights from the previous conversation with the new group. The purpose of the World Café is to foster creative thinking and collective wisdom, build engagement and shared understanding, and encourage relationships and collaboration across groups. Finally, all insights from the tables are brought together in a plenary session, where the host at each table presents key takeaways. The organizers then facilitate a summary and documentation of the central points. |
| 10:00-12:30 Session C | Theme: Communication / Interaction, Expression and Access Session title: Communication as a Cure: Transitions, Grief and Potential Collaborating DbI Networks: Communication, Outdoor, Usher, ADBN Session description: Communication changes throughout life; sometimes gradually, sometimes suddenly. For people with deafblindness, these changes can involve loss, uncertainty and grief, but also new ways of connecting, participating, and finding meaning. In this interactive pre-conference session, we invite participants to explore how communication transitions are experienced by people with deafblindness, families and professionals, and how these experiences can inform meaningful support. The session will include a short introduction, group reflections, and shared dialogue. We will end by bringing the themes together through an outdoor activity, inviting participants to reflect on loss, restoration and future possibilities in a more embodied way. |
| 13:30-16:00 ‘Hands on’ Activities | 1. Outdoor: ‘Hands on’ Workshop DbI Outdoor Network Topic: Creating Meaningful Outdoor Activities for People with (Congenital) Deafblindness Theme: ‘The nature is outside your window everyday and there are many ways to enjoy and use the nature. Only your imagination is the limit!’ Where: outside the conference building When: Monday 19 July 2027: 13:30-16:00h Hosted by: DbI Outdoor Network 🌳 As part of the DbI Outdoor Network, we invite participants to join a meaningful outdoor activity on Monday afternoon. The exact activity will remain a surprise, offering participants the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and experience the value of exploration and discovery of the outdoor firsthand. This practical session is designed to inspire professionals working with people with (congenital) deafblindness. Participants will explore how to plan and facilitate meaningful outdoor activities and adapt experiences to the fragmented perception associated with deafblindness. Through experiential learning, participants will gain insight into the challenges of having combined vision and hearing loss and reflect on how these influence activities, participation, communication, and learning. A key focus of the session is the concept of scaffolding: how can we gradually build an activity step by step, ensuring accessibility while creating opportunities for challenge, engagement, and success? Research (Gibson, 2000; 2005; Gibson & Ask Larsen, 2009; Brede, 2013; 2014) has demonstrated the benefits of outdoor activities for people with (congenital) deafblindness, including improvements in communication, health, relationships, and learning. Outdoor experiences can promote movement, self-confidence, concentration, new communication skills, stronger relationships with support staff, and improved well-being. 2. Creative Arts Topic: Quilting DbI Dreams Where: Davos Conference Center When: Monday 19 July 2027: 13:30-16:00h Hosted by: DbI Creative Arts Network Join us for Quilting DbI Dreams, a co-creation workshop where we dream, create, and connect through conversation, stitching, and shared making. Together, we will exchange hopes, stories, ideas, and visions for the future while contributing to a collective quilt that reflects community, belonging, and the connections between us. The creative activity offers a familiar and accessible way to participate, encouraging conversation and allowing ideas to emerge as we work alongside one another. No crafting, sewing, or knitting experience is needed—just curiosity and a willingness to take part. Through making, dialogue, and reflection, we will celebrate imagination, connection, and the joy of creating together. The focus is on the shared journey and the relationships we build, rather than on the finished product. 3. Technology Theme: Technology That Works in Real Life Where: Davos Conference Center When: Monday 19 July 2027: 13:30-16:00h Hosted by: DbI Technology Network Technology should ultimately make everyday life easier and more inclusive for people with deafblindness. The DbI Technology Network focuses on exploring and understanding technologies, not just as innovations, but as practical tools that can truly support people in their daily routines, communication, mobility, and independence. While technology is evolving rapidly, the real question is: What actually works in practice? From simple solutions to more advanced tools such as orientation aids, detection devices, and AI-based support many developments offer potential, but their real value lies in how they fit into everyday life. This workshop is designed as an open and welcoming space where professionals, practitioners, and anyone working closely with people with deafblindness can come together. You do not need to be a technology expert. Instead, we want to focus on real-life experiences: what helps, what does not, and what is still missing? Members of the Technology Network will share examples, but equally important is your input. By exchanging practical insights and experiences, we aim to build a clearer picture of meaningful, usable technology. Join us to explore what truly makes a difference in daily life and help shape technology that works for people with deafblindness. |
