Protactile is a method of tactile communication that allows an individual who is DeafBlind/deafblind to have more reliable information about the visual elements of their environment (people smiling/nodding). Protactile allows people to establish tactile communication channels in different ways.
The video above shows a scene of three people sitting in a u-shape. Each person’s left knee is touching the knee of the person they are next to. Starting on the left: David Williams, a white male, is wearing a black shirt and khakis. His left-hand provides tactile communication on the woman’s arm next to him to indicate the someone is signing. In the center sits Kimberly Williams, a white female. Her hair long light brown/ blonde hair lays just below her shoulders. She has her left hand on top of the signer’s hands and her right-hand rests on their leg just above the knee to indicate she is following along. On the right of the screen, Lynette Boyer, a white female is conversing with Kimberly through tactile communication. Lynette has brown/silver hair and wear it as a bob-styled haircut. She is wearing a black tank top with jean-capris. To read the video transcript visit www.aslis.com/pttranscript/
Protactile training is available to individuals who are DeafBlind/deafblind and to service providers who work with DeafBlind/deafblind individuals statewide.
Examples of service providers:
In addition to Protactile, ASLIS collaborates with the non-signing deafblind community to provide trainings on other communication systems. Other communication systems include anything that helps the DeafBlind/deafblind individual engage in their environment and have a more robust communication experience. Since degrees of hearing and vision loss vary widely, communication systems also will be highly individualized. What works for one person may not work for another.
Learn Protactile one-on-one from your home with an experienced trainer. Learn basic Protactile signs and how to work with interpreters. This training will enrich your overall communication experience. You will receive a one and a half hour training session with an expert for free.
How does the training work? Our training will use VP or Zoom platforms to connect. We will hire an interpreter to come to your home to interpret this training or you can request the information ahead of time with large print or braille.
Schedule your one-on-one in home training today!
Contact:
Email: ptcoordinator@aslis.com
VP: 952-388-2141
Voice: 763-478-8963
About the Course
Protactile Foundations is a four-week hybrid course geared towards service providers who work with DeafBlind/deafblind individuals. Through independent coursework and weekly group sessions, participants will gain foundational knowledge of the Protactile movement. In addition, participants will acquire basic Protactile language skills to best serve DeafBlind/deafblind consumers in a variety of settings.
This program utilizes the “The Protactile Movement” and “The Seven Principles of Protactile Language” curriculum developed by the DeafBlind Interpreting National Training & Resource Center (DBI).
To successfully complete this program participants will be required to complete the following:
INDEPENDENT COURSE WORK – UP TO 2 HOURS
Participants will be required to complete the weekly readings, pass weekly quizzes, and attend the weekly group sessions lead by local DeafBlind trainers. These assignments must be complete prior to continuing to the next set of modules.
WEEKLY VIRTUAL TRAINING – 4 SESSIONS, 1.5 HOURS EACH; 6 HOURS
Each week, participants will be required to join the virtual training session; during this time participants will learn basic Protactile signs that correlate with the required weekly readings.
It is anticipated that participants will spend an average of two (2) hours per week with assigned readings, quizzes, and weekly virtual training.
Interested in our Protactile Foundations course?
Our January – March courses are full. Please complete the form below to be contacted once we have selected our April-June 2021 session dates.
Limit of 5 participants will be accepted per training session.
ASLIS highly recommends you connect to the training on a laptop or desktop computer. We cannot guarantee troubleshooting for iPads, Tablets, etc. You must have a strong, stable internet connection (minimum of 5MB download speed). Be sure to Test Your Internet Speed before registering.
Most definitely! ASLIS is an approved sponsor for ALL types of CEU activities. This is a two-part program in that participants will complete DBI’s online coursework and attend four weekly virtual training sessions with local DeafBlind trainers. All online independent coursework CEUs are sponsored by DBI, while the four-weekly virtual sessions are sponsored by ASLIS.
This program has two separate entities as sponsors. ASLIS sponsors CEUs for the four-weekly virtual sessions ONLY, while DBI sponsors the CEUs for the online coursework.
How to earn CEUs and a Certificate of Completion for the weekly virtual sessions:
Upon completing the four-week program, ASLIS will email all participants an evaluation form. After clicking the “Submit Eval & Complete RID CEU/Certificate Form” from the evaluation, you will be directed to the RID CEU/Certificate Request Form. This form requests participants personal information to earn CEUs, such as First and Last Name as it is written on their RID membership account and RID number. Once the above steps have been completed, participants will receive an automatic email with a Certificate of Completion. ASLIS will file the participants CEUs one-week after the date the original evaluation email was sent.
How to earn CEUs and a Certificate of Completion for the online independent coursework found on DBI’s website:
1. You can download a certificate of completion immediately after successfully completing an online module.
2. DBI processes CEUs quarterly. This means that it can take as long as 3 months after you complete a module before your CEUs are recognized by RID.
3. You must have your RID number on file with DBI in order to receive CEUs from RID.
4. You were asked for your RID number when you first registered for your DBI account. You can check your user profile on DBI Moodle to make sure that your RID number is correct. Click on your name or profile picture in the top right corner of any DBI Moodle page and select “Profile” from the menu. If your RID number is not correct or you do not see your RID number on your profile, just click the “Edit profile” link to add or update your number.
Upon successfully completing the program, participants will receive two Certificate of Completions. If CEUs are requested for organizations outside of RID, participants will be required to follow the organizations process in earning CEUs. Typically, the entities require participants to submit a copy of their Certificate of Completion.
This program has two separate entities as sponsors. ASLIS sponsors the four-weekly virtual sessions ONLY, while DBI sponsors the CEUs for the online coursework.
How to earn a Certificate of Completion for the weekly virtual sessions:
Upon completing the four-week program, ASLIS will email all participants an evaluation form. After clicking the “Submit Eval & Complete RID CEU/Certificate Form” from the evaluation, you will be directed to the RID CEU/Certificate Request Form. This form requests participants personal information to obtain a Certificate of Completion, such as First and Last Name. Once the previous steps have been completed, participants will receive an automatic email with a Certificate of Completion.
How to earn CEUs and a Certificate of Completion for the online independent coursework found on DBI’s website:
Participants can download a certificate of completion immediately after successfully completing DBI’s online module.
The Protactile and Other Communications program is provided by ASLIS and is supported by grant funding from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division.