Public Notice

The IESDB Board of Directors will be holding a Special Board Meeting, Monday, June 24th, 2021 to consider the Fiscal Year 2022 budget. The meeting will begin at 9:00 am, with the location yet to be determined.

Welcome to Our Site

Brian Darcy, Agency AdministratorTo all of our Friends and Families of IESDB out there, welcome to our webpage. We are winding down our school year for our campus program (the ISDB) and schools are preparing for graduation. We have been “in person learning” since January 3rd. We are excited to be ending the year in a more traditional manner than we did last year.

The school year is reaching its close, it does not, however, mean that education is taking a “summer break” as well. We are excited to partner with several other Idaho agencies to offer ongoing educational experiences. Our “Learn to Earn” or “Ready, Set, Go – to work” summer program is in full swing for both populations. This gives students an opportunity to learn what it takes to get a job, maintain a job – and actually go to work and earn some money! We also have our Sawtooth Summer camp for younger Deaf students and our BVI “Experiences” camp being offered this summer. (BVI “Experiences” will be a camp in a box this year – the rest are in person). We are planning on offering most of these camps in person, while following COVID protocols. Summer playgroups – although not as large as in the past, will also be offered in our regional programs. These are great opportunities for our students to interact and families can connect as well. We will be having several professional development opportunities for all teachers and professionals working with our students, so keep an eye out for those, as well.

Lastly, we know this past year has been a burden on many of our families and friends. Although we are not all the way through the tunnel, we see a great ray of hope for return to normalcy. Vaccinations, masking, washing hands, and keeping appropriate distance are going to be the way we continue to battle to provide a solid, in-person, educational experience. Thanks to the support of our Board, the Governor’s office, the Legislature, our families, and all our partner agencies, we believe that we can continue to provide the best educational opportunity for Idaho children. Have a safe and educational summer!Brian Darcy - I.E.S.D.B Administrator

International White Cane Safety Day

student with poster reading me plus white cane equals independence

The Department of the Blind/ Visually Impaired staff and students united to celebrate White Cane day in October. They carried their posters during a walk along Main Street in Gooding, to build the awareness of the general public about White canes and their use within the Blind /Visually Impaired population.

International White Cane Safety Day helps increase awareness across the globe about important safety considerations when encountering people using canes.

  • The white cane signifies that the pedestrian using it is blind or visually impaired.
  • The white cane alerts motorists of the need to exercise special caution and provide the user the right of way.
  • The white cane symbolizes the independence, confidence and skills of the person who is using it.