September, 2007

It was an enthusiastic and lively crowd that descended on Perth, Australia at the DBI Conference last September. Participants experienced some of the wettest and warmest days of the season - a welcome respite from the drought they had experienced. Yet nothing dampened the mood of the hundreds of participants from all over the world who participated in this conference.

The opening ceremony exposed us to some Native Australian dance and song...a welcome message from the governor...and a wonderful reception with traditional Australian food including kangeroo meat. Over the course of the next few days, conference participants dashed to participate in a plethora of concurrent sessions. Amazing keynotes helped to keep us informed and excited about being part of the deaf-blind community.

The Rubella Network held its first informal meeting during concurrent sessions. This half hour session served to put faces to names and to whet the appetites of those who participated. Individuals from over a dozen countries attended, including persons with CRS, parents and professionals in the field. All expressed the same message- don't let rubella be forgotten! There is a clear need for ongoing research, information and dissemination.

Three presentations focused on rubella during the conference. Nancy O'Donnell of the Helen Keller National Center in New York described some of the ongoing research in which they are involved as well as some challenges we continue to face.

Joff McGill of SENSE UK addressed the emotionally loaded topic of MMR/Autism. CLICK HERE to read his presentation.

Trees van Nunen-Schrauwen and Anneke Schoenmaker of the Netherlands (Bartiméus Sonneheerdt and Viataal) reported on "The medical and psychological impact of Congenital Rubella Syndrome in adults." This ongoing study is collecting  medical and psychological data of approximately 65 adults with CRS born before 1985 and bears watching.

DBI will be hosting Network meetings at its 7th European Conference in September, 2009, in Italy. We hope to be able to have our next Rubella Network meeting there. See you in Italy!