Event Highlight - Perkins School for the Blind's Early Connections Conference
The Perkins School for the Blind’s Early Connections Conference is a two-day event in May for families, educators, and medical professionals of young children with vision loss, deafblindness, and blindness to come together and find resources, support, community, and expert guidance.
Two of the people who organize the event, Rachel Bennett and Amy Ferreira, invited me over to the Perkins campus to share the history of the conference and why it exists, stories that show the impact of turning isolation into community, and details of this year's conference.
Released March 9th, 2026
(Click here to listen on streaming apps) (Full transcript below)
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The Early Connections Conference is May 1st and May 2nd, 2026. Registration is open now through April 17th at perkins.org/earlycc.
Reach out to Rachel and Amy at earlyconnections@perkins.org.
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Thanks to podcast promotional partners the Watertown Business Coalition and Watertown News.
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This program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Transcript
Matt 0:07
Hi there. Welcome to the Little Local Conversations Podcast. I'm your host, Matt Hanna. Every episode, I sit down for a conversation to discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. This episode is an event highlight for something that's going on over at the Perkins School for the Blind here in Watertown. Perkins is having their Early Connections Conference on May 1st and May 2nd. And it's an event that's been going on for 43 years. So it's a specialized event, but I thought it'd be something great to highlight because it might be helpful to some people in the community to go check it out. And also just to raise awareness of this great event that's happening within our city. So I sat down for a short conversation with Amy Ferreira and Rachel Bennett over at the Perkins School. I’ll let them introduce themselves and then we'll get into a conversation about the conference.
Amy 0:49
Hi, I'm Amy Ferreira. I'm Director of Admissions and Enrollment here at Perkins School for the Blind. Back in 2020, my department and myself, we assumed responsibility and took the conference on with open arms, and we've made it to what it is today.
Rachel 1:03
And I'm Rachel Bennett. I'm the Program Manager of Admissions and Enrollment at Perkins. I joined the team in 2023 and immediately started helping to plan the conference. And now I kind of oversee the whole thing with support from our team.
Matt 1:16
Great. So tell me a little bit, what is the Early Connections Conference?
Rachel 1:21
Sure. The Early Connections Conference is an event for families, educators, and medical professionals of young children with vision loss, deafblindness, and blindness to come together, find resources, support, especially definitely community, and expert guidance. It's a wonderful event. It's going into its 43rd year, and it's just a wonderful way for people at the start of their journeys to get that support and the help that they need to kind of navigate next steps.
Matt 1:49
Yeah, so it's pretty broad. You're not hitting just a single audience here. So you want to tell about how the different experiences for like parents versus educators and professionals and stuff like that. Is there anything you try to think about when you're giving them their experience with the conference?
Rachel 2:05
Sure. Yeah, definitely. I mean, we tell people up front what the sessions are about. So there are breakout sessions, so they can pick and choose what they feel like is more applicable to them. But this year we've really tried to think about that a little bit more, how to tailor content to different audiences. We're now gonna have a workshop day. So in the past, the conference was just one day. Now we're gonna have a workshop day on Friday, May 1st, before the presentations on May 2nd. And those are gonna be divided by audience. So family members, caregivers will be in one section. They'll have three workshops tailored to them. It's gonna be small groups, really interactive, really special. And then we'll at the same time have educators, they'll have three workshops as well tailored to them. So again, really intimate conversations. They can really talk about what's going on in their lives, how to help their children or their students meet other people in their community.
Rachel: 2:57
You know, being a parent or an educator of a child with special needs can be really lonely and isolating at first. And that's the point of this conference is to bring people together, really. We also have this year a program called conference connections, where if people want to meet someone ahead of time before the conference, they can be paired up with someone, you know, if they have a similar role or if they have children around the same age, if they're coming from the same region, they'll be connected. We also have a family liaison and an educator liaison who will reach out to people who've requested help so they can provide resources, give their guidance beforehand. We're really, we're just trying to build up such a system of support for our attendees. And again, just tailor the content to them so that they are taken care of. They don't have to worry about sifting through information we're giving to them and they know that they can come to us for support.
Amy 3:47
I'll add to that too, in terms of the parent experience, a lot of the times it's the first time a parent's ever been in the same room with another parent that their child carries that same diagnosis. Perkins represents a wide range of profiles that we serve here on the campus, but also that's what this conference is created for. So it's a day, I would say to parents, it's a day to come and learn, but also let your shoulders down and realize you're not alone. The special ed journey is really challenging in so many ways. And this conference is meant to make it just a little bit easier. And we always say in the beginning of the morning every day at opening remarks that this is like a hug. This is like a, just a hug from Perkins, and we're never gonna let go. So parents, I think, don't realize it till they're actually here. For professionals, I'd say the same. You know, working with students with multiple complex disabilities, those with vision loss, those with deafblindness, it's still a small minority of the disability group, right? And to have all of these experts and all of these customized pieces to the puzzle just for this one day is really unheard of. There's really nothing like Early Connections. And I think that's what makes it so unique for those professionals coming for the right type of support and the right type of expertise.
Matt 5:01
Yeah. So how about a little bit of history of this, since this is such a unique thing. Where did it come from? How did it come about?
Rachel 5:08
Yeah. So the conference began in 1984. It was brought to Perkins by Tom Miller, who was a former teacher and program director at Perkins. He got the idea from a conference he participated in in New York called the Reaching Out Conference. So he brought it to Perkins. He thought it'd be a great resource for our families. And at the time, they called it the Taking Care of Our Children, Taking Care of Ourselves Conference. It changed to the Early Connections Conference in 2011, but you know, it's still the same thing. Taking care of our families. The audience has brought in educators and professionals who work with young children as well, just to really how to support themselves. And then from supporting themselves, that helps them to take care of their children and their students better. It's kind of like the oxygen mask thing on a plane, right? You have to put it on yourself before you're helping others. And that's really our goal.
Rachel: 5:53
The conference was in person every year until 2020, when of course COVID happened. It pivoted to virtual for three years and then came back in 2023. And then we realized we had been able to reach so many more people virtually, because you know, there are a lot of families and educators who just can't take the time to travel, can't afford the travel. And especially the families who have children with medical complexities, they can't find the caregivers to be there. I mean, the parents and families know how to support their children best, and it's so hard to find anyone to step in their shoes for even an hour, let alone a day or two. So we decided in 2024 to make it hybrid. So we have that in-person component still on our campus, but we also are able to reach people in their homes or at their schools. Last year, we reached people in 24 countries and 41 states. So really it proved to us that this was something that was worth keeping, and we intend to do that for the foreseeable future.
Rachel: 6:52
So this year we'll also be hybrid. But again, we'll have workshops on May 1st that are in-person only to still keep that interactive piece. Hybrid makes it a little bit harder to do because people have, you know, requested that. That is something that they kind of have been missing. So we said, okay, let's do workshops on May 1st and then keep the presentations on May 2nd. So if people want that in-person experience, they're able to do it. And if they're traveling, they're gonna be here for more than one day. Really make it worth the time that they're taking and the expense to be here.
Amy 7:22
It's really amazing the growth that we've seen in the 43 years. History is so important, but even just over the last handful of years, what this conference has become is really something to be proud of. To think we're doing workshops and you have a buddy system and, you know, a liaison for family and a liaison for professionals. I mean, I never would have thought we've gotten to this level. And it just, that's what Perkins does. It's pretty amazing. So it's exciting.
Matt 7:47
Yeah. So maybe this is a good point to transition into some impact stories. So, you know, this all sounds good, but like what are some of the actual impacts? What are stories of people who have interacted with this conference and come out of it in a different place?
Amy 7:58
I'll share an impact story. This quote I'm about to read comes from a woman by the name of April Palmquist. And April, her and her family has a history here at Perkins. They were engaged in our infant toddler program, which serves birth to age three across Massachusetts, as well as many evaluation services throughout the years. So we got to know April over a period of time. She'd be that first smiling face you'd see in the conference sea of eyes looking at you up from the stage. And she was kind enough to share this quote with us, so I'll go ahead and read it.
Amy: 8:29
I attended my first conference in 2023, and it was my first virtual conference. My son had just been diagnosed, and I was at the point in my life where I knew some things about his diagnosis. I still was sort of exploring what it meant for him and my family and the path moving forward. Because it was virtual, I was listening through my phone and I was in my car. And the keynote speaker's story spoke to me in just so many ways. I felt in that moment what I was experiencing, she was experiencing. And it was at that moment in time that I just knew that this community was for me. I was in my car crying because it resonated so deeply with me that I was not alone.
Amy: 9:09
And I just think this particular quote, it really just speaks to that, what I said before of parents just not being alone and realizing someone else during this day, during this time within this connection to the community, that they're experiencing it too, and it's okay. And the guilt and the shame and all those pieces of the journey are natural. And, you know, that she had that emotional experience in her car from her phone the first time we went virtual. It's just so incredibly powerful.
Rachel 9:38
I'll add two more stories that really have stuck out to me in the few years I've been doing this. Last year, we had a mom of a little boy named Finn. Hi, Shelby, hi Finn, come from Kansas City. She didn't know anyone. She was pregnant with her second at the time. And she came here all on her own because she needed the support. And I just really admired that from her. And that really was what inspired our conference connections program. I never want someone to feel like, oh, I don't know anyone. I'm not going to go there because I just, I'll be all by myself. That's not the point of the conference. We want people to have connections, you know, of course, at the conference, but before as well, if that's going to help them feel more comfortable and find that community that they're looking for.
Rachel: 10:18
Another story, we had a family come from California, Jainu, Shruti, and Raina. Jainu shared a really wonderful story, and I'd like to share it. He said, as part of her disorder, Raina's hand use is much less than that of her peers. We've tried a gazillion toys for her, but she hasn't shown as much interest or affection for them as we would want to see. But there is a spontaneous connection with a Barbie doll that was at the conference with one of our exhibitors. It was a doll that had a white cane to, you know, really represent the community that we serve and the children that we have on campus and also the children we serve in communities as well. And he said maybe it's just a vibe around the conference or just having her feel that this is the place where she's understood and she's welcomed. And then seeing it being represented in the form of a Barbie doll, that was amazing to see. She wouldn't even let go of it for a few more weeks. This was one of the things that we always wanted to see as a parent, and we got to see it at the conference.
Rachel: 11:13
So I think that also shows that, you know, the presentations and the workshops are so wonderful and so helpful. But it's also just the tiny moments in between that really stand out and have such an impact. And it's hard to put into words. That's what people are going to experience when they're a part of the conference, whether they come in person or virtually, those little moments that really have such an impact and make such a difference down the line in their journey.
Matt 11:38
Yeah. So why don't we talk a little bit about this year's conference because you have a lot going on. So, first of all, when is the conference? What days, what time, then move through your themes and all that stuff going on.
Rachel 11:52
So the conference is two days this year. It's going to be on May 1st and May 2nd. May 1st will be our day of workshops. That's going to be in person only. That will start at 8:30 in the morning and end around 2:30. And then Saturday will be our typical presentation day that we've done for the past 43 years. That will be hybrid. So again, our hybrid model that we've adopted. And that will be from 8 o'clock to 4:30. It's really just two packed days of presentations and workshops and meeting people and working with others and making those connections. We'll provide a light breakfast and lunch both days.
Rachel 12:29
Again, we'll have exhibitors also for Saturday. We'll have quite a lot this year. We have a really exciting lineup, and they'll have the most innovative resources that they can provide, the newest services that families and educators might not be aware of. And they can really have those one-on-one conversations. Exhibitors will also be available on the app as well. So the virtual audience isn't losing that touch point and way to connect. We'll also have giveaways. We have giveaways every year in person, we'll have some virtual giveaways as well this year.
Rachel: 13:01
And again, just those dedicated networking opportunities. We also this year will have a breakout room of support sessions, which will be led by a really experienced facilitator just to talk about what they're experiencing, whether they're a family member or an educator or professional. We'll divide those audiences as well. So families and caregivers will be together and then educators and professionals will be together. So they can just be transparent about what they're going through, questions that they have, the support that they need. You know, it's a supportive group. There's never going to be judgment among the people here. We want you to talk honestly about what you're going through because that's the best way to get the support that you need and the community that you need. That's why we're here. So we really want to set aside time for that for our attendees. And virtual attendees will also have a virtual support session as well.
Matt 13:50
And do you want to give a little information on the keynote speaker and her background?
Rachel 13:55
Yes. The keynote speaker, her name is Darlene Norman. She's a licensed educational psychologist. She's a parent and she's also an advocate. Her daughter has CHARGE Syndrome. Her daughter's 13 years old. So she's coming to this conference with personal experience, but then she also has the professional experience. She's been a school psychologist. She's also been a school administrator. So she really has both sides of the perspective that's really unique, and she can really speak to all of our audience. So we're really excited to have her.
Amy 14:26
And for those who don't know what CHARGE Syndrome is, it's the leading cause of congenital deafblindness. And we have the largest population in the world enrolled here at Perkins. So when we say expert, we mean expert. The folks that are coming from our deafblind program to support this conference, whether it's a workshop or a presentation, their experience is just not matched anywhere else. So it's exciting we get to offer that. And Darlene is highly connected to the larger foundation.
Matt 14:53
Yeah. And the theme for the conference this year is action. Do you want to talk about that theme, how that came about, and why that is the thing that brings it all together for you this year?
Rachel 15:03
Yeah. So action is really how our networks can come together, amplify our voices, navigate really complicated systems, and advocate for the supports that our children need and deserve. This really came about because a lot of things are changing. Department of Education, you know, there's big changes around that too. So how can we best advocate for our children's needs? And so we just felt like now is the best time to bring that about. But again, it's not even about advocacy. It's just really about how to take the next step, how to take action for your child.
Rachel: 15:37
You know, one thing I've also said about this conference is that it was started before the internet when it was really hard to get information to find other people who are going through what you're going through and what your child's going through. But now, especially with AI, there's too much. Some people still have trouble, you know, especially very rare diseases and syndromes, are still very hard to find information. But now it's there's so much out there. What is most applicable to me? What's right, what's wrong? What is AI just, you know, hallucinating? It's so confusing. And so we want our attendees to know that they can rely on us to have vetted that information to bring to them the most up-to-date findings, the best supports for their children and for themselves. So they don't have to question it. Again, they can come here, just know that they're taken care of, and just breathe a sigh of relief.
Amy 16:27
The theme is my favorite part. It really just kicks off all the planning. And Rachel always has next year's theme in her mind. She's already thinking about it now for what we're gonna do. And it just kick starts everything that we do and it makes all the pieces fall into place so nicely. So action was exciting to take on, and it's how we got to where we are.
Matt 16:46
Now, we haven't really talked about Perkins in general, so maybe just a little bit of background on what is the Perkins School for the Blind and how does this loop into everything that it does?
Amy 16:55
Sure. So Perkins School for the Blind, we're the oldest school for the blind in the world. We're just about to hit 200 years in a few years from now. We've been on this campus since 1911. We currently serve students aged 3 to 22, those who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind, those with additional multiple complex disabilities. We offer day and residential programming. And as I've said before, our expertise is just unmatched. The level of support and intention that these professionals give to these individual student programs is absolutely unbelievable. We are internationally certified. We have students that come from all over the US, all over the world to enroll here. We're a nonprofit organization, so the school is one piece to the puzzle, but the most important piece to the puzzle. I always think we're like the beacon of light, you know, from the tower here in Watertown. And everything just falls into place around it.
Rachel: 17:45
We have a brailler program, accessibility programs, a braille and talking book library, an international program, an assistive device center. We support students with the same profile as our enrolled students, but those who stay within their district through itinerant services. So through Teachers of the Deaf, Teachers of the Visually Impaired. We operate the largest infant toddler program across Massachusetts right here on campus. We offer parent support groups. We have Perkins Academy now, which is an online platform for educators to come and be trained by Perkins professionals. We have a CVI center. I mean, the list just goes on, but the school is the most important piece to the puzzle. And how that relates to the conference is really everything we do is embedded in the work that happens here on campus. And Early Connections is no different. And a lot of our presenters throughout the conference days are teachers here on campus. So they are dedicated and living and breathing the work every single day, and they take the time to support the conference and be part of the presentation lineup.
Rachel 18:46
So I was thinking about this the other day, how we both work in the admissions department and I feel like that's so fitting for this conference because we all get into this line of work because we like making people feel welcome. Perkins is already a very welcoming community, so it's such a gift and an honor to be one of those first points of contact. And again, that's exactly what this conference is for is to welcome people. So it's just very much a natural progression of our work to then also be hosting the conference.
Amy: 19:12
It's like a wedding every year.
Rachel: 19:15
I know. It is, yeah, a lot of detail like a wedding, but then also a lot of celebration like a wedding. I think that's one thing.
Matt 19:21
Do you stress over the playlist?
Rachel 19:23
Oh, the flowers for sure.
Amy 19:25
There definitely are some minor things that get us in the weeds a little bit. But with the mission of Perkins and the mission of the conference, if you keep that in the forefront, it all goes smoothly no matter what. We have a great team and we rely a lot on feedback after the conference has happened from all the attendees and from those who supported the conference to really figure out how we can be better next year, what we did well, what could we do more of, what should we maybe not do any more of. And I think that just makes it what it is. It really just emphasizes that community piece. It's not just Rachel running the conference, all of Perkins helps with the conference, even though she leads it.
Rachel 20:00
Yeah, I say, I think I said last year in my opening remarks or maybe the year before that, you know, they say it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to run a conference that's about raising a child. So it's a lot of pieces coming together. It's so much about collaboration. We could not run this conference without so many people on our campus and across our organization. I'm having meetings constantly with different departments to try to pull this together, and everyone is more than welcome and open to supporting it. That's just Perkins, though.
Amy 20:30
It's just Perkins. That's our mission. You know, everybody's willing to lend a helping hand and you know, they see how amazing it can be with the right type of support. So it's exciting.
Rachel 20:39
Yeah, it is really exciting.
Matt 20:41
Nice. Well, is there anything else that we didn't hit on that you wanted to make sure you got out there about the conference before we wrap it up?
Rachel 20:48
Sure. I think again, just how celebratory the conference is. We talk about we want to be a support for people. We know the beginning of their journeys can be really isolating and scary, and there's a lot of unknowns and a lot of questions. And there is that. But this conference is also about, you know, not only finding those answers and providing that support, but celebrating our children. Our children are amazing. I love our students. I love the community that we support. And it's really just about talking about all the things that they've accomplished and achieved and all that they will achieve and will accomplish, versus challenges that they have and disability. We talk about abilities.
Amy 21:25
Right. And possibilities. We set our expectations really high for our students. Because that helps them grow. I would say if you're listening and you have somebody who might benefit from this conference, have them reach out to us. We're always happy to help. You know, even if you work with a student who may not have a visual impairment but does have some level of a disability, this conference is for you. All are welcome. Yeah, we're just excited. May 1st and 2nd are going to be here before you know it.
Matt 21:49
Where should people go to find out that information? When do signups begin? When is registration through? All that information.
Rachel 21:55
Sure. Registration is open now. It'll be open until April 17th. They can go to perkins.org forward slash early CC to register. They can also, if they have questions, as Amy mentioned, they can email earlyconnections at Perkins.org. Anytime they have questions, they're welcome to reach out. We've had people even reach out about where can I find services for my child in California or South Carolina. We're happy to help. I'm not just saying that I've, we've gotten many emails from that. And even Shelby, who came to the conference, had emailed after asking about services and we followed up with her to help provide that. Because it's, again, a community. Even if it's you're not getting services through Perkins, it's such a small world that we're in. And we just want to help. So if it's not through us, we'll refer you to another place that can help. We're here for you. That's it.
Matt 22:46
Great. Well, I'll put all that information in the show notes so people can see that and click through. Thanks for sitting down to share all this information. And if you're interested, go check that out. And thanks for everything you're doing at Perkins.
Rachel 22:57
Thank you.
Amy: 22:57
Thank you.
Matt 22:58
So that's it for my conversation with Amy and Rachel. And I'll put all the information in the show notes so you can click through for more information and to register if you're interested. Again, it's on May 1st and May 2nd. Go check that out.
Matt: 23:10
All right, if you'd like to hear more episodes of the podcast, you can head on over to LittleLocalConversations.com, find all the episodes, upcoming events, and sign up for my weekly newsletter to keep up to date with everything related to the podcast. Thank you to Doug Orifice and his business, Arsenal Financial, for being sponsors of the podcast. They're a financial planning business here in Watertown that helps busy families, small businesses, and people close to retirement. So if you need help in any of those areas, reach out to Doug and his team at ArsenalFinancial.com. I also want to give a thank you to the Watertown Cultural Council who have given me a grant this year to help support the podcast. So I want to give them the appropriate credit, which is, this program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. You can find out more about them at WatertownCulturalCouncil.org and MassCulturalCouncil.org. And a couple shout outs to promotional partners. First one goes to the Watertown Business Coalition. Their motto is Community Is Our Business. Find out more about them at WatertownBusinessCoalition.com. And lastly, Watertown News, which is a Watertown focused online newspaper. It's a great place to keep up to date with everything going on in the city. Check that out at WatertownMAnews.com. So that's it. Until next time, take care.
