deaf-blindness is among the most severe of all forms of disabilities, and there is a great and continuing need for services and training to help individuals who are deaf-blind attain the highest possible level of development;

due to the rubella epidemic of the 1960’s, the rapidly increasing number of older persons many of whom are experiencing significant losses of both vision and hearing, and recent advances in medical technology that have sustained the lives of many severely disabled individuals, including individuals who are deaf-blind, who might not otherwise have survived, the need for services for individuals who are deaf-blind is even more pressing now than in the past;

helping individuals who are deaf-blind to become self-sufficient, independent, and employable by providing the services and training necessary to accomplish that end will benefit the Nation, both economically and socially;

the Helen Keller National Center for Youths and Adults who are Deaf-Blind is a vital national resource for meeting the needs of individuals who are deaf-blind and no State currently has the facilities or personnel to meet such needs;

the Federal Government has made a substantial investment in capital, equipment, and operating funds for such Center since it was established; and

it is in the national interest to continue to provide support for the Center, and it is a proper function of the Federal Government to be the primary source of such support.