Attendance Selection Policy

Goal of this policy to ensure a fair balance between DeafBlind Arizona residents and non-residents while prioritizing first-time attendees and rewarding past interest.

Allocation:

  • Minimum 40% of Retreat Spots: Reserved for Arizona residents.
  • Remaining Spots: Open to non-residents. The exact number of spots available to non-residents will depend on the total number of applicants and resident applications received.

Selection Process:

  1. First Priority: First-time attendees.
  2. Second Priority: Top 10 applicants from last year’s waitlist who re-applied this year (residents and non-residents considered together).
  3. Third Priority: Returning attendees, prioritized in the following order:
    • Applicants with the Earliest Prior Attendance will be considered first. This means those who last attended a retreat furthest in the past will be prioritized.
    • In case of ties in attendance date (e.g., both attended 2 years ago), applicants who submitted their application earlier will be considered first.

Note:

  • All Retreat Team staff who are DeafBlind and reside in Arizona will be counted towards the 40% resident allocation.

*** This policy serves as a guideline and is reviewed on an annual basis. All final decisions regarding retreat attendance are subject to board approval/discretion. ***