[nfb-db] nfb-db Digest, Vol 52, Issue 8

Sat May 25 06:34:14 UTC 2013

Hi Everyone:

Cathy, I can not agree with your message more. There is strength in
numbers. If we just give up on the federation, then no change will be
made.
Please let me know what I can do as a young leader in the federation
to help. Next week I am attending a leadership seminar at the national
center for young, up and coming leaders. I was invited;it is
invitation only.
Maybe here soon, I will write an article myself on my experiences as a
deaf-blind person who went through training at LCB.
Thanks,
Kerri

On 5/24/13, Marsha Drenth <marsha.drenth at gmail.com> wrote:
> Cathy,
> Unfortunately I was unaware of the article Janice wrote in the Monitor. It
> wasn't because I don't want to read the Monitor, but only because between
> being a full time student taking 15 to 17 credits a semester, being a
> mother, the moderator of the NAGDU list, my husband, church, there is not
> enough time in the day. Of course I also don't need to justify myself to
> anyone. If the article had just been mentioned, I of course then would have
> read it.
>
>
> Marsha drenth
> Sent with my IPhone
>
> On May 24, 2013, at 6:57 PM, Catherine Miller <guillcat at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Marsha, haven't you been reading the Monitor?  Yes, they would, and have
>> within the last couple of months, published more than one article about
>> deaf-blind issues.  One of the articles was written by our very own Janice
>> Toothman.  Janice, I am so very proud of you for doing this.  I have been
>> meaning to do it myself, but haven't worked hard enough to find the time.
>> You did what only a true leader would do, and I'm so very glad that you
>> are among us.  Guys, the old attitudes really truly are changing, but we
>> must, must, must keep the momentum going.  We've got a long way to go, and
>> folks are starting to listen.  Now we must educate them so they can begin
>> to understand.  What we're doing here is the best way to release all those
>> years of frustration over the way things are.  USE that energy to
>> influence the change.
>>
>> I want to emphasize that I do not belittle your frustration, or your
>> suffering, or your anger, or anything else you might possibly feel as a
>> Federationist who is different in the way that seems to matter most to
>> other Federationists.  It's felt to me like the kiss of death.  Gather
>> your strength from the rest of us on the DB list.  Join other DB lists.
>> It's no secret that there's strength in numbers.
>>
>> Cathy Miller
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> On May 22, 2013, at 9:00 PM, nfb-db-request at nfbnet.org wrote:
>>
>>> Send nfb-db mailing list submissions to
>>>   nfb-db at nfbnet.org
>>>
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>>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>>> than "Re: Contents of nfb-db digest..."
>>>
>>>
>>> Today's Topics:
>>>
>>>  1. Re: Orlando 2013 National Convention (Sheila Leigland)
>>>  2. Re: HKNC (David Andrews)
>>>  3. Re: nfb-db Digest, Vol 52, Issue 2 (Catherine Miller)
>>>
>>>
>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 1
>>> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 15:07:10 -0600
>>> From: Sheila Leigland <sleigland at bresnan.net>
>>> To: NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] Orlando 2013 National Convention
>>> Message-ID: <519D337E.5010100 at bresnan.net>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>>
>>> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
>>> URL:
>>> <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfb-db_nfbnet.org/attachments/20130522/f84cf79c/attachment-0001.html>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 2
>>> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 18:37:33 -0500
>>> From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
>>> To: NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] HKNC
>>> Message-ID: <auto-000110960641 at mailfront3.g2host.com>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>>>
>>> So this discussion doesn't get out of hand I would like to suggest an
>>> alternative word.  It was said that state presidents "denied" that
>>> they had deaf-blind members.  Maybe a way to think of it is that they
>>> aren't aware of deaf-blind members.
>>>
>>> David Andrews, List Owner
>>>
>>> At 08:13 AM 5/22/2013, you wrote:
>>>> Janice,
>>>>
>>>> I want to make sure that I understand correctly, the NFb DB division
>>>> asked the state presidents for the names of those within their
>>>> states who are deafblind? And the state presidents denied that they
>>>> even had deafblind persons in the state? What! Seriously! Please
>>>> tell me your kidding. I guess your not. In a way I do believe that
>>>> this happened. UGH! This makes me all shades of mad and frustrated.
>>>>
>>>> I know of quite of few DB in the state of PA. Perhaps those
>>>> presidents are delusional, or perhaps they really don't have any DB,
>>>> because the NFB has such a bad reputation for acceptance of the
>>>> different, or the DB.
>>>>
>>>> its the same as the NAGDU board/division asking the state presidents
>>>> of who the guide dog users are. I remember a time when guide dogs in
>>>> the NFB were not accepted, so now as the DB division and people we
>>>> are starting off at the same point.
>>>>
>>>> I wonder if, one of us wrote an article, and wanted it in the
>>>> Braille Monitor about DB issues, if it would be included. What do
>>>> you all think?
>>>>
>>>> Marsha drenth
>>>> Sent with my IPhone
>>>>
>>>> On May 22, 2013, at 6:14 AM, Janice Toothman
>>>> <janice.toothman at verizon.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi Marsha and Pawpower,
>>>>> I empathize.
>>>>> As a secretary of the deaf-blind division, the board talked about
>>>> lack of acceptance by the NFB to issues of the deaf-blind. We had
>>>> tried to get asked each state affiliate president for the names of
>>>> deaf-blind individuals in their state all had denied they had any
>>>> deaf-blind members!
>>>>> We discussed the growing as more people live longer they will
>>>> acquire age related deaf-blindness.
>>>>>
>>>>> We will be seeking to propose resolutions this year at the
>>>> National Convention to hope raise awareness to the deaf-blind issues.
>>>>> Janice
>>>>> On 5/22/2013 1:09 AM, The Pawpower Pack wrote:
>>>>>> Marsha,
>>>>>> I have never been to HK as a student, but I did want to say that
>>>> I have had the same experience with the NFB, on local, state, and
>>>> national levels.  Not willing to provide interpreters, Resentful
>>>> attitudes, nasty namecalling and treating me like I have terrible
>>>> blindness skills because I'm deaf and therefore can't interact with
>>>> the world like hearing people.
>>>>>> I have to say, that the NAGDU has been the single exception to
>>>> my experience and is wonderful.
>>>>>> I don't go to national conventions any more, because I'm tired
>>>> of the names and the superior attitudes, and the downright nasty
>>>> behavior.  It's very sad.  Because as our population ages, more and
>>>> more people will experience hearing loss.  So the same people who
>>>> are being rude and horrible today may have hearing loss in 20
>>>> years.  I hope, for their sake, that fundamental change will have
>>>> happened in the NFB by the time they need it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
>>>>>> Bristol, Mill'E-Max, Laveau!
>>>>>> pawpower4me at gmail.com
>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On May 21, 2013, at 9:14 PM, Marsha Drenth
>>>> <marsha.drenth at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hello Listers,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> For the past year I have lost a significant amount of hearing.
>>>> Last tested I was at a 100DB loss. I have been totally blind for
>>>> the last 10 years. as a child I attended a school for the blind. So
>>>> my blindness skills are good. But now with the loss of my hearing,
>>>> life has certainly gotten interesting and challenging. I will be
>>>> the first to say that I have been struggling. Currently I am a full
>>>> time student at a major university pursuing a degree in Social
>>>> Work. I have one year left.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So my questions are this, Has anyone on this list been to HKNC?
>>>> I know the NFB advocates for a blindness skills training center,
>>>> but that is NOT what i need. my OVR came to and has recommended
>>>> that I go to HKNC for training. If you have been, I have a whole
>>>> slue of questions, that i'll ask at another point.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> What is the NFB's stance on HKNC? This by no means will impact
>>>> my desicion to go or not to go. I am curious.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I guess a better reason of why I ask the above questions, is
>>>> that I have been an NFB member for my entire life, my parents, my
>>>> grandparents all have been in the NFB. my grandparents were around
>>>> when the two organizations split. I have grown up with the positive
>>>> philosophy. I get it, I truely do. But here I have been thrust into
>>>> the world of deafblindness. Not many people know this yet, as I am
>>>> working to figure things out, I am only begining to be comfortable
>>>> with expressing my needs to others. I know that is whole another
>>>> subject on acceptance, but that is not my point for this post.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I will relay an experience I had at my last national
>>>> convention, last year in Dallas. I was in the general session, I
>>>> got up to go to the bathroom, found my way out fine. Found the
>>>> bathroom fine. But when I entered the big huge room, I was lost. I
>>>> asked persons around me where I was. People were rude. i said I
>>>> can't hear. people made fun of me. I walked around looking for my
>>>> state for atleast 15 minutes. I was frustrated, I didn't know which
>>>> way was to the front or the back of the room or the way to get out.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I tell you all this, because I realized that my ability to
>>>> hear, my independence was changing. There were other times that I
>>>> got lost, but people were so rude, so mean. When I expressed that I
>>>> was hard of hearing and totally blind, people did not understand,
>>>> care, or get it. In other words I was shunned, looked down upon, made
>>>> fun of.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Why can't people in the NFB accept persons who are different?
>>>> Why are us who are deafblind looked down upon? And if confirmed,
>>>> its just because our blindness skills are lacking. That is not the
>>>> case.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So do the NFB people look down upon those who go to HKNC? Is
>>>> there a difference in training philosophy? Again I said this won't
>>>> change my desision to go for training or not. more curious than
>>>> anything.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Look folks I don't want to argue about this, but I do want answers.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thank you for reading, and sorry this is so long....
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Marsha drenth
>>>>>>> Sent with my IPhone
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 3
>>> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 20:59:44 -0500
>>> From: Catherine Miller <guillcat at gmail.com>
>>> To: "nfb-db at nfbnet.org" <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] nfb-db Digest, Vol 52, Issue 2
>>> Message-ID: <8D58FDB1-2BA4-414D-BFB6-36E894C473D6 at gmail.com>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=us-ascii
>>>
>>> Dear Friends:
>>>
>>> It saddens me to think that some of us just don't get it that we are
>>> guilty of the injustices that we accuse others of.  To answer your
>>> question, Marsha, the NFB is NOT against HKDBA.  Although the NFB might
>>> have a history of supporting vanilla-flavored blindness, the philosophy
>>> of the leardership began to undergo a change with Dr. Maurer.  So many of
>>> the rank and file haven't caught on yet.
>>>
>>> I have to say, truthfully, that among Deaf people, I have experienced the
>>> same type of attitudes.  Not everyone is guilty, but I've witnessed
>>> others being treated like step children and have myself been shunned and
>>> left out because I'm different.  It's human nature, a relic of the past,
>>> and something we must fight against.  The battle will not be won
>>> overnight, but we must continue the fight.
>>>
>>> Don't forget to fight on the state and local level, wherever you can find
>>> support.Pam Allen, my state affiliate president, asked me to present at
>>> our state convention on the topic of deaf-blindness.  I keep a running
>>> dialog with her about deaf-blind issues, and she is lways happy to hear
>>> what's going on.  The attitudes of our NFB are changing rapidly.  It's
>>> like we're gonna reach critical mass at some point, so it's so important
>>> that we bring our knowledge together from as many points as possible,
>>> HKNC being an important one.
>>>
>>> Although I did not attend HKNC, the best thing I ever did as a deaf-blind
>>> person was to attend Louisiana Career Development Center for the Deaf and
>>> Deaf-Blind )LCDC).  All my teachers were culturally and literally Deaf,
>>> so it was a total immersion program.  I learned to communicate in a way
>>> that no other place could have taught me.  Marsha, if you have an
>>> opportunity to attend HKNC, not only do you owe it to yourself, but
>>> remember that the restr of us need the knowledge you will gain there; we
>>> need you, enlightened, to fight with us t.  We are fighting the same
>>> fight that began in 1940 for the founders of the NFB, only those of us
>>> who are deaf-blind are fighting it 73 years later.
>>>
>>> Anyone who would look down on you for going to HKNC is not an enlightened
>>> Federationist.  We are here to support each other, and the important part
>>> of that is realizing that none of us have the same needs as the next
>>> one.
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>> On May 22, 2013, at 8:37 AM, nfb-db-request at nfbnet.org wrote:
>>>
>>>> Send nfb-db mailing list submissions to
>>>>  nfb-db at nfbnet.org
>>>>
>>>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>>>>  http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org
>>>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>>>>  nfb-db-request at nfbnet.org
>>>>
>>>> You can reach the person managing the list at
>>>>  nfb-db-owner at nfbnet.org
>>>>
>>>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>>>> than "Re: Contents of nfb-db digest..."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Today's Topics:
>>>>
>>>> 1. Re: HKNC (Marsha Drenth)
>>>> 2. Re: HKNC (Marsha Drenth)
>>>> 3. Re: Orlando 2013 National Convention (Marsha Drenth)
>>>> 4. Re: HKNC (Marsha Drenth)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> Message: 1
>>>> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 09:04:16 -0400
>>>> From: Marsha Drenth <marsha.drenth at gmail.com>
>>>> To: NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] HKNC
>>>> Message-ID: <44DEAB8A-BB77-4D51-9B4F-D5669A4C146C at gmail.com>
>>>> Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=us-ascii
>>>>
>>>> Rox,
>>>>
>>>> I am not happy to hear that I am the only one. I am happy to hear that I
>>>> am not the one in feeling the way i do about the nastiness.
>>>>
>>>> I have only seen this nastiness on the national level. Although my state
>>>> is just now coming to fully understand my issues, they are supportive.
>>>>
>>>> I am assuming that you have asked for a interpertor? And if when you
>>>> asked what was said? Why was your request denied.
>>>>
>>>> I mean for goodness sakes, the NFB does supply listening devices for
>>>> those who are hard of hearing. This is awesome. But what about those of
>>>> us who can't use the listening devices. We should be denied access to
>>>> the same information? The NFB advocates for access all of the time, what
>>>> about our access? what about our rights? are we that different that we
>>>> don't deserve that right? Heck no...
>>>>
>>>> I am very happy to hear about NAGDU. Of course its not just me, so by no
>>>> means do I take responsibility for this. But NAGDU has worked hard to be
>>>> a good division. And I work hard on the NAGDU list.
>>>>
>>>> Ok, I will shut up now, I could go on forever LOL
>>>>
>>>> Marsha drenth
>>>> Sent with my IPhone
>>>>
>>>> On May 22, 2013, at 1:09 AM, The Pawpower Pack <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Marsha,
>>>>> I have never been to HK as a student, but I did want to say that I have
>>>>> had the same experience with the NFB, on local, state, and national
>>>>> levels.  Not willing to provide interpreters, Resentful attitudes,
>>>>> nasty namecalling and treating me like I have terrible blindness skills
>>>>> because I'm deaf and therefore can't interact with the world like
>>>>> hearing people.
>>>>> I have to say, that the NAGDU has been the single exception to my
>>>>> experience and is wonderful.
>>>>> I don't go to national conventions any more, because I'm tired of the
>>>>> names and the superior attitudes, and the downright nasty behavior.
>>>>> It's very sad.  Because as our population ages, more and more people
>>>>> will experience hearing loss.  So the same people who are being rude
>>>>> and horrible today may have hearing loss in 20 years.  I hope, for
>>>>> their sake, that fundamental change will have happened in the NFB by
>>>>> the time they need it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
>>>>> Bristol, Mill'E-Max, Laveau!
>>>>> pawpower4me at gmail.com
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>> On May 21, 2013, at 9:14 PM, Marsha Drenth <marsha.drenth at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hello Listers,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> For the past year I have lost a significant amount of hearing. Last
>>>>>> tested I was at a 100DB loss. I have been totally blind for the last
>>>>>> 10 years. as a child I attended a school for the blind. So my
>>>>>> blindness skills are good. But now with the loss of my hearing, life
>>>>>> has certainly gotten interesting and challenging. I will be the first
>>>>>> to say that I have been struggling. Currently I am a full time student
>>>>>> at a major university pursuing a degree in Social Work. I have one
>>>>>> year left.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So my questions are this, Has anyone on this list been to HKNC? I know
>>>>>> the NFB advocates for a blindness skills training center, but that is
>>>>>> NOT what i need. my OVR came to and has recommended that I go to HKNC
>>>>>> for training. If you have been, I have a whole slue of questions, that
>>>>>> i'll ask at another point.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What is the NFB's stance on HKNC? This by no means will impact my
>>>>>> desicion to go or not to go. I am curious.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I guess a better reason of why I ask the above questions, is that I
>>>>>> have been an NFB member for my entire life, my parents, my
>>>>>> grandparents all have been in the NFB. my grandparents were around
>>>>>> when the two organizations split. I have grown up with the positive
>>>>>> philosophy. I get it, I truely do. But here I have been thrust into
>>>>>> the world of deafblindness. Not many people know this yet, as I am
>>>>>> working to figure things out, I am only begining to be comfortable
>>>>>> with expressing my needs to others. I know that is whole another
>>>>>> subject on acceptance, but that is not my point for this post.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I will relay an experience I had at my last national convention, last
>>>>>> year in Dallas. I was in the general session, I got up to go to the
>>>>>> bathroom, found my way out fine. Found the bathroom fine. But when I
>>>>>> entered the big huge room, I was lost. I asked persons around me where
>>>>>> I was. People were rude. i said I can't hear. people made fun of me. I
>>>>>> walked around looking for my state for atleast 15 minutes. I was
>>>>>> frustrated, I didn't know which way was to the front or the back of
>>>>>> the room or the way to get out.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I tell you all this, because I reali
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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