[nfb-db] state convention

[Sheila Leigland]

thanks much appreciated. I think speaking with people that I know well 
is going to be harder than speaking in front of everyone at national. 
Most of them were strangers so there was no emotional risk of being 
rejected or at least the subject being rejected.
On 10/15/2013 8:12 AM, Marsha Drenth wrote:
> Sheila,
> If I were in your shoes, I would probably talk to the convention about issues deafblind persons face. First outline that deafblind is a broad term, meaning that anyone who has a hearing loss, or who has a visual impairment together can be considered deafblind. That blind persons can have varying degrees of vision and hearing loss. they also can have varying communication modes. for example, some are verbal, some use sign, some use tactual sign, others read braille only, or have all spoke words written down to read. If you can imagine of all the different combinations, you have talked about the deafblind community. Talk about your experiences in not being able to hear in noisey places, how you can't hear this or that. How maybe you don't feel comfortable traveling in new areas because you can't rely on your hearing. You could also say something about how deafblind people have a harder time finding a job and keeping that job. You could also mention, how you are taking steps to become more independent by going to HKNC soon. Explain that HKNC is like a NFB training center but they cater to the deafblind. Instead of HKNC just teaching blindness skills they teach both skills how to live as a deafblind person and as a blind person. I would also talk about the tolerance that the blind community must have for those persons who are deafblind. That none of us just got up one day and said, I am going to be deafblind today. That if a deafblind person asks for information, don't get all upset when that person can't hear your response. Yes and the last thing I would talk about is the Icanconnect program.
>
> Sorry you couldn't get a person from HKNC there, but hopefully I have given you things you can talk about. I would say that is the number one thing we need to do as deafblind persons in the NFB is educate others about us and all that means.
>
> Good Luck.
>
> Marsha drenth
> Sent with my IPhone
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