[nfb-db] knew to the list

Thu Sep 5 05:54:10 UTC 2013

Thanks for the feedback I appreciate it all!  Also thinks for describing the 
letters for me!  Today it was all facial expressions to communicate; that 
was interesting!  I did run in to another blind student who is in a level 
higher and he told me that he would help me one on one; he goes to the same 
coledge campus!  I work with blind and apparently deaf refugees, mostly from 
the middle east and Africa!  Smiles, I really have an interesting time 
because I have two or three disabilities, depending on how you look at it! 
I also have MS!  And disability is seen as a tabu for people from that part 
of the world!  To suddenly land in this country alone, no language and than 
find that you have to work with a disabled person who is relatively 
independent on her own!  The first thing they want to know after much 
communication "where is your family... you live alone.... how!"  We take so 
much for granted, there was a girl from Somalia, who never went to school 
because she was blind.  So she could not communicate or read or do anything 
by herself.  Because she was not socialized within that culture, it was hard 
to get a frame of reference to teach her any skills!  How do you tell some 
to read a book when they have never seen a book or have used real language 
that has reference to every day conceps.  She  was 20 years old.  Think 
about how you were at 20! Just one extreme example!  But, I do some 
connecting to resources to make it easier!  Heather
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Marsha Drenth
To: NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List
Cc: <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2013 4:17 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-db] knew to the list

Hi Heather,
I considered taking an ASL class like your doing, but my fear was that I 
could not keep up. So currently I am paying a private tutor to learn tactual 
sign. Here where I live in PA, an interpertor costs about 75 dollars for an 
hour. But I have worked it out with the few SSP/interpertors that we pay 
that every two weeks. This is the best way to go, one on one.
I will be going to HKNC in a few month for training in deaf/hard of hearing 
skills. i have been blind almost my entire life. So I do not need the 
blindness skills part.
When I went for a tour to HKNC back in June, my husband and I asked them the 
same thing. Is there a braille or text document on how to make and perform 
the signs? There answer is no, they knew of nothing.
So when my husband I started learning sign we started this document of how 
to make the signs and the movements. We are careful to describe for 
espically the blind, what to do, including the 5 parameters of ASL.
We are currently up to about 400 signs. Tomorrow we will be starting with a 
new instructor on our sign lessons, so we will be adding to that document. 
At some point we would like to offer it to other blind persons who want to 
know how to sign.
I am alsdo sorry you had such a bad experience with the DB social. Even 
though I am now very involved in the DB group here in PA, its a sub group of 
either the blind or deaf community. Because your HOH you don't exactly fit 
in either the sighted or hearing, deaf groups.
I am wondering if your involved with your state affiliate of NFB, if that 
would be a good way to find other DB persons in Texas. When I lived in 
Dallas, I didn't have a hearing loss, so I didn't pay attention to the state 
services for those who are HOH/deaf. But maybe that would not only be a good 
start to find other DB persons, but maybe finding another person you could 
connect with to learn sign. And further social events.
You might look into Texas's SSP program, if they have one at all. Until you 
really get into the community of DB, can you then connect with other 
resources and people.

I hope I have made sense? And one last thing, like I said I lived in Texas, 
specifically Dallas until 2008. your name sounds familiar. But you might 
know me as Marsha Lindsey, or Marsha marin. If we are long lost aquintances, 
its great too reconnect again. If we aren't, sorry for mixing you up with 
someone else.

Marsha drenth
Sent with my IPhone

On Sep 4, 2013, at 2:04 PM, "heather albright" <kd5cbl at gmail.com> wrote:

  Hello, I am taking my first ASL class at the community college!  I am 
taking  this course because I want to communicate with my deaf-blind friends 
and I myself have hearing difficulties!  I wanted to know if there is a 
brailled manual for the letters!  I received several audio books and one 
braille book however, they don't describe how to make the signs!  I thought 
they would after all the materials are from a blindness organization!  I 
tried to e-mail the Helen Keller foundation and never received a response! 
I have tactile interpreters for in class!  However,  I don't have anyone who 
can work with me outside of class!  I have only been to the deaf-blind chat 
here in Austin once!  It was not a pretty nice experience!  The sighted deaf 
were talking amongst themselves and the so called interpreters for the 
deaf-blind were talking to themselves ignoring the people they were supposed 
to help!  So my friends and I have not been back!  We communicate with our 
braille displays on the note-takers for now!  But I think there might be a 
better way!  I also work with refugees who are deaf and found that Iwas the 
only one who wanted to take ASL so I could at least communicate with the 
deaf refugees!  I already work with blind refugees, as a volunteer.  Thank 
you, Heather Albright
  Heather Albright
  "When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in 
our life, or in the life of another." Helen Keller
  contact: voice and text:
  512-680-3985
  skype: cynterline
  e-mail:
  heather.albright at g.austincc.edu

  _______________________________________________
  nfb-db mailing list
  nfb-db at nfbnet.org
  http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org

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