[NFB-DB] Identifying as deafblind

Ineko Gary rubiigary at gmail.com
Sun Aug 15 21:10:14 UTC 2021 

Hi Dave

I totally agree with you and two other emails that I read before you. There are yes different levels of death blindness . Just like I had to explain to my neighbors. That people will be legally blind and hard of hearing, totally blind and totally deaf, totally blind and hard of hearing, or totally deaf and legally blind, or both legally blind and hard of hearing. They all fall in the line of death blindness. Does it matter which one you use just a tiny bit more. In my opinion you are still considered deaf blind. And if anyone from the lighthouse for the blind or Division Of Blind Services tell you that you’re not deaf blind they are truly truly wrong. And for that person to tell you don’t except being deaf blind that is absolutely wrong. Feel free to consider it yourself or to call yourself deaf-blindMailing List a lot of us here except both and some here is having just a tiny bit of trouble to except both but you definitely have support here in a deaf blind community. And all deaf blind uses different technology in their every day life. And all death behind here does not use American Sign Language or ASL. It depends on the person and their situation and what they feel comfortable with.

Lots of love always 
Ineko 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 15, 2021, at 4:59 PM, David Andrews via NFB-DB <nfb-db at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
>  Whoever told you that is full of it!  Not all "blind" people are totally blind, not all deaf people are "totally deaf" and not all deaf-blind people are totally deaf and/or blind.
> 
> If you are using alternative tasks for sight, and hearing, you are deaf-blind, it seems to me.  I don't know if there are medical thresholds, but I don't think so. If it is some kind of rehab program, you should appeal.
> 
> Dave
> 
> At 03:37 PM 8/15/2021, heather Albright via NFB-DB wrote:
> 
>> Hi, I was told by other blind persons that I cant identify as deaf blind because, I can still here. But, I cant travel outside alone as I cant hear  the cars coming or hear  others when I go out to places.  I do not always hear my screenreader when it reads to me and someone always says to turn it down, it is to loud. So I use my braille display that I received to read. I am always asking people what over and over, and they get real annoyed with me. But, the same person says I cant identify as deaf blind. So my question is at what point can someone identify as deaf blind. I wanted a guidedog but, they will not put me in the class for deaf-blind and I am afraid I will not get all the information during the training if I do not get one on one training? Any advice?
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Heather 
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Sent from Mail for Windows
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> From: Ineko Gary via NFB-DB
>> Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2021 3:26 PM
>> To: NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List
>> Cc: Ineko Gary
>> Subject: Re: [NFB-DB] Identifying as deafblind
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Hi Rod
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> I want to say thank you so very much for sharing your story. It touches a lot of people when I hear how some one pic came to identify himself or herself as a deaf blind person.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> I am both deaf blind. I went blind at six months old. And as I was growing up a lot of people would ask my stepmom is she legally blind or totally blind. My mom would just say she’s blind. But I did not start to lose my hearing until I was the age 11 years old to the age of 14 years old. And I guess learn American Sign Language first. And tactile sign language that handover hand. Then later I learned braille. I only know a tiny bit  of contracted braille. But I know way more of un contracted braille. And I read braille with my left hand. And I do sign language with my left hand. So yes I am a left-handed person. And I’ve been a guide dog users for 25 years and I’ve been a long white cane user for 30 years.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Lots of love always
>> 
>> INEKO 
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> > On Aug 15, 2021, at 4:14 PM, Rod and Ele Macdonald via NFB-DB <nfb-db at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > Tony,
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > I have been "legally blind" since I was three, but did not really identify as a "blind" person until much later. I went through that tinnitus phase and know exactly how you feel.
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > After spending 12 years at Perkins I sort of knew I was "blind" but more often said I "don't see very well". I changed to "legally blind" about the time I joined NFB in 1973, when I was 31. 
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > Similarly, I referred to my hearing situation as "I don't hear very well." Since no physical defect could be found to explain my hearing issue, I was sent to a psychiatrist for six years to find out why I couldn't or wouldn't hear.
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > In 1975 an audiologist told me for the first time that I was "deaf". I found that to be a big RELIEF - to know that there was a valid reason for my inability to hear - I hadn't been able to hear speech for years.
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > And that was when I found my identity as both a blind person and a deaf person - now a Deaf-Blind person. The emphasis became on the word PERSON. No matter if I Â am blind, or bald, or deaf, or have a broken finger - yes, have had or do have all these things, but I am still a 100% human being, and no one can ever take that away from me.
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > I also self-identify as "Deaf-Blind" because I self-identify as being from the Blind community AND a part of the Deaf community (but not the Deaf culture - I do not use American Sign Language). I hyphenate the two words because my two very-dissimilar disabilities are combined, not merged. I might use the analogy that I have a right hand and a left hand, but that does not mean I am ambidextrous - I am right-handed, but I read braille with my left hand. Both hands are equally important to me, but I do have two separate hands.
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > So to answer your question: For me, the point at which I self-identified as a Deaf-Blind person came when I accepted myself, and presented myself to others, as a Deaf-Blind person, without denial, arrogance or pretense. For me that came in 1979, when I joined the AADB.
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > Rod
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> 
>> > From: kg 6sxy \(kg6sxy\) via NFB-DBÂ  <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
>> 
>> > To:Â  nfb-db at nfbnet.org
>> 
>> > CC: kg6sxy at gmail.com
>> 
>> > Date: Sunday, August 15, 2021 11:55 am
>> 
>> > Subject: [NFB-DB] Identifying as deafblind
>> 
>> > 
>> 
>> >> 
>> 
>> >> 
>> 
>> >> For those of you that were not born deafblind, how long did it take you to self identify as deafblind?  My tinnitus has been really driving me around the bend lately where I'm completely deaf more often than not but it still feels like I shouldn't be self identifying as deafblind because I still have functional hearing from time to time. It's probably not important either way, just a matter of not feeling like an imposter, I guess.  Just having a bad week all around.  I appreciate your feedback.
>> 
>> >> 
>> 
>> >> Take care,  
>> 
>> >> Tony
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