<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 11.00.9600.16521"></HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000"
bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 rightMargin=7 topMargin=7><FONT id=role_document
color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Hey Marsha, thanks for the bio and I'm with you on the
treatment of deaf-blind being second class or trying to discourage us. We
are blind too and should be treated with the same respect.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Enjoy your stay at HKNC and wish you well on your achievements
in college.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Blessings to you,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Cheri</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 3/21/2014 2:54:51 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
marsha.drenth@gmail.com writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>Hi
Delcenia,<BR>Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. <BR>My name is Marsha.
I am currently a student at HKNC, taking a LOA from my university degree. I am
a non-traditional student presuing a degree in Social work, with one year to
go. Once I am done with my bachelors, I will go on to my Masters program. I
hope to be a mental helth counselor for persons who are deafblind, deaf, and
hard of hearing. I live in PA, with my hubby, and guide dog from GDF. I am the
mother of three teenagers who live with their father. I have been hard of
hearing since 2007, but have lost a majority of my hearing in the last 2 to 3
years. I wear two aids, Oticon Chili sp7, with Stream pro. I have had these
aids for a year in June. I went recently for a CI evaluation, and will be
doing some further testing to see if I am a candidate. <BR>Lojng time
federationists. I have been very critical of the NFB because of the way most
of the blind people treat us deafblind folks. I won't stand for it. I will not
be a second class citizen in any population, including the blind one. <BR>Hope
you like the list, <BR><BR><BR>Marsha drenth <BR>Sent with my IPhone
<BR><BR>> On Mar 20, 2014, at 3:26 PM, "Delcenia Brown"
<delcenia@prodigy.net> wrote:<BR>> <BR>> First let me say hello to
everyone on this list and happy belated birthday to Trish. To those that do
not know me which is most of you. My name is Delcenia and I live outside of
Cleveland, ohio area. I am a little new to this list as of September
2013. Welcome Shadow. I do not normally respond to anything other than the
question regarding the voting issues because I do not personally know any of
you. After reading the last thread I am compelled to say something.<BR>>
<BR>> I begin to wear one hearing aid at the age of 10 in my right
ear. Maybe 10 or 15 years later I needed to wear two hearing aids
in both ears. Now I only wear one hearing aid in my left ear. I was diagnose
with RP at the age of 21.<BR>> Many years later I was told I had Usher
Syndrom 2In 2005 I was told I have MS. . I never had balance problems. I drove
a car until I was around 28. I have always excepted whatever condition I
was dealt. however, I never place myself into a category until recently.
It was not because I did not accept it, it was I felt like I did not belong
because my situation was unique and never heard any one else with similar
problems. I say this because until I joined this list I did not know you all
exist as far as having similar problems. Darlene I also enjoyed playing cards
and once I learned braille from Hadley I could still play just not as fast as
I use to. One of my question is, how did you and others get to go to HK?
Now after turning 50 on December 31, 2013 and my situation is getting
worse. I want to continue to take charge of my life. I also
want to work and this has been a challenge. I had place a question on this
list back in January 14 and no one responded. Maybe I am<BR> using this
list the wrong way as far as trying to post a question or comment. At the time
I was doing a 3 day assessment to see if call center setting would work.
I had post a question looking for suggestions on how to handle the setting
that I had at the time.<BR>> <BR>> Could some of you when responding or
posting say what state you are from so that I and others would know.
Personally, I think this list is a good idea. I have learned a lot from all of
you since September 2013. I hope to meet all of you one day.
Unfortunately, it will not be the National Convention this year in orlando. My
oldest granddaughter who live in North Carolina turn 10 on July 3 and I want
to spend time with her and my husband's family reunion is in Detroit the same
week. I will be stretching myself across the border that week.<BR>>
<BR>> Meanwhile, Anna Trotman, I am grateful for the I Can Connect program
(ICCP). I am learning to use my IPAD, Iphone and Braille Display. I can
not wait for the training to began again. Meanwhile the internet and Hadley
has been a great tool for learning.<BR>> <BR>> So keep on keeping on
everybody and remember with a little determination we can accomplish a
lot.<BR>> <BR>> Delcenia<BR>> -----Original Message----- From:
Darlene Laibl-Crowe<BR>> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 10:51 AM<BR>>
To: 'NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List'<BR>> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] About
This Group List<BR>> <BR>> First, Shadow, I want to say 'AWESOME!' about
the CI and getting your best<BR>> ear back. Yes, I understand what
you say about one ear being better than<BR>> the other. Mine is the
right ear. I have heard many positive things from<BR>> CI wearers as
I have many friends who have them. I found out when I began<BR>> to
lose more hearing that I was not a good candidate for CI because I
could<BR>> still hear with a hearing aid...so for now, I am bi-lateral
hearing aid<BR>> user. One day I might have to become a CI-user but
for now I do what I do.<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> I got new HAs about three
weeks ago and they are great along with the<BR>> Assistive listening
Devices I got with them! Unfortuantely there are some<BR>> areas that
need to be worked out and that is the issue of background noises.<BR>>
Sigh! It will get better as I know from experience technology is
improving<BR>> all the time!<BR>> <BR>> I really enjoyed Bernie's
class, too! What did you do your presentation on?<BR>> Mine was
called 'Laugh Out Loud' and everyone had a blast. I recently
used<BR>> it for a speech at my local Lion's Club for St Patrick's Day and
the<BR>> audience loved it. Everyone had a great time laughing!
It isn't stand up<BR>> comedy, just pure laughter which is good for the
heart, mind, body and soul!<BR>> <BR>> Did they have the leadership
class while you were there? I took that class<BR>> because I wanted
to know the 'right' way to advocate for myself. We learned<BR>> a lot
in that class and it has helped me tremendously with all I do.<BR>>
<BR>> Well, gotta go, take care of yourself!<BR>> (smile)<BR>>
Darlene<BR>> <BR>> -----Original Message-----<BR>> From: nfb-db
[mailto:nfb-db-bounces@nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Shadow Wolf<BR>> Sent:
Thursday, March 20, 2014 10:37 AM<BR>> To: NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing
List<BR>> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] About This Group List<BR>> <BR>> Hi
Darlene,<BR>> Nice to meet you. I was at HKNC for 11 months. I took full
advantage of the<BR>> training they offered there. I took up whatever
classes they offered besides<BR>> just learning Braille, Technology,
ASL-TSL-Haptic Signs and Independent<BR>> Living. I even took Sr. Bernie's
presentation class last fall prior to her<BR>> retirement last Dec. after
34 or 35 years she worked there. It was a great<BR>> learning
experience.<BR>> <BR>> I first started wearing hearing aids in both ears
at 6 years old. I lost my<BR>> hearing as a toddler. I was told I had RP
during my early teens once I was<BR>> diagnosed. But I was still driving up
until I was 24. Then later on, around<BR>> in 2010. I was told I had
Usher's type-2. I was confused about that, because<BR>> Usher's also
affects balance. Whereas I do not have balance issues. In<BR>> fact,
I think most people with Usher's type-2 do not have balance issues.<BR>> On
New Year's eve 2000, I was involved in a really bad car accident.<BR>>
Although I was not a driver but a passenger. I suffered head trauma where
I<BR>> also suffered an ear fracture in left side. I lost my hearing in
that ear 2<BR>> days later. For 9 and half years I was hearing with only 1
ear, a hearing<BR>> aid. My left ear was my better ear then. If you are a
right hand person,<BR>> writing with a right hand, it was like losing your
right hand and trying to<BR>> write with your left hand. Same with my
hearing after that accident. I had<BR>> communication issues and kept to
myself during most of that time. Until one<BR>> day in fall 2009, I got
lucky and became a candidate in my state to receive<BR>> a Cochlear
Implant. After all is said and done. After 3 months of my brain<BR>> trying
to adjust to my CI and hearing in my left ear again. My left ear<BR>> where
my CI is, became the better ear once again. I now understand people<BR>>
best with my CI. It is loud and clear. The CI boosted my communication<BR>>
skills and gave me a great deal of confidence. I am now happy that I<BR>>
received the CI and I hold no regrets about it. It is medically amazing
that<BR>> the CI can restore your hearing if someone suffered dramatic
hearing loss<BR>> from an ear fracture. I admit I was skeptical at first
when I first sat down<BR>> with CI specialists prior to my surgery. I
didn't think it was gonna work.<BR>> But I was wrong. The CI did work for
me.<BR>> <BR>> --S.W.<BR>> <BR>>> On 3/20/2014 4:49 AM, Darlene
Laibl-Crowe wrote:<BR>>> Good morning, Shadow!<BR>>> <BR>>>
Welcome to the NFB DB Division. I, too, have RP and am HOH. I
wear<BR>>> bi-lateral hearing haids. But I did not grow up knowing
that I had<BR>>> RP. I found out as an adult at the age of 28 and
had to give up<BR>>> driving. I was able to see to read print and
see people's faces to<BR>>> read lips to accommodate for what I could
hear for about 22 years after I<BR>> was diagnosed with RP.<BR>>>
That means when I turned 50 almost 6 years ago, I struggled with
what<BR>>> to do as I could not longer see to do things that I kept
doing as a<BR>>> sighted person.<BR>>> <BR>>> Since I grew
up wearing hearing aids, I never considered myself a 'deaf'<BR>>> person
and can remember someone telling me 'oh, you're deaf' when I<BR>>> told
them I wore hearing aids. I quickly responded and told them
'oh,<BR>>> no, I can hear something'.<BR>>> <BR>>> So six
years ago when I began to struggle with vision loss, I finally<BR>>> met
many who were dealing with similar issues and I recognized that I<BR>>>
was Deaf-Blind. Once I was able to define this, I soon went to
Helen<BR>>> Keller National Center (January 2011 -- September 2011)
where I<BR>>> learned much about my specific needs. HKNC is a
great place to learn<BR>>> all you can about resources and gives a great
sense of confidence.<BR>>> <BR>>> Since returning home, I have
continued to learn and made great progress.<BR>>> How long were you at
HKNC? Also, if you are home, are you learning<BR>>> Braille
through Hadley's?<BR>>> <BR>>> That was how I completed my
Braille...through Hadley School for the Blind.<BR>>> The Braille teacher
at HKNC was very good and so glad I got the<BR>>> beginnings of it there
and the teacher at Hadley was also very good.<BR>>> I use Braille in my
everyday life but I am not that fluent because I<BR>>> have not made
myself sit and read as I should. Need to get myself<BR>>> back on
track there. I use Braille in business meetings, identifying<BR>>>
things in my home and I also use it often when playing cards.
My<BR>>> family loves to play canasta and I missed playing it. Now
I can play<BR>>> it again! (smile) My sister (who is
sighted) and I always play<BR>>> partners against our spouses and we win
the majority of the time!<BR>>> <BR>>> Take your time learning
Braille. It can be daunting as times but very<BR>>> rewarding when
it is completed.<BR>>> <BR>>> Anyway, This list is a good source
for information and sharing. I do<BR>>> have a question...you
state that you have been Deaf-Blind all your<BR>>> life. When did
you find out about your RP?<BR>>> <BR>>> Have a Thrilling
Thursday!!<BR>>> <BR>>> (smile)<BR>>> Darlene<BR>>>
<BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>>
_______________________________________________<BR>>> nfb-db mailing
list<BR>>> nfb-db@nfbnet.org<BR>>>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org<BR>> <BR>>
--<BR>> *~Shadow Wolf~*<BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
_______________________________________________<BR>> nfb-db mailing
list<BR>> nfb-db@nfbnet.org<BR>>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org<BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
_______________________________________________<BR>> nfb-db mailing
list<BR>> nfb-db@nfbnet.org<BR>>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org <BR>> <BR>>
_______________________________________________<BR>> nfb-db mailing
list<BR>> nfb-db@nfbnet.org<BR>>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org<BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>nfb-db
mailing
list<BR>nfb-db@nfbnet.org<BR>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>