<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">I’ve been wearing hearing aids since almost 9 due to a 70% hearing loss; I don’t know or use any sort of sign language due to my being able to compensate with my hearing aids, but don’t go out alone due to not being able to hear reliably in noisy environments, but most importantly because the disability culture here in Mexico isn’t as you guys in the States, thus the million-dollar question, would I be deablind? Oh and in terms of my blindness, I only have light perception. thanks for info. I’ve always wondered.<br><br><div dir="ltr">Gera<div>Enviado desde mi iPhone SE (2nd Generation) de Telcel</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">El 15 ago 2021, a la(s) 3:59 p.m., David Andrews via NFB-DB <nfb-db@nfbnet.org> escribió:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
Dave<br><br>
At 03:37 PM 8/15/2021, heather Albright via NFB-DB wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type="cite" class="cite" cite="">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?<br><br>
<br><br>
Heather <br><br>
<br><br>
Sent from
<a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986">Mail</a> for
Windows<br><br>
<br><br>
<b>From: </b><a href="mailto:nfb-db@nfbnet.org">Ineko Gary via
NFB-DB</a><br>
<b>Sent: </b>Sunday, August 15, 2021 3:26 PM<br>
<b>To: </b><a href="mailto:nfb-db@nfbnet.org">NFB Deaf-Blind Division
Mailing List</a><br>
<b>Cc: </b><a href="mailto:rubiigary@gmail.com">Ineko Gary</a><br>
<b>Subject: </b>Re: [NFB-DB] Identifying as deafblind<br><br>
<br><br>
Hi Rod<br><br>
<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<br><br>
Lots of love always<br><br>
INEKO <br><br>
<br><br>
Sent from my iPhone<br><br>
<br><br>
> On Aug 15, 2021, at 4:14 PM, Rod and Ele Macdonald via NFB-DB
<nfb-db@nfbnet.org> wrote:<br><br>
> <br><br>
> Tony,<br><br>
> <br><br>
> 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.<br><br>
> <br><br>
> 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. <br><br>
> <br><br>
> 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.<br><br>
> <br><br>
> 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.<br><br>
> <br><br>
> 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.<br><br>
> <br><br>
> 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.<br><br>
> <br><br>
> 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.<br><br>
> <br><br>
> Rod<br><br>
> <br><br>
> <br><br>
> ----- Original Message -----<br><br>
> From: kg 6sxy \(kg6sxy\) via NFB-DBÂ
<nfb-db@nfbnet.org><br><br>
> To:Â nfb-db@nfbnet.org<br><br>
> CC: kg6sxy@gmail.com<br><br>
> Date: Sunday, August 15, 2021 11:55 am<br><br>
> Subject: [NFB-DB] Identifying as deafblind<br><br>
> <br><br>
>> <br><br>
>> <br><br>
>> 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.<br><br>
>> <br><br>
>> Take care, <br><br>
>> Tony</blockquote>
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