[NFBF-Tampa] Caring for our NFB family

Tue May 20 17:51:10 UTC 2025

Hi Barbara and Aniko. Barbara, you raise a valid concern. No one should be left out due to a  disability. I have a suggestion. I know that sign language interpreters can be very expensive, however, maybe we could check with. USF or other schools to see if we could get a volunteer student who needs hours or is doing a project who would be willing to help sign for eniko and others who may need it. What does everyone think? Just a thought.
Sherri

Sent from my iPhone

slbrun4 at gmail.com

> On May 20, 2025, at 1:38 PM, Ineko Gary via NFBF-Tampa <nfbf-tampa at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I am part of the NFB DEF LINE Division. And they always reach out to all the=
> deaf blind members to see what kind of access we need.
> 
> I always tell them I need the sign language because my friend comes over at a=
> certain time to do textile sign language. Meaning that handover hand.
> 
> She watches the interpreter on the screen, and then she will sign the meetin=
> g in my hand.
> 
> That=E2=80=99s how I also do when I have doctors appointment all the interpr=
> eters. I have no tactile, sign language handover hand. I will put my hand ov=
> er my interpreter=E2=80=99s hand and they would sign normally. And then when=
> it=E2=80=99s my turn to talk, I will just sign and interpreter will watch a=
> nd tell the doctors what I=E2=80=99m saying.
> 
> Yes, there are a few reasons I stopped going. Certain members would always t=
> ell others how much I can. I can=E2=80=99t see which is not their business. T=
> hey don=E2=80=99t know me and my loss of vision. Because they=E2=80=99re not=
> my doctors
> 
> And that I am also deaf in both ears, and with hearing aids, turned up to th=
> e max I can pick up just a few words and so that=E2=80=99s how I knew when p=
> eople would say to other people or wear a certain person would say to the on=
> e woman that was on the bus that I could see more than what I=E2=80=99m sayi=
> ng, which is unreal
> 
> Why I stopped going to meetings and went back to my JW For The DEAF cause th=
> ey all do sign language. We have the fully hearing and fully decided that no=
> sign language. We have the deaf and severely hard of hearing no sign langua=
> ge. And I am the only deaf blind in the congregation. And they all enjoy hav=
> ing my Guide dog Frisco.
> 
> And they do not walk up to me or judge me on what I can=E2=80=99t see. Or my=
> hearing and my vision. Because they know that is wrong in Jehovah=E2=80=98s=
> eyes.
> 
> Also, when I had mentioned about letting HART plus they like it is, we=E2=80=
> =99re calling out two hours ahead me and my friend thought it was a good ide=
> a. We wasn=E2=80=99t being smart or mean. We was just saying that if you=E2=80=
> =99re able to ride the city bus go ahead and cancel two hours ahead of time a=
> nd just catch the city bus. We was not being me or smart. Alec whoever told u=
> s that yesterday.
> 
> I as a deaf blind person who is totally blind and the left eye and losing vi=
> sion or lost a hunk of vision. We only have light shadows and the red eye. W=
> e noticed a bunch of totally blind men and women rides the city bus. With th=
> eir long white canes.
> 
> That=E2=80=99s why I only suggested that or no Not being a smart Alec or bei=
> ng mean.
> 
> So that=E2=80=99s why when Miranda was president I decided to stop coming an=
> d go back to the JW for the DEAF.
> 
> When I was there, I was just there like what=E2=80=99s going on in a meeting=
> . I will purposely record the meeting and then send a recording to my sister=
> and then she would text me to let me know what was being said. Or I would d=
> o the recording When someone was free. Let them hear it and then they would t=
> ext me on what was being said.=20
> 
> That took too much time and too long.
> 
> 
> Again, I am part of the deaf blind, Division and the president over there se=
> nt out a group email on who needs sign language, who needs close caption. An=
> d who needs a transcript. I explain to the president, even though I cannot s=
> ee the screen and the person signing. Sometimes my friend would come over an=
> d tactile the meeting. I told her the president that she just volunteers her=
> time to come to my house and copy the interpreters on the screen since she n=
> o sign language even though she=E2=80=99s not an interpreter she does know s=
> ign language because she=E2=80=99s a coda so she learned through me how to d=
> o tactile sign language and she only does it for me.
> 
>>> On May 20, 2025, at 12:45=E2=80=AFPM, Barbara Gaw via NFBF-Tampa <nfbf-tam=
>> pa at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> =20
>> =EF=BB=BF Good afternoon,
>> =20
>> I=E2=80=99m sending this email to everyone because I think we should all b=
> e part of this conversation.
>> =20
>> Ineko, I apologize for not ever, bothering to ask why you had quit coming t=
> o the meetings. Maybe you told others, or maybe you kept it to yourself. Sti=
> ll, I should have reached out to you. I had wondered why we didn=E2=80=99t s=
> ee you at the meetings, but I=E2=80=99m sorry I never asked.
>> =20
>> Now I would like to ask the leaders of our NFB chapter if what Ineko=E2=80=
> =99s friend has told her is true. I am aware that there is a deaf, blind div=
> ision as a part of the NFB, but that doesn=E2=80=99t solve the problem of ho=
> w we can have people who are deaf, blind attend our meeting and be able to p=
> articipate in person. Is it true that we can=E2=80=99t afford an interpreter=
> for the two hours that we meet once a month? How can we feel comfortable ha=
> ving social outings if we exclude people due to accessibility issues? Has an=
> ybody ever bothered to find out how much that would cost?
>> =20
>> The bottom line to be is, if we say the pledge every week about how we wan=
> t to advance and raise up our lives to be what we want them to be. How can w=
> e exclude other members of our group for lack of accessibility?
>> =20
>> =20
>> If we are truly to be stronger together, then that means everybody.
>> =20
>> Barbara Gaw
>> =20
>> Sent from AOL Mobile Mail
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