DBInews June 2005 * A publication of DeafBlindInfo.org. Sponsored by Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division. To subscribe, e-mail DBInews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com * Contents. - HKNC: Joseph J. McNulty. - A Long Week: Adrienne Haugen. - Get Paid For Writing Articles! - Post Your Announcements For Free. * HKNC - PROVIDING SERVICES TO DEAFBLIND ADULTS. Joseph J. McNulty, HKNC Executive Director Although stories about the inspirational Helen Keller and her tenacious teacher, Anne Sullivan, are legendary, for most people this is where their knowledge about adults who are deaf-blind starts and ends. Yet in the United States today, there are tens of thousands of individuals, 18 and older, who are deaf-blind. The most commonly used estimate is between 50-70,000, but this does not include those 55 years and older with age related vision and hearing loss. The Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) is the only Center of its kind in the U.S. to exclusively provide services to this population on a national basis. History of Services to Adults in the U.S. The results of a 5-year pilot program, conducted from 1962-1967 and funded by the Federal government, demonstrated that individuals who are deaf-blind were capable of holding meaningful jobs and living independently in their community. As a result, the U.S. Congress authorized funding for the creation of a national center which opened its doors in June of 1969. That program, now known as the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults, is located in Sands Point, NY, just outside of New York City. The HKNC Program. The Center operates year-round with the average stay for training being approximately six months. Our training capacity is 40 students at a time, with an average of 100 students coming through our doors each year. The program provides vocational evaluation and work experience, instruction in technology, communication, orientation and mobility and independent living. Ancillary services include creative arts, audiology, speech pathology, mental health, low vision, interpreting, recreation and medical support. Most students live in the residence building, although some apartments are available on campus and in the local community as part of the training program. Students who live in the greater NY area can receive short term training in their own home and/or at work through our model Community Services Program. In order to extend our services beyond the NY metropolitan area, the Center operates 10 regional offices around the country. These offices are staffed by a representative of the Center who is responsible for 4-6 states. The primary responsibility of the representative is to identify individuals who are deaf-blind, provide information and referral services to them and their families, advocate on their behalf and provide training and technical assistance to local agencies who are serving them. HKNC¹s services also include an Older Adult Program; a National Training Team, which provides professional seminars at HKNC or at the work site for professionals working with individuals who are deaf-blind; a National Technical Assistance Consortium which supports children who are deaf-blind under the age of 22, their families and teachers; an information clearinghouse on deaf-blindness; a national registry of persons who are deaf-blind in the U.S.; research; and support of families through the National Family Association for Deaf-Blind. For more information, visit our website: http://www.hknc.org * THE LONG WEEK: ONE EXPERIENCE Adrienne (Hunter Como) Haugen Talk about a long week! For the past one and a half weeks, it has been the LONGEST journey with silence that I've endured in my entire life. Hopefully, I will get my broken hearing aid back soon from the repairer and I'll be able to function as a "normal" hearing person again with both hearing aids on at the same time. I have literally been shaking my head all week wondering HOW I was able to function at all with either no hearing aids on or with just one hearing aid on during the first 23 years of my life. I am amazed as to how I managed to mainstream at school and get by as I did. Apparently, heavy-duty lip-reading, side-stepping, and self-induced isolation got me through the basics of life. It mind-boggles me to think I actually succeeded as far as I had. I worked at decent jobs, however, they were challenging. I was forever thinking it was the *others* that were crazy... "hey, not me!" I now know better! Today, I am home all alone while my family are out working or socializing. I'm wearing the one hearing aid that is functioning. However, I can't hear the phone ring, the doorbell ring... never mind comprehend the TV and radio with the one functioning hearing aid! It's been a very long day and I keep thinking about total deafness and the frustrations that go along with it. Man, it's a lonely and frustrating life! Especially, for a person who is also limited in vision. I'm not only severely/profoundly hard of hearing, but I have retinitis pigmentosa. I have 10 degrees of total field vision left. It is like peering through field glasses. What I see, dead center, is a bit fuzzy due to the refractive variables of lighting, a blotch in my right eye after cataract surgery, or from the simple dry eye condition. What I have is Usher's Syndrome, Type 2C. That is a double recessive genetic disorder. Anyway, each day my husband and I can't carry a conversation because he is unable to vocalize deep from his diaphragm. My teenaged daughter? Forget it. My adult son, however, called today and we talked for a good length of time on the phone. I was happy to hear from him because he has a nice firm loud voice that truly comes out from his diaphragm. I really enjoyed the conversation! Wish he was home to visit with me so that I can have some socialization while I'm out of commission due to a broken hearing aid and can't hear! In a couple of days, I get to have my monthly session learning sign language. Physically, I am not going progressively deaf but when I don't have both hearing aids on I'm severely/profoundly deaf. So, I think I'll enjoy my session with my deaf sign language instructor this time around. How did I do that by getting by with the hearing loss that I have? Guess a person does not realize the severity of a loss until the opportune experience arrives. Boy, it sure did this time! It's been a long week... and half! * GET PAID FOR WRITING ARTICLES! DeafBlindInfo.org is looking for contributors to monthly editions of DBInews. Submissions must be written by DeafBlind people or be related to DeafBlind culture and community, and be between 100 and 500 words. Upon publication a fee of $25 will be paid. * POST YOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR FREE. Minnesota-based DeafBlind organizations may post event announcements here free of charge. To send anouncements for an upcoming month, please send information on or before the last day of every month. * DeafBlindInfo.org is Minnesota's online resource about DeafBlind services and community. This project is sponsored by DHS/DHHSD. Questions? Contact Adrean Clark, webmaster, at comments@deafblindinfo.org .