by Rita Kersh
(Editor’s Note: Rita Kersh is a deaf-blind specialist at Addie McBryde Rehabilitation Center for the Blind.)
After wearing two hearing aids for 15 years, I have been functionally blind for 8 years. On June 9, 2002, I suddenly became deaf in my right ear.
After unsuccessfully trying two different types of hearing aids, I talked to the administration at the Addie McBryde Rehabilitation Center for the Blind, where I work. They were great in helping me with accommodations such as installing a P.A. speaker outside my door. It was also suggested that I become a VRB client and attend the Helen Keller National Center in New York City for a week of training. Here is a brief summary of my visit to this national center for the deaf-blind during the first week of April 2003.
Monday began with technology. Bapin, the instructor, is totally deaf-blind and has a service dog. An interpreter assists him with his hearing students. He explained the various types of equipment. He showed me the braille displays on two computers. I really liked the Alva, which costs about $10,000!
I met Nancy, a resource person. She handles the library, which contains information about consumer groups. She is also the editor of a newsletter through the National Association of Families of the Deaf-Blind.
The independent living supervisor, Maura, showed me a vibrating alarm clock, and allowed me to borrow it for the week. It has a disk that lies under the pillow and vibrates when the alarm goes off. This clock is expensive and very delicate.
After lunch I went to audiology with Carol for two periods. I had a hearing test done and we talked about different types of hearing aids and FM systems. We decided that the hearing aid that has a telephone switch plus a microphone would work well both for talking on the phone and hearing what’s going on around me. The FM system would also help me hear my clients and someone knocking on the door.
On Tuesday I met with Sue, the director of direct services. We discussed my expectations for the week. Mia, the social worker, provided good suggestions for dealing with issues of deaf-blindness.
The Communications Learning Center, taught by Peggy, resembled the class that I teach at McBryde. The only thing different was that she also teaches sign language. We talked about my difficulty hearing the class bells. She demonstrated the Watch Minder, a vibrating timer with 16 different settings. She also showed me a nice braille desk calendar with room for notes for each day. She highly recommended the use of communication cards and a price list card.
Back in technology, Bapin showed me the Braille Lite and the Braille Note. I preferred the Braille Note because it had a computer keyboard. He also showed me a money identifier that uses vibrations rather than speech to indicate the denomination of the bill.
In mobility, Monica recommended that I use constant contact with my cane. This requires a different tip, which is shaped like a marshmallow and rolls along the ground. She showed me a street crossing sign, which lets other pedestrians know you’re deaf-blind. There was also a button that says “Blind and Hard of Hearing” which is worn in situations where people need to know that in order to provide assistance.
On Wednesday I met with the low vision specialist, Melida. Though I was not in need of any low-vision devices, it was helpful to learn about her department. An optometrist visits the center twice a month and an ophthalmologist comes once a month. Students are scheduled into her area as a class, not just for an evaluation. After the student is examined and prescriptions are written, she works with the student on appropriate low-vision devices.
Back in the Communications Learning Center, Peggy and I talked more about communication cards and about a method for braille users to balance their checkbooks. I was interested in a calculator with a braille display — until I learned that it cost $1,000.
In audiology, Carol made an impression of my ear and checked out my current hearing aid. It had a little distortion. Bill, another technology instructor, showed me another braille display called the Braille Window. It was easier to deal with than the Alva. He was kind enough to let me send a few e-mails home.
On Thursday I went to see the independent living instructor, Evelyn, for the first two periods. She showed me the Hot Shot one-cup water heating device, and the liquid level indicator, which vibrates. There was also a vibrating timer, which hangs around your neck. We also worked with kitchen equipment including a well-marked stove, the George Foreman Grill, and a pasta pot.
Sarah, the creative arts instructor, gave me the chance I’ve always wanted to work with pottery. I put my creative genius to work and made a bowl with a scalloped rim. She said I would need to stop by for a few minutes on Friday to finish the inside. She would then fire it and mail it to me.
After lunch, Peggy showed me a neat portable device called a braille screen reader. One side resembles a brailler and the other side resembles a computer keyboard. The sighted person types in a message, which the deaf-blind person reads on a small braille display. The response can be written in braille and read in print on the small screen. This device costs around $5,000, but it’s a great communications tool.
On Friday I met with Mia to talk about the events of the week.
Back in technology, Bill showed me the Freedom Box, a stand-alone computer device that allows you to access the Internet by both voice commands and the keyboard. I looked up the weather in Jackson simply by telling it verbally what I wanted. I then went to the entertainment selection and chose descriptive videos. I found “It’s A Wonderful Life.” The audio narration and dialogue of the movie came on with George Bush narrating the movie. I also used the Freedom Box to send both a verbal and a typed e-mail message.
I then went to the Communications Learning Center with Peggy one last time to clarify some information for her report. She also taught me a few ASL signs for coins and cents. In creative arts, Sarah told me that my bowl had a crack in it, probably due to drying too quickly. I sealed the crack, but didn’t have time to finish the project. Sarah finished it later and mailed it to me.
Kathy, in vocational services, had suggestions for meeting my future goals. After Friday’s lunch I met one last time with Carol in audiology. She showed me the FM system she would be recommending for me. It has a microphone, which can be clipped to a client’s clothing, or attached to other accessories to pick up the sounds around the table. The system can also be connected to a computer, stereo, or TV and heard directly in my hearing aid.
Helen Keller National Center has been a big help to me in all aspects of my life. I’ll always be grateful to their staff, and to the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, for making this busy week of training possible.