Deaf/ Blind Interpreting

Hear Again said:
My captionist has provided notes in one of 2 ways for me. Before I received a BrailleNote (a PDA for the blind), she used to e-mail them. Now that I have the BrailleNote, I give her a memory card which she puts into her laptop and transfers my notes to. The memory card allows me to read her transcript on my BrailleNote. When I'm in class, I also have my BrailleNote connected to her laptop so I can read everything she types in real time.
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Hear Again said:
Unfortunately, many deafblind people do not have the luxury of choosing who they want to act as their tactile terp given the severe shortage of them in the deafblind community. For example, in my area, there are only 3 terps to work with. The agency who provides terps allows me to choose who I'd like to work with, but this is dependent upon who is available on the day and date I need them. Deaf people have far more choices in regards to the terps they work with due to the fact that tactile interpreting is something many terps are not trained in nor feel comfortable doing.
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I just now, remembered a long time, I knew a blind man from church. In the early stages of computers, this was like in 1999 or so. He was very thrilled to use internet and computers. Bec there was some kind of program to help him use the internet. I had forgotten that part, so I can see how you use AD and other websites to read text here :)

I would love to take a workshop for d/b interpreting, you are inspiring me here :) I don't mind expanding my horizons in the field of interpreting. I love languages. I also, do Spanish interpreting along with ASL :) I wouldn't mind adding more salsa on my plate hehe
 
Hear Again said:
Unfortunately, many deafblind people do not have the luxury of choosing who they want to act as their tactile terp given the severe shortage of them in the deafblind community. For example, in my area, there are only 3 terps to work with. The agency who provides terps allows me to choose who I'd like to work with, but this is dependent upon who is available on the day and date I need them. Deaf people have far more choices in regards to the terps they work with due to the fact that tactile interpreting is something many terps are not trained in nor feel comfortable doing.
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You're right HearAgain about choices.

It was just like I went to the Eye Institute a Culturally Deaf person and left as a DeafBlind person.

Gone was my choices and freedom to choose.

I wasn't able to choose from interpreters and had to stick with one intervenor.

This sent me for a down-spiral depression because there isn't services or resources preparing Culturally Deaf people on their journey into DeafBlindhood.

I went through this path with so much mixed emotions and feelings. I felt angry about the choices and my rights to accessibility being robbed.

I was so angry because a lot of people kept forgetting that I was still culturally Deaf first , blind second.

I am very appreciative that HearAgain brought up a lot of points that echoed and still echoes with me & others too as well.
 
Unfortunately, many deafblind people do not have the luxury of choosing who they want to act as their tactile terp given the severe shortage of them in the deafblind community.
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That is true, and although we are always short or nearly so at functions for SSP and/or Interpreter to client ratio, we are blessed, as both programs at Cincinnati State and Sinclair(Dayton) train their students in all modes whether they are focused of tactile or not. I am not sure about Wright State(also near Dayton) but it seems we usually have versatile Terps and SSPs.
 
ASLGAL said:
That is true, and although we are always short or nearly so at functions for SSP and/or Interpreter to client ratio, we are blessed, as both programs at Cincinnati State and Sinclair(Dayton) train their students in all modes whether they are focused of tactile or not. I am not sure about Wright State(also near Dayton) but it seems we usually have versatile Terps and SSPs.
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The local universities in my area also train students in deafblind interpreting whether they choose to terp for the Deaf or deafblind. The difference though is the experience and comfort level they have doing the latter. I certainly wouldn't want to have a terp who did not feel (no pun intended) comfortable using tactile sign.
 
Mrs Bucket said:
You're right HearAgain about choices.

It was just like I went to the Eye Institute a Culturally Deaf person and left as a DeafBlind person.

Gone was my choices and freedom to choose.

I wasn't able to choose from interpreters and had to stick with one intervenor.

This sent me for a down-spiral depression because there isn't services or resources preparing Culturally Deaf people on their journey into DeafBlindhood.

I went through this path with so much mixed emotions and feelings. I felt angry about the choices and my rights to accessibility being robbed.

I was so angry because a lot of people kept forgetting that I was still culturally Deaf first , blind second.

I am very appreciative that HearAgain brought up a lot of points that echoed and still echoes with me & others too as well.
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:hug:

I'm sorry you experienced those emotions Mrs Bucket, but I can definitely relate. I had similar experiences only in my case, people refused to look at me as a deafblind person after I lost my hearing and would instead continue to see me as a totally blind person. This made my adjustment to deafness that much more difficult because if the people around me refused to accept the fact I could no longer hear, how was I supposed to do the same?
 
Oceanblue7 said:
I just now, remembered a long time, I knew a blind man from church. In the early stages of computers, this was like in 1999 or so. He was very thrilled to use internet and computers. Bec there was some kind of program to help him use the internet. I had forgotten that part, so I can see how you use AD and other websites to read text here :)

I would love to take a workshop for d/b interpreting, you are inspiring me here :) I don't mind expanding my horizons in the field of interpreting. I love languages. I also, do Spanish interpreting along with ASL :) I wouldn't mind adding more salsa on my plate hehe
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Ocean,

If you could take a workshop in DB interpreting, that would be great and I would strongly encourage you to do so given the severe shortage of DB terps and SSPs.

As far as technology is concerned, we've certainly come a long way since I started using computers in 1984! :)
 
Hereagain, I had a surface example where someone placed their hand on mine , asked me to close my eyes, and did feel they signed to me "hi" handshape h and i. I would like to learn more in depth , that way I can feel comfortable enough to use the skill to communicate and start slow til my skills are sufficient.

I will check out some workshops ask around my area. I know there is the Braille Institute in Los Angeles, CA maybe , that would be a good start :)
 
Oceanblue7 said:
Hereagain, I had a surface example where someone placed their hand on mine , asked me to close my eyes, and did feel they signed to me "hi" handshape h and i. I would like to learn more in depth , that way I can feel comfortable enough to use the skill to communicate and start slow til my skills are sufficient.

I will check out some workshops ask around my area. I know there is the Braille Institute in Los Angeles, CA maybe , that would be a good start :)
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You may want to contact the American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) or Helen Keller National Center (HKNC). They may know of several deafblind workshops you can attend. Gallaudet may as well.
 
Hear Again said:
My captionist has provided notes in one of 2 ways for me. Before I received a BrailleNote (a PDA for the blind), she used to e-mail them. Now that I have the BrailleNote, I give her a memory card which she puts into her laptop and transfers my notes to. The memory card allows me to read her transcript on my BrailleNote. When I'm in class, I also have my BrailleNote connected to her laptop so I can read everything she types in real time.
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Out of curiousity, I thought I'd read in other threads that you can hear nearly perfectly with your CIs. Can I ask what is the purpose behind reading the BrailleNotes?
 
AlleyCat said:
Out of curiousity, I thought I'd read in other threads that you can hear nearly perfectly with your CIs. Can I ask what is the purpose behind reading the BrailleNotes?
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I cannot hear from a distance which is why I use realtime captioning along with the BrailleNote.

I tried using my Comtek FM system during lecture, but my professors would always forget to repeat student questions and comments. It was frustrating having to remind them every 10 minutes to repeat what was said in class, so I gave up.

Furthermore, what I hear in a sound booth is not indicative of what I hear in real life.

Remember too that I am totally blind and cannot lipread like you can.
 
Hear Again said:
You may want to contact the American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) or Helen Keller National Center (HKNC). They may know of several deafblind workshops you can attend. Gallaudet may as well.
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:ty:I will contact these two places :)
 
Hear Again said:
My captionist has provided notes in one of 2 ways for me. Before I received a BrailleNote (a PDA for the blind), she used to e-mail them. Now that I have the BrailleNote, I give her a memory card which she puts into her laptop and transfers my notes to. The memory card allows me to read her transcript on my BrailleNote. When I'm in class, I also have my BrailleNote connected to her laptop so I can read everything she types in real time.
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Now thats awesome! Thanks for sharing all this information with us Hear Again, I find it very fascinating. I'm still trying to figure out how to communicate with my hearing friend who recently gone blind. I've gotta tell him about the BrailleNote!
 
Is there a difference btwn tactile sign and manual alphabet?
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Yes.
Tactile is a combination of the signs and fingerspelling for proper names and such, just as in non-tactile signing.
 
I did some reading related to deaf/blind interpreting. What I read was that interpreters needs to also provide visual facial expression, other visual or auditory nonverbal information be interpreted, how does that work, if the person is deaf/blind to notice visually? I am sort of lost, does that depend on the sight or how much vision the person has? I am really oblivious to the entire interpreting deaf/blind.
 
rjcon88 said:
Now thats awesome! Thanks for sharing all this information with us Hear Again, I find it very fascinating. I'm still trying to figure out how to communicate with my hearing friend who recently gone blind. I've gotta tell him about the BrailleNote!
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I hope you do! The BrailleNote is a wonderful device! I've had mine for about 6 years now and have the latest upgrade. I don't know where I'd be without it! :)
 
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