Hot-Line and Other Special Services to the Deaf-Blind

Hot-Line and Other Special Services to the Deaf-Blind

American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults Outreach Worker Handbook
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HOT-LINE AND OTHER SPECIAL SERVICES TO THE DEAF-BLIND
People who are both deaf and blind are frequently isolated from others. Though there are more than twenty different methods for communicating with someone who is deaf-blind, most people would feel inadequate if asked to do so.

Lack of contact unnecessarily imposes severe loneliness and isolation. There is no area of American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults outreach which has as much human value as our involvement with deaf-blind people.

Your first task is to learn something about communication methods.

Deaf-blind people use a number of methods to communicate with others. In fact, most deaf-blind people use more than one method and can switch easily between communication methods.

Professionals in work with the blind make unreasonable distinctions between those who were born blind and those who became blind later in life. Professionals in work with the deaf make similar distinctions, but they may have some more justification in doing so. The real issue for the deaf is not when hearing was lost; the real issue has to do with whether English or American Sign Language is the primary language. American Sign Language is not simply English expressed through movement. It is a complex language with its own idioms, grammar, and syntax. The thought patterns for Sign Language and English are different, and someone who is fluent in both is truly bilingual.

The manual alphabet is a bridge between American Sign Language and English. It is a series of hand motions which depict print letters. In some instances, the fingers are positioned to resemble print letters. Other letters are formed by arbitrary hand positions which bear no resemblance at all to print letters. The basics of the alphabet can be learned in a few hours. It takes a good deal of practice to develop speed. Letters are "read" by placing the hand of the deaf-blind person over the hand of the person making the letters. It's possible to communicate at a speed similar to that used in shorthand dictation. An interpreter must summarize speeches, lectures, and ordinary conversation. Even so, the manual alphabet can be one of the quickest and most versatile communication methods for a deaf-blind person.

Some deaf-blind people have been deaf from birth and became blind as teenagers or adults. They prefer the sign language used by deaf people. Instead of watching the hands and arms of friends, they touch the person making the signs to learn what is being said. It is usually necessary to restrict the movements involved in making signs so that a deaf-blind person can follow along conveniently. This method can lead to confusion, and it requires the speaker to have extensive training in sign language. However, it is possible to interpret everything that is said as quickly as English is spoken using this method.

Many deaf-blind people also use a device known as the Tellatouch. It is portable and weighs less than four pounds. It consists of a small typewriter keyboard which the person doing the communicating uses to pass on information. There is also a Braille keyboard which can be used by an interpreter who prefers to write in Braille. The deaf-blind person sits opposite the interpreter and places a finger on a small Braille "screen." Each letter that is typed or Brailled appears briefly under the finger of the deaf-blind person. The letter can be felt as long as the interpreter holds down the key. Only one letter can be felt at a time. Fifty words per minute is nearly the maximum speed of the device since going faster causes the keys to jam. The chief advantage of the Tellatouch is that it allows people who have no specialized training to communicate quickly with deaf-blind individuals.

There is now a computerized version of the Tellatouch, known as the TellaBraille, which can be used for face-to-face communication and as a telecommunications device for the deaf over the telephone. It is extremely expensive and is used by a very small number of people because of its cost.

There are a number of ingenious methods by which the deaf-blind communicate with the general public. Some deaf-blind people wear a glove with letters and numbers printed on it. Words are spelled by touching the appropriate letters. The deaf-blind person can tell which letters are meant by knowing which part of the hand was touched. For instance, if the "q" is printed on the wrist of the glove and the "u" is printed on the end of the thumb, the deaf-blind person would know that a touch to the wrist followed immediately by a touch to the thumb means that a word is being spelled which includes the letters "qu." The deaf-blind person must remember where each letter appears on the glove in order to interpret the touches correctly. This is a cumbersome communication method, but it works well when no other method is available.

It is also possible to communicate with deaf-blind people by tracing the shapes of block letters on the palm of their hand with an index finger. Capital letters should be printed and cursive writing should be avoided. This is a very slow communication method and is usually used for very short messages.

A few deaf-blind people use a method called Tadoma. Tadoma is lip reading by touch. It is not very popular because it is hard to do and not very accurate. It also makes people uncomfortable to have someone feeling their lips and vocal cords while they speak.

A number of deaf-blind individuals have become amateur radio operators. They communicate in Morse code using equipment which vibrates instead of clicking. Since other amateur radio operators also use Morse code, deaf-blind operators can compete on terms of absolute equality.

These are just a few of the communication methods used by deaf-blind people. Most deaf-blind people are fairly inventive when they want to converse. Some speak understandably. Others need to find a way to make themselves understood as well as to understand what is being said to them.

You will not need to be fluent in American Sign Language to work with deaf-blind people. You will be more effective if you are at ease using the manual alphabet, the Tellatouch, print-on-palm, or some direct communication method. It is perfectly appropriate to work with an interpreter to speed communication, but the more you can personalize your contact with deaf-blind people, the better it will be.

Where are the deaf-blind people in your area? Start with schools for the deaf or blind. There are usually classes for deaf-blind children and young adults under age twenty-one at these schools. The schools will not give you names, but most program administrators will be willing to let students know about you.

What about deaf-blind adults? Organizations of the deaf exist in almost every medium-size or larger city. Contact them and ask to attend a meeting. You will probably need help interpreting the meeting, since it will usually be conducted in American Sign Language. Don't let this discourage you. Organizations of the deaf are interested in public education, and they will welcome the contact from you. As you develop a working relationship, you will learn about people in the deaf community who have become blind.

Once you have found deaf-blind people, you will have no trouble discovering a need for our services. In fact, your major difficulty will be choosing which urgent need you will meet. Talk to the executive director about proposed projects. The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults may be able to coordinate and direct additional resources to you for specific projects. The executive director counts on you to assess local needs. Use every avenue of information you can find. Deaf-blind people themselves will be your best teachers and will help you decide what your highest priority should be.

The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults is committed to helping deaf-blind people get the information they need to take part in society. Hot-Line to Deaf-Blind is published by the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults every week. It is a summary of the most current news stories. Unlike other Braille periodicals, it does not include commentary—"just the facts." Any deaf-blind person may receive a free subscription to Hot-Line.

In the rush to do ordinary daily tasks, friends and relatives often neglect to inform deaf-blind individuals about current events. This seems like a small thing, but it is not. It can lead to misunderstandings and to an increased sense of isolation.

One example illustrates the point. One deaf-blind woman did not know that America had a space program until Apollo XI landed on the moon. Naturally, she thought the person who casually mentioned the moon walk to her was either crazy or making a bad joke at her expense. It is not hard to see why Hot-Line is deeply appreciated by so many deaf-blind people.
American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults workers also do other things to enhance opportunities for the deaf-blind. They often act as interpreters at meetings, medical appointments, social gatherings, and other activities. As funds permit, the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults can provide guides/interpreters to assist deaf-blind individuals in specific projects.
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