Sep 29, 2020
[Subtitles available in English & Spanish | Subtítulos disponibles en español y inglés]Video Description Link:
Video Description:
Text insert appears: Bruce’s Story, Importance of Being Part of a Community. Bruce, a white man, signs.
Speech:
Absolutely, there are opportunities to socialize with my DeafBlind community!
Yes I’m very involved and we’re also fortunate to have many different groups here in Seattle.
There are statewide deaf blind organisations like the DeafBlind Services Center known as D.B.S.C., that provide services and there is more blind-focused work available, as well as the annual Seabeck Retreat which will very shortly celebrate their upcoming 40th year anniversary, which is attended by deafblind campers from all over the world. So, there exists a plethora of opportunities, and we have a supportive and heavily involved community.
Again, there are no two deafblind people who are exactly alike, even with my own sibling, my sister, we are often amazed at our differences.
But we all share that multilayered journey that we all experience as a blind person and as a deaf person – we embody both of these identities, as well as the communication, emotional and mental adaptations that we have to constantly make. We are extraordinarily multi-layered!
I personally enjoy the Seabeck experience. I always learn from others, too, or I get pulled into educating someone else; it’s always a two-way reciprocal communication experience. I’m an enormously strong supporter and believer in interacting with others. It’s an absolute must!
There are many lessons, experiences, frustrations and thrills awaiting, plus a myriad of opportunities and potential scenarios.
I’m a believer and supporter; a true supporter of the community. The more I interact with the community, the more confidence I have in myself. I feel incredibly transparent, like I can even say – ‘Come on, tell me what frustrates you!’
Interacting with people of different experience levels, truly is beautiful! It’s challenging too, of course, but life is short and we have to value people in all their diversities. We gain more from other people than we do from only focusing inward on ourselves and constantly analysing and questioning ourselves.
Why question yourself? Ask questions from others and receive answers. This allows us to gain knowledge, higher self-esteem, more awareness, respect, and allows one to understand the want; wanting more advocacy, improved services, a better system overall and not eternally having to butt heads with the status quo.
I believe this is an opportunity, hopefully for plenty of amazing personal and professional growth.
Video Description:
NDC Logo appears above text, black lettering on a white background: nationaldeafcenter.org
“This video was developed under a jointly-funded grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) #HD326D160001. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the federal government.”
Next to it, three logos appear. The first reads “IDEAs that Work” with an arrow drawing a circle from “IDEAs” to “Work” and the words “U.S. Office of Special Education Programs”. The second logo shows a red-and-blue star with text next to it that reads “TA&D”. The third logo shows a blue circle around a tree. In the blue circle are the words “U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.”
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© National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes
Video licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
