Keeping in Touch
The Metro Washington
Association of the Deaf-Blind
Newsletter – Summer 2010
President’s Message
By Blaise Delahoussaye
It seems that we just recently had our annual picnic, but autumn is here
already. Well, I hope you all had a wonderful and peaceful summer, including
a fun time at the water park in Manassas last month (see page 19).
The board was asked to have a photo taken so you can see your current board
members and parliamentarian – from left to right are Jim Bishop, Marc
Burton, Phillip Smith, Lisa Pugh, Art Roehrig, Blaise Delahoussaye, Bruce
Denhart, and Lois Finnicum (our newsletter editors, Dona Sauerburger and
Ann Black, are missing in the photo). For contact information see page 30.
I‟m sure most of you heard the sad news that Stanley Corinski passed
away last July, shortly after going to a fun-filled local deaf-blind camp (see
page 5). He was a fine fellow, a long-time MWADB member who always
attended our many activities for years. We miss him solely.
The following motions were made at our last board meeting:
Add the word „skilled‟ before „SSP/interpreter‟ in the policy that
MWADB uses the SSP fund to pay „skilled‟ SSP/interpreters until the
balance hits $500 or less.
Our webmaster Bruce Denhart puts the names and pictures of MWADB
board members and general members on the website with your
permission. We‟ll see if it can be done.
MWADB gives away left-over T-shirts to new people joining MWADB.
I‟m really impressed with how hard-working our RSC chairperson and
committee were to make good activities for our community since last February.
They already made some exciting events in the Fall, so please read the
upcoming events on page 3 in this newsletter.
Louisiana Acadiana Deaf-Blind Citizens (LADBC) invited me to come
down as the Master of Ceremonies for their 30th anniversary celebration last
September 4. Yes, I gave a short talk about MWADB. Eighty-six people came
and enjoyed the special lunch with a big cake. Nancy Perry, one of the early
pioneers, gave a really nice speech including its history. Linda Annala, who
died in July, 2007 and was originally from New York, was recognized as the
founder. It was nice for me to be a part of its celebration and good to know
they were curious about our organization.
I‟ve been nominated to be a Council Member of the Maryland Advisory
Council on Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) as the deaf-blind
representative in the state of Maryland. If I‟m approved, you as Deaf-Blind
people can share your concerns or needs to me as I can try my best to advocate
our community to the council members, who need to understand our unique
needs. I will keep you updated.
Enjoy the autumn and winter season, and see you at the social events.
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MWADB Upcoming Events
Don’t forget to reserve these special dates and join us for fun!!!
We, the RSC Committee, hope you will reserve these special dates and join us
for these fun events.
For RSVP and/or information, contact Phillip Smith at
Email:
240-565-0866 VP;
301-637-0093 Voice
For SSPs and rides contact Marc Burton: deafblindssp@gmail.com
To receive email announcements of MWADB events and news, contact
Bruce Denhart at Bdenh75955@AOL.com
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
SEPTEMBER 25: 5:00-10:00 PM
Swedish Dinner and Guest Speaker
o A delicious Swedish dinner.
o Our guest speaker, Mike Tindel, will talk about the Deaf-Blind
Communicator and other things.
Admission fee -
o $10 for students
o $15 for members
o $20 for non-members.
Location:
Catholic Deaf Center
7202 Buchanan Street, Landover Hills, Maryland.
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OCTOBER 2: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
October Fest
-- sponsored by MWADB and Baltimore Assn o/t Deaf-Blind
Location: Frederick Fairgrounds, in Frederick, Maryland.
Admission fee: $5.00 per person (does not include food and games)
NOVEMBER 13: 5:00-10:00 PM
Holiday Feast and Auction
Location: Multipurpose Room, Gallaudet University, MPR, Washington, DC.
o This event is a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas and
Chanukah. Everyone bring their favorite holiday dish to share.
o Auction will take place after dinner, so save your money to buy a
unique item! Proceeds will go to MWADB.
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MWADB News
Stanley Corinski – 1936-2010
by Jean C. Esquivel
Note from the Editors:
We lost a valuable member when Stanley Corinski
passed away last July, and we will miss him. He
loved to come to MWADB socials to eat and chat
with us. We thank Jean Esquivel, who has been
serving as his Independent Living Specialist for
the Deaf-Blind, for keeping us in touch with
Stanley. She read him our newsletters, updated us
on his progress, encouraged members to visit him, and brought him to our
MWADB events. The photo here was taken when he arrived at Deaf-Blind
camp last June.
Stanley passed away peacefully Saturday morning, July 3, 2010, at the
Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, Md. He died of heart
failure. His funeral was in New Jersey and his sister Claire plans to have a
memorial service for Stanley here in Maryland when she recovers from her
illness – we will send an announcement through the MWADB when the
time comes.
Stanley was born September 3, 1936 in New Jersey to hearing parents and
older brother and sister -- his father passed away when he was very young.
He graduated from the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf in West
Trenton, N.J. As a young adult he drove to California and other places
across the country with friends, and had a wonderful time. He worked as a
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spray painter in an old auto shop for a long time but had to retire early due
to his visual problems from Ushers syndrome. He lived with his brother
who took care of him until his brother died of a heart attack in his late 40's.
Stanley and his mother relocated to Maryland to be near his sister Claire,
who lived in Jessup with her husband and three sons.
I served Stanley for several years through the Family Service Foundation
(FSF) for the Deaf-Blind in Baltimore. Eight years ago, when FSF
discontinued providing those services due to lack of funds, Stanley's sister
hired me to continue providing services through Montgomery County support.
Twice a week I provided Stanley with transportation, interpret guide (SSP),
tactile interpreting services and additional support services. It was a privilege
to serve him. He presented many interesting situations and learned how to
approach things, which challenged me to do better while serving him for the
last 8 years.
Stanley met Jack Wright when he attended MWADB events. In 1994,
when Stanley was looking for housing because his mother was moving to a
retirement home, I brought him together with Jack, who was also looking
for housing, and they agreed to live together as roommates in Wheaton
Place Apartments. When Wheaton Place Apartments denied them housing
because they were deaf-blind, they sued for discrimination in violation of
the Federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits landlords from denying
housing based on an applicant's disability. In the midst of the housing
discrimination case, my job at Family Service Foundation for the Deaf-
Blind ended, but I continued to serve Jack and Stanley while they shared an
apartment temporarily at Silver Spring Towers until their case was settled.
Stanley had every chance to win in court in the hands of excellent lawyers,
but he got scared and backed out of the whole thing. Jack continued to put
his foot through the door and fought his way through three years and won a
settlement out of court when the Wheaton Place apartment agreed to pay
him $160,000 and give him a free apartment for the rest of his life. Thus, he
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helped open the doors for deaf-blind people across the country to live
anywhere. Meanwhile, Stanley moved to Victory Tower Apartments in
Takoma Park and lived there ever since.
I have many fond memories of Stanley. For example when I took him to
the Deaf-Blind Camp last June and helped him get settled in his cabin, I
was surprised to see motorcycles lined up ready for campers before dinner.
Stanley had guts at the age of 73 – when I asked him if he wanted to go for
a ride, I didn't think he would, but before I knew it, there he was with his
helmet on and sitting erect behind someone on a motorcycle! It was quite a
sight when he took off like a real pro, and dashed off with the others in the
cool breeze for a 7 mile-ride!
Unfortunately when I picked him up from camp on Friday, June 18, 2010,
he didn't seem like himself. He wobbled a bit and his left arm trembled
mildly. When he settled in his apartment, he complained about pain on the
left side of his chest, which prompted me to check him for other symptoms.
I saw he had several signs of trouble and made a quick decision to call 911
for an ambulance and immediately we headed for Washington Adventist
Hospital. While in the ER, he almost didn't make it but the ER people were
able to save his life in the nick of time.
When I called his sister, her son answered her cell phone and told me that
she was in ER at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the same time that Stanley was.
It was a difficult situation, so her son and I agreed that he would take care
of her while I took care of Stanley every day for two weeks, except
weekends.
Stanley seemed to rally and I thought he was going to recover but sadly, he
took a turn for the worst. On the positive side, he no longer suffers in pain
and is now in peace with God.
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Friends’ Comments about Stanley:
I was swamped with many messages from Stanley's friends, who were filled
with words of encouragements, sympathies and memories of him. I share
some of them here:
Arlyce Watson
“I met Stanley and his sweet mother when they lived in a nice apartment
in Jessup. I recalled sampling his mother's apple muffin that she baked,
and it was yummy! At one time, when I started the car with the air
condition on, Stanley gave me advice that the air condition should be off
before starting the car, so it wouldn't hurt the engine. Later, I introduced
him to MWADB, which he loved and attended on regular basis ever
since.”
Blaise Delahoussaye
“Stanley was deaf-blind and a long time member of MWADB and was
roommate of our first Prez Jack Wright back in the 1990's. He always
liked to come to MWADB events, and he was beloved among the
MWADB people. I'm sure some of you have seen him at our annual
picnic last May and some have seen him at the Maryland Deaf-Blind
Camp last June. He's in peace now and may see his good buddy, Jack
Wright again! I was hoping to see him at the hospital until he was
transferred to a private room.”
Laura Engler
“I'm glad he was part of our lives. He was a cheerful person with a
pleasant disposition. He was unique person. I remember when he was
with our friends, including Jack Wright for dinner at a restaurant. My
impression was that Stanley prepared himself in advanced by reading the
menu before we met at the restaurant. I followed his example myself,
ever since. Sometimes using a magnifier reading the menu was slow and
would make me dizzy, so I read menus in advance via internet before
going to the restaurants. I know he was a long-time member of
MWADB.”
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Phillip Smith
“Stanley's death really saddened me, but on the positive side he no
longer suffers and is in peace. Jean, you will always be his precious
angel no matter where he is.”
Special heartfelt thank you to SSPs
By Marc Burton, SSP Coordinator
I would like to thank each of you for the hard work you do as a volunteer for
the MWADB. We could never have accomplished what we have without your
support and participation in and with the Deaf-Blind world.
I believe it's proven to be a very rich experience for all of you. For those of
you who have never been involved with Deaf Blind culture, your willingness
to jump in and give it a try not only gave you the SSP experience but I am sure
you found your signing skills improve greatly. Also the members of the Deaf-
Blind community enjoyed meeting new people and touching new hands --
something that made the experience good for both parties.
I especially want to thank the SSP people who volunteered all their time
actually going into the Deaf-Blind community – you can't begin to realize what
a difference you made, and a "thank you" is truly not enough.
Your help and assistance with the events gave me ideas for the future, and I am
truly appreciative of all the work you have done.
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Welcome New Members to MWADB
By Eddie Martinez Jr.
Membership Coordinator of MWADB
I was appointed as Membership coordinator for MWADB under President
Blaise Delahoussaye‟s administration. I am currently a senior student for my
second Bachelor‟s degree at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.,
majoring in Communication Studies.
It is my pleasure to welcome several new members who have joined MWADB
in the 2009 – 2010 year. Those new members are:
Ruth Hess (Hearing / Washington, DC)
Clarence Hammond (DeafBlind / Virginia)
MWADB greets and welcomes all of you!!!! CHEERS!!! We certainly do
hope that all of you will enjoy being part of our warm and cherished family.
MWADB is always open to anyone else to join and share happiness together --
if you decide to sign up for MWADB membership, you will get a free
MWADB T-shirt for sure!!!! There is a membership form on page 31 for you
to sign up and become an official member of MWADB if you wish, although
there are no hard feelings if you don‟t want to join. You could fill out the form
and mail your payment to me at my address provided on the form.
Once again, WELCOME TO MWADB!
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What a Surprise – An Old Friend Returns!
by Ann C. Black
After coming home from my work-out at the Senior Center, I found a big
surprise -- an old friend and a former member of MWADB was waiting for
me. After my son Colin spelled out “Janice Adams,” I embraced her with glee,
as it has been over 20 years since we had seen each other before Janice moved
to Canada and then to Florida.
Janice and her husband, Bill Adams, have now moved back to Old Town in
Alexandria, Virginia. She looks great and has a beautiful Doberman guide
dog, who is friendly and well behaved.
Janice is an active member of Jehovah‟s Witnesses and teaches the deaf
community. She said she enjoys her work very much. She will be leaving for
Honduras for missionary work soon.
Welcome back Janice! We hope to see you soon at our social events.
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MWADB Events We Enjoyed
HAPPY IRISH TIME
Saturday, March 27, 2010
By Ann C. Black
In March, MWADB had a green party for “Happy Irish Time” at Gallaudet
University. People brought green dishes, which were tasty and different. We
all enjoyed eating a good dinner as well catching up on news with everyone.
We had an interesting guest speaker, Dave Frank who is deaf and a certified
financial planner. Dave gave us updated information about financial planning
and investments.
After the lecture, Ron Farris got a prize for dressing up like an Irish guy. He
had a big green beaded necklace with laced green shirt -- he really looked
sharp and handsome. Ron‟s prize was an MWADB Silver Anniversary mug –
congratulations, Ron!
Many thanks to Marc Burton and Phillip Smith for their hard work for this
event. OHHH Phillip made delicious green cupcakes that were yummmyyyy!
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Our visit to the U.S. Capitol Building
April 18, 2010
By Janice Toothman
Photos courtesy of Ed Knight
MWADB members and friends pose in front of the statue of Helen Keller
The weather was a bit chilly in the morning when we started out but as we
began walking towards the capital from Union Station, the coolness was less
evident. We all walked from Union Station to the capital. We had a short wait
before we entered the building to go through security.
Our group was split into two smaller groups and assigned a guide. The guide
gave the tour in ASL. My SSP interpreted the ASL then voiced it into the FM
system which fed directly into my hearing aids so I could understand.
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However, the
experiences that I
remember most of
the tour were not
what information
was given by the
tour guide but was
those places where
we visited that I
could touch and
experienced tactilely.
We started first by
visiting the statue of
Helen Keller at the
water pump. It had
an extraordinary
amount of detail. There was a description of the statue in braille on the base.
Although the braille was small and could have been more distinct and higher
placed, it was readable. We had our pictures taken in front of the statue.
There was a replica of the Capitol dome which we could feel and examine. I
did not realize how many columns and ornate cornices were used for the
exterior of the Capital's dome. In a room adjacent to the rotunda, there was a
fireplace that had marble relief depicting sheaths of wheat. There were also
cherubim. The marble was cool to the touch and the engraving included at the
top and sides of the hearth. Lastly, we felt a three dimensional map of
Washington, DC. It had braille identification of streets and buildings. The
tidal pool was marked with a raised line around the edges. The buildings were
scaled based on their original size. I felt I could stay hours at this map
studying it but we ran out of time. Likewise, my SSP told me there were
numerous other statues to explore in the hall where Helen Keller's statue was
that we did not have time to touch. This, to me as a deaf blind individual, was
the most meaningful.
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After thanking our guide, we met up with the other group outside the Capital
building. We walked back to Union station to have lunch at Uno‟s. The walk
was made more pleasant than several hours earlier due to the sunshine
combined with the physical exertion that help to warm us up against the chilly
breeze. We took tables in the back section of Uno‟s. At my table there was
consensus among our two SSPs and Bruce Denhart that the food was
expensive but that certain occasions justified the expense and dietary calories.
Two of us had brought our own lunch – I have dietary restrictions from a
medical condition and she was watching her weight -- but we left a generous
tip for our server.
Enjoying lunch at Uno’s after the tour
As a new member to MWADB, I spent time getting better acquainted with
other members of the group. My SSPs were invaluable to me, serving as my
interpreter because my ASL skills are not very good, but I practiced my tactile
ASL with anyone who was patient enough with my very limited range of skills.
We discussed highlights of the tour as well as personal facts until it was time
15
to leave. Phillip and Ann reminded us of upcoming events and thanked
everyone from coming. I had a momentary thought that the event wouldn‟t end
when the SSP couldn‟t find the parking ticket to exit the parking garage! I
thought that would be an interesting twist to a fine afternoon.
What a Huge Crowd!
May 1, 2010
By Ann Black
Photos courtesy of Ed Knight
Our annual picnic at Wheaton Regional Park this year was the largest crowd
we ever had for 26 years! More than 60 people, including friends from the
Baltimore Association of the Deaf-Blind, came to have a blast together. Blaise
Delahoussaye, MWADB President, asked
everyone to introduce themselves so we would
know who was there. It was great to see old
members like Joy and Harry Larson, David
Jessup, Cesar Morata, Lydia and Jim Roth and
Toby Witte-Dix (left: Toby chats with Stephen
Frank; below: Joy chats with Ann Black).
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Everyone brought a dish or drinks to share and
the food was superb. Many thanks to all of you
who brought delicious dishes, and to our two
chefs, Bruce Denhart and Ed Knight, for grilling
burgers, chicken and hot dogs (Ed took the photo
of Bruce and someone at the grill). I am sure we
all enjoyed eating and chatting, and probably
gained a little weight!
We were lucky to have perfect weather with beautiful shady trees around the
shelter. After eating, we played a game called “water balloon,” which is like
the game “hot potato.” We were in a circle and passed around a big water
balloon to each person – whoever had the balloon when the game stopped was
out. It was fun, and kept us cool and wet!
We tried something new this year to keep flies and bees away from the food
table. We put water with a few pennies into a zipped freezing bag and hung it
up on the post. People do that outside on their patios, too -- it might be
something you would like to try at your home.
The RSC Committee thanks all of
you for making this annual picnic
a huge success, and a special
thanks to our wonderful SSPs.
We hope to see all of you at our
social events this Fall.
Enjoy the pictures. The photo to
the right, courtesy of David
Jessop, shows Stanley Corinski
on the right side of the picnic
table (light shirt & no hat).
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SPLASH, SPLASH, SPLASH
(August 21, 2010)
by Ann C. Black
On Saturday, August 21, 2010, MWADB hosted a splash adventure at the
Splashdown Water park in Manassas, Virginia. We had thirty four people,
which including 14 deaf-blind members. In spite of the recent heat wave, we
were very lucky to have good weather with a nice breeze, and the water park
has many trees which gave us a pleasant shade.
At the water park there were different types of slides to choose from, which
made it more exciting to
splash in the water (in the
photo to the left, you can see
one of the slides behind us as
we were getting ready to
leave -- photo courtesy of Ed
Knight).
When our stomachs started
growling we all ate lunch --
the food was delicious and
crispy. People could choose
their favorite food, such as
pizza, hamburger, chicken
burger, french fries or salad.
It was a relaxing day and fun
to chat with people as well as splashing each other -- we plan to do it again
next year. Many thanks to Peggy Beach who made arrangements for us to get
free admission - it was so generous of her to do this for us! We also thank
Marc Burton and all the SSPs who assisted with this water event and had fun
with us – we couldn‟t have done it without you!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
This column is for announcements that are not related to MWADB – to post
your announcement, contact Dona Sauerburger (see page 32).
Italian Gala and Auction
To benefit
The Deaf-Blind Camp of Maryland
Saturday, November 13, 2010
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Arbutus United Methodist Church
1201 Maple Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21227
Bid on quality gifts, theme baskets, giftcards
Orioles and Ravens memorabilia, gifts for the holidays!
Have fun, enjoy a delicious pasta bar (including vegetarian options)
Detach and return this with your payment by November 6. Make checks out
to Deaf Interfaith and send to Toby Witte-Dix, 911 Regina Drive, Baltimore,
MD 21227
Yes, please reserve _____# of tickets @ $15.00 each _________
No, I can not come, please accept my enclosed donation _________
For more information, contact Toby at wittedix@verizon.net.
For SSPs, contact Brenda Talley at btalleyho@hotmail.com.
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Member News, Stories and Announcements
Visit to Historic Helen Keller Birthplace
by Steven A. Frank
Photos courtesy of Ed Knight
On Wednesday August 4, Ed
Knight and I enjoyed a very
interesting visit to the historic
birthplace of Helen Keller, named
Ivy Green [shown on the left]. It
is in Tuscumbia, Alabama,
approximately two and half hours
from Birmingham.
We went on a tour with a guide for
nearly two hours. We were very
pleased when the guide said that
deafblind visitors can touch any of the furniture, and I was even able to touch
Helen Keller's clothes in her closet. In the photo below, I am reading the
Braille book on Helen‟s desk in her bedroom.
We first visited Helen‟s house,
which has two floors -- the first
floor has four large rooms
bisected by a wide hall. About
75% of the furniture belonged
to the Keller family and dates
from the 1800s.
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We also visited the small cottage where Helen Keller was born, and there was
a nice crib in which baby Helen slept. That cottage is where her parents found
that Helen became sick with fever at the age of 19 months, leaving her deaf-
blind. There is another cottage with a kitchen but we could only look through
the window.
Finally, we went into the
back yard and saw the
famous water pump [in the
picture to the left] where
Anne Sullivan, her teacher
taught her the word
“w-a-t-e-r,” repeating it
until finally Helen Keller
made the connection that
words represented things.
That is when her language
development began. Of
course she went on to
remarkable achievement in
learning and in educating the
world about the potential of
people with disabilities.
To the right is a picture of Ed and
me standing beside the famous
pump.
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Our Trip Out West
By Joy Larson
My husband, Sonny and I took a road trip out west last May, traveling 5,010
miles in 16 days! We returned home on June 1st.
During our first stopover in St. Louis, we took the tram to the top of the
Gateway Arch which is 630‟ high and experienced good views of the city &
the Mississippi River. That evening we attended the St. Louis Cardinals -
Washington Nationals baseball game.
Next we toured the snow capped Rocky Mountain, Colorado & Utah Plateau
attractions. When we were heading toward the top of Cedar Mesa in Utah, the
road (stretch of Route 261) turned to gravel with steep inclines for four miles.
Sonny braved 180-degree switchbacks, thanks to his driving skills. The gravel
road is full of ruts and it is like driving on a washboard, but we were awed to
see the mesa just like the color cedar.
Departing from the historic downtown Durango, CO in the morning, the
temperature was 42
degrees. As we were
heading up the mountains
toward the historic mining
town of Silverton, CO, the
temp plunged to freezing
22 degrees with snow and
hazardous icy conditions.
Sonny had to drive very
slowly. It was terrifying
to look down the steep
mountain sides with no
roadside barriers as we
went through the Molas
Pass. We were relieved to arrive in Silverton safely.
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Then we had fun on a jeep tour exploring ghost towns, historic gold rush
mining and railroad sites. After visiting Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, we took
the cog railway up Pike's Peak and then visited the Garden of Gods (see the
photo), and the US Olympic training facilities in Colorado Springs.
We made some stopovers to visit points of interest. In Missouri we visited the
former homes of President Harry Truman (in Lamar), Laura Ingalls Wilder (in
Mansfield), and Mark Twain (in Hannibal). We also went to four deaf schools
(MO, CO, KS & IL).
We cherish our memorable adventure, and plan to take more trips in the near
future. Next year we will go to France.
Workshop on Deaf-blindness
by Ann C. Black
Paul Gallien, who is a member of MWADB and the American Association of
the Deaf-Blind, invited us to assist him in presenting a workshop on Deaf-
blindness for the Advisory Committee for Employment with Disabilities
at NRC in Rockville, Maryland. Paul works in the Information Office there.
Phillip and I provided information about our deaf--blindness as well about our
experience with employment and accommodations needed. No doubt this
workshop helped the council members to understand deaf-blindness
and their special needs such as Support Service Providers, interpters, and
special equipment need to function on the job. They also know that no two
deaf-blind individuals are alike due to etiology, educational background, and
experiences.
Phillip and I enjoyed this workshop very much -- we were pleased to provide
information in order to promote awareness on deaf-blindness. Thank you Paul!
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Deaf-blind Shabbaton
by Steven A. Frank
Photos courtesy of Sheryl Cooper
Believe it or not, eight Deaf-blind Jewish campers attended first ever Deaf-
blind Shabbaton (Jewish retreat) at the Pearlstone Retreat Center in
Reistertown, Maryland last April! Three of the
Deaf-blind people were MWADB members (Betsy,
Drew and myself). There were plenty of SSPs,
including Stephen Frank, whose first and last
names are like mine [See Steven and Stephen
Franks in the photo to the left.]
It was a long, fun-filled weekend, with educational and social activities and
workshops and wonderful kosher meals throughout the weekend. The
center itself is beautiful, with cabins for campers to stay in. One afternoon
we went on hiking around the center and passed the center‟s beautiful
organic garden.
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My favorite workshop was on
Saturday night, when we campers
and some SSPs made challah
(Jewish bread). We have all eaten
challah but none of us had ever
seen it being made. The rabbi's wife
brought a lot of dough to make into
six long rolls. After we shaped the
challah (see photo to right), they
put it into oven. The next morning,
we had delicious, fresh challah to
bring home!
Everybody had a marvelous time at the
camp. In the pictures to the left and below,
Betsy Wohl is giving me my certificate
[left], I am standing with Rabbi Fred
Friedman [below, left], and talking with
Jeff Bohrman from Ohio [below, left].
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Dancing Helen Keller's Life
By Ann C Black
Last July, the School of Indian Classical Odissi Dance (called Nrityalaya) did a
beautiful dancing performance about Helen Keller's life at Montgomery
College. The director, Chitra Krishnamurti, who plays the role of Anne
Sullivan, was very much inspired by Helen Keller's remarkable life to promote
awareness through her life's story.
The dance ensemble takes a bow, wearing costumes of the dances they
performed from countries where Helen Keller visited. The dancer on the left
played the part of young Helen Keller and the fourth from the left played the
older Helen Keller. In the middle is Chitra Krishnamurti.
Photo courtesy of Susan Flanigan.
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Helen Keller loved dancing too, and the dancing performance inspired me to
know more about her. When the performance was finished there was a
standing ovation, and I ran up to the director to complement her outstanding
work. I also told her I had met Helen Keller at Adams School when I was
5 years old. Immediately she led me to the stage to give a talk to the audience.
I was the only deaf blind person there. I gave a short talk about SSPs and
provided a little information about the needs of the deaf blind community.
The dancing group later took the
show to South Africa, where it was
a huge success. When they returned,
Chitra and Katherine Larson, who
helped with the music and
costumes, visited me at my home to
learn how I am independent as a
deaf-blind person. Chitra brought
carnations, which was a lovely
surprise. My friend, Leslie
Foxmann assisted with
communication – in the photo to
the right, Chitra is showing me her
dance while Leslie (beside me on
the left) and Katherine look on
(photo is courtesy of Ted Reuther).
Chitra works at NIH as a biochemist researcher. She was inspired by Helen
Keller‟s great achievements helping the blind and deaf communities without
letting her disabilities ever stand in the way, and decided to portray Helen‟s
story through a dance drama. She said that portraying a deaf-blind person
conformed well to Indian classical dance, which has its own traditional
language of "abhinaya," or self-expression. Abhinaya combines mime (which
involves facial expressions, eyes, head, and neck movements) with traditional
hand gestures, foot and body movements set to music – complex stories and
different characters can be portrayed by a single dancer.
28
The biggest challenge was working within an Indian framework to portray a
Western character, but portraying a blind-deaf person allowed her imagination
to soar and she felt that the outcome was very rewarding and worthwhile. As
Helen Keller said, "The most beautiful world is always entered through
imagination."
They performed the
dance again on Saturday,
September 18 at the Model
Secondary School for the
Deaf and several MWADB
members came. Ulf Hedberg
said it gave him goose
bumps, and Blaise and Dona
Sauerburger said it nearly
brought them to tears and
were very moved by the
stories told in the dance.
After the performance,
I presented Chitra with
flowers and talked
about deaf-blindness,
and introduced our
President Blaise. Chitra
invited deaf-blind
audience members to
touch the costumes.
Photos show Blaise
(above) and Ann (to the
right) enjoying the
embroidered costumes.
Thanks to Susan Flanigan for photos and arranging for tactile interpreters.
29
MWADB Board members
President
Blaise Delahoussaye
wolfrog2010@gmail.com
Social Recreational Cultural
Chairperson
Vice-President Phillip G. Smith
Lois Finnicum smith.guerin@gmail.com
lafinnicum@gmail.com VP: 240-565-0866
VP: 240-449-3502 Voice: 301-637-0093
TTY: 301-519-1176
Secretary
Lisa Pugh By-Laws Chairperson
Lisa.Pugh@Gallaudet.edu Art Roehrig
aaroehrig@verizon.net
Treasurer
Bruce Denhart Parliamentarian
Bdenh75955@AOL.com Jim Bishop
SSP Coordinator Newsletter Co-Editors
Marc Burton Dona Sauerburger & Ann Black
deafblindssp@gmail.com dona@sauerburger.org
30
MWADB Membership Form
The Metropolitan Washington Association of the Deaf-Blind
(MWADB) is a social organization which meets monthly. Each
member is entitled to receive newsletters twice a year, the latest
e-news, and discount rates for social gatherings.
1 YEAR 2 YEARS
– Individual – Individual
– Student – Student
$10 – Senior (62 & older) – Senior
– Couple – Couple
Tax-deductable donation (Thank You!) $________________
Name(s):______________________________________________
Address:______________________________________________
City, State, Zip+4:______________________________________
H-Phone #:_________________W-Phone #:_________________
E-mail address:________________________Fax #:___________
Want on e-
Your Birthday for newsletter greeting (Month/Day): ________
-mail
Make a check or money order payable to the order of MWADB
and mail this form along with the payment to:
Eddie Martinez Jr.
MWADB Membership Coordinator
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue NE #115
Washington, DC 20002
3
Keeping in Touch is the official newsletter of the
Metro Washington Association of the Deaf-Blind,
an organization of people who are Deaf-Blind and their friends.
For more information, please email
President Blaise Delahoussaye - wolfrog2010@gmail.com
or visit our web site at http://www.deafnonprofit.net/mwadb/
This newsletter is published twice a year. Unsolicited articles are
welcome. Articles printed in this publication do not necessarily
represent the views and activities of the organization.
Photos submitted for consideration must be sent to the editors
with assurance that everyone in the photo
has approved its publication.
Editors:
Dona Sauerburger 301-858-0138 (V)
sauerburger@mindspring.com
Ann Black 301-309-6180 (TTY)
Next Deadline: January 10, 2011
4
Inside . . .
1 President’s Message
MWADB Upcoming Events
3 Swedish Dinner and Guest Speaker (September 25)
4 October Fest (October 2)
4 Holiday Feast and Auction (November 13)
MWADB News
5 Stanley Corinski – 1936-2010
9 Special heartfelt thank you to SSPs
10 Welcome New Members to MWADB
11 What a Surprise – An Old Friend Returns!
MWADB Events We Enjoyed
12 Happy Irish Time
13 Our visit to the U.S. Capitol Building
16 What a Huge Crowd!
19 Splash Splash Splash
Announcements
20 Italian Gala and Auction
Member News, Stories and Announcements
21 Visit to Historic Helen Keller Birthplace
23 Our Trip Out West
24 Workshop on Deaf-blindness
25 Deaf-blind Shabbaton
27 Dancing Helen Keller‟s Life
30 MWADB Board members
31 MWADB Membership Form
32 Editors’ Box
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