Keeping in Touch
The Metro Washington
Association of the Deaf-Blind
Newsletter -- Summer 2008
Message from the President -- By Karen Bailey
In my role as President of Metro Washington Association of the
Deaf-Blind (MWADB), I am honored to be a part of an organization
that cares about people. Our commitment to our members and
community is to exceed their expectations by providing social,
service, and educational activities and outreach in a progressive,
sensitive, and enjoyable manner.
Our newsletter is an extension of our mission to meet the needs of
the Deaf-Blind community. I hope you will find it beneficial and
informative as you expand your knowledge of MWADB and the
wonderful people who support us.
This has been a busy year filled with great joy, and sadness as
well. We have played, laughed, eaten, chatted, and cried together.
We have lost dear friends who have passed away and we have
gained new friends who have joined our organization.
We have many plans for the upcoming months, some are social
events (see page 2) and some are outreach efforts. If you would
like to help us, I would love the opportunity to discuss this with you.
On a personal note, I have enjoyed getting to know many of you
over the past several months. I have been impressed again with
the exciting diversity, accomplishments, and perseverance of
people who are Deaf-Blind.
Warmly,
Karen Bailey,
President, Metro Washington Association of the Deaf-Blind
MWADB Events
The MWADB Board is proud to announce upcoming events for this
year. Please reserve those special dates for exciting social
activities. We welcome your ideas, as MWADB is your
organization for educational and social activities.
For more information about these events, contact Yashaira
Romilus, the Social Recreational Cultural Chairperson, at email
yashaira.romilus@gallaudet.edu or write to her at
Yashaira Romilus
Gallaudet University #187
800 Florida Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002
If you want to have announcements with MWADB information sent
to you, contact Dona Sauerburger sauerburger@mindspring.com
If you need a SSP or want to volunteer, contact Steven Collins at
steven.collins@gallaudet.edu
September 20, 2008 – 5:00 – 9:00 PM
Italian / International Night -- dinner fundraiser
Where: Catholic Deaf Center,
7202 Buchanan Street, Landover Hills, Maryland.
Italian food will be served for $10 for each member and $15 for
each non-member. Come and enjoy eating delicious Italian food
and chatting with old and new friends.
October 18, 2008
Mt. Vernon Tour – Postponed until Spring 2009
November 22, 2008
Holiday Festival/Dinner
This is our Thanksgiving Potluck dinner – you bring your favorite
recipes to share. Yummy, food to eat together. We will be
celebrating the holiday with spirit and fun.
January 31, 2009 - Start your new year off with MWADB
potluck and guest speaker
We look forward to seeing you all!!! Please spread the word to
your friends about our upcoming events. Thanks.
With warm regards,
MWADB BOARD
Tribute to Shelly B. Franks
by Blaise Delahoussaye
Shelly, a member of MWADB,
passed away May 23rd after
some months of illness from
pancreatic cancer. She was
deafblind and a leader of
MWADB's DeafBlind Support
Group for some years. Most of
our long-time members knew
her and enjoyed her company
and laughter at MWADB
events and other events, such
as the Deaf-Blind Explorers'
cruise trips.
Shelly was born in Philadelphia,
PA and had resided in Vienna,
Virginia ever since 1988. At
that time she started working in
DC at the US Securities and
Exchange Commission, where she was promoted to a higher
Disability Program Officer.
The funeral service was held in Philadelphia on Sunday, June 1st,
and a memorial service will be held at Gallaudet University's Ole'
Jim on Thursday, September 18, 2008 from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.
Ms Franks and her husband, Bruce, have decided to establish a
new fund at Gallaudet University which is called "Shelly and Bruce
Franks Deaf-Blind Leadership Training Fund" for the students who
are Deaf-Blind. If you wish to contribute to this fund, you can
check more info on the link:
https://support.gallaudet.edu/gift2/creditcard/index.cfm or you may
send contributions to the Office of Development, Gallaudet
University, 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002 (be
sure to indicate that the contribution is for the Shelly and Bruce
Franks fund).
Shelly is deeply missed by the local DeafBlind community in the
DC area. She'll always be remembered as a good DB citizen.
Tribute to Shelly Franks
By Ann C. Black
Shelly was quite a lady,
Who always smiled everywhere she went.
She never complained about her health, nor let it stop her.
We can see that Shelly didn't give up, for she was a courageous
lady.
Shelly was determined not to give up!
Indeed, she was a great leader,
Who believed in equal rights in spite of deaf-blindness, or any
disabilities.
No doubt, she overcame her obstacles and moved onward with
many challenges.
Bruce, her husband, believed in her,
And provided unique support, no matter what.
Their love for each other was so strong with happiness!
Shelly will always be remembered by us for her pretty smiles.
Wow -- What an Honor for Peggy Johnson!
By Ann C. Black and Roy M. White
On July 17, 2008, Rev. Peggy Johnson was elected as Bishop
Johnson for the Northeastern Jurisdiction in Harrisburg, PA. The
next day, she was consecrated Bishop during a ceremony at the
historic Grace United Methodist Church in Harrisburg. Because it
was done on such short notice, not all of us were able to witness
it. However, a group from Baltimore, including deaf-blind
individuals and interpreters, were lucky to witness this special
ceremony. No doubt Peggy, our terrific friend, was surprised!
Peggy received HIV/Aids Activist Award from Family Service
Foundation in Baltimore in 2004. She also received the Helping
Hand Award from the Maryland Association of the Deaf in 1991
and again in 2005. As you all know, Peggy deserves this special
honor for her hard work in establishing the Deaf-Blind Camp and
the Deaf Children Camp as well as increasing the membership at
the Christ United Methodist Church of the Deaf. She was also
involved in including individuals who are deaf or deaf-blind to be in
many Emmaus retreats for their spiritual growth.
On August 10, 2008, the members of Christ United Methodist
Church of the Deaf in Baltimore gave Peggy a farewell party.
Several MWADB members attended this unique farewell party and
enjoyed it very much. A special church service and a luncheon
were provided for 400 people. Wow! Many people had to stand,
as the church was jammed with so many people. Many people
gave short talks about Peggy and her accomplishments. She was
surprised to receive an award from Maryland’s Governor
O'Malley. The Deaf choir signed songs with the drum. At the end
of the church service, Peggy and her husband Mike made a vow
together with tears, as they were overjoyed about the exciting
challenge and adventure waiting for them in Philadelphia.
Bishop Johnson will be serving 1,000 churches in East
Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Eastern Shore. She will be sorely
missed by all of us, but we wish her the best of luck with her new
assignment as a bishop.
MWADB Social Activities
by Yashaira Romilus
Social Recreational Cultural Chairperson
MWADB members have had a lot of fun and enjoyed being
together at our social activities. I will tell you a little about the
events “Dancing with the Hands,” our picnic at Wheaton Park, and
the Splashdown event in Manassass, Virginia.
Dancing With Your Hands
This event was hosted at Gallaudet University by Gallaudet's
famous Dance Company in April 2008. It was a fantastic social
event, and a good number of members showed up.
First, we had a potluck dinner – members brought food or drink to
share. After we ate in the Multipurpose Room in SAC, we all
walked right around the corner to the Andrew Foster Auditorium
where the deaf-blind members got free tickets to view the
dance/comedy show called "Imagine Peace." It was an inspiring
performance – we could feel the music throughout our body. With
the help of SSPs, deaf-blinds members were able to visualize the
dance movements. It was also a laughable performance with some
comedy skits in between the dances. Many members enjoyed this
event – maybe we can do this again with another dance
performance!
Picnic
In May, 2008, we had a wonderful picnic at the Wheaton Regional
Park. Thank goodness for the weather, because it was such a
beautiful, sunny day for a picnic! Again, a good number of
members showed up for the picnic and brought food to share with
others. It was a successful event, and many deaf-blind members
had fun being with friends and getting to know new people. Many
people did a great job coordinating this event.
Splashdown Event
This event was hosted in August 2008 in Manassass, Virginia.
Splashdown is a small waterpark with a few nice rides -- it's a
great park to relax and cool off in the waters. The weather that
day was great!
A good number of deaf-blind members showed up ready in their
swimming gear, and we all had a free access pass! Members had
discounted catered food – a simple hamburger, fries, and soda –
and SSPs had a free meal, provided by MWADB. Once again, this
event was a nice way of socializing and getting to know each other
better.
For each event, we express thanks to the SSPs and those who
worked hard to make these events successful!
Karen Bailey –
President, Doctoral Student, Mother and Traveler
Karen Bailey was elected President of MWADB last fall. Our Vice
President, Ann Black, interviewed her to let the members get to
know her better.
ANN: Please tell us something about yourself -KAREN: My mother is Swedish and my father was Spanish, and I
am the youngest of their four children. I spent most of my
childhood in London, England but we also lived in Spain, Sweden,
and Southern California. My family traveled a lot, so I was lucky
enough to visit many countries. This inspired my love of history, art,
languages and different cultures. I grew up using four languages
and have added three more languages as an adult.
I was a foster mother for almost 20 years and had approximately
200 children in my home. Over that time, I adopted five children
(four girls and a boy) who are now all adults, leading their own
interesting lives. They have been a joy in my life, and I am now a
grandmother and a great aunt. It is wonderful to be able to spoil
them.
ANN: I understand you are a PhD student in clinical
psychology at Gallaudet University. Please tell us about your
education and what you are studying here –
KAREN: My initial undergraduate studies focused on humanities
and parent education and later I became interested in special
education, research, and psychology. My graduate studies focused
on counseling, research, teaching, and curriculum design. I have
worked as a teacher, a parent educator, an early interventionist, a
behavior specialist, and a counselor. I also ran a multidisciplinary
program for homeless children and adults.
Now I am working my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. I am leading a
research study which will provide accurate information about how
many DB people live in the United States, as well as a better
understanding about the quality of their life. My ultimate goal is to
improve the quality and availability of mental health services for
people who have both hearing and vision loss.
ANN: How did you lose your vision and hearing –
KAREN: I have been blind in my right eye since birth because of
a tumor on my optic nerve. I also have Usher Syndrome Type 3. I
was born hearing and began to lose my hearing during my
teenage years. I am now profoundly deaf and have approximately
five degrees of vision left in my left eye. I use large print but also
read Braille.
ANN: You mentioned that you are involved in Leader Dog
training. Please tell us about it -KAREN: I recently completed my training at Leader Dogs for the
Blind in Michigan and I now have a wonderful leader dog named
Piston (after the Detroit basketball team). He is a large, male black
labrador and he is two and a half years old. He is really helping me
travel independently and more confidently. We are forming a
working unit based on mutual trust and respect.
ANN: Congratulations on being elected as our MWADB
President! What are your goals that you would like to see
accomplished --
KAREN: I am enjoying my presidency of MWADB and hope to
meet many of you this fall. I am working with a wonderful group of
people. My goals for my term as president involve
 increasing membership,
 enhancing outreach to DB people in our area who have not
had contact with the DB community, and
 having an amazing anniversary event in 2009 which will
strengthen our relationship with other organizations and raise
a significant amount of money for MWADB.
Thank you all for this opportunity.
ANN: Thank you so much, Karen, for your time for this interview. I
am sure our members and friends will be grateful to get to know
you as our President. <smiles>
Member News and Announcements
This is YOUR column! Send in your news, accomplishments, births
suggestions and information to share with others to Dona Sauerburger
at sauerburger@mindspring.com .
Congratulations Steven!
Steven A. Frank attended Helen Keller National Center in New
York 3 weeks last February for training in braille display. Now, he
is using a Pac-Mate braille display. It is a good challenge for him to
do, and he enjoys reading this very much!!!
Announcement – Bibliography on Deaf-Blind Interpreting
Rhonda Jacobs
The National Task Force on Deaf-Blind Interpreting (NTFDBI) has
a new resource, an annotated bibliography on Deaf-Blind
Interpreting. We're just putting the finishing touches on it. It just
went onto the web at
http://www.nationaldb.org/ISSelectedTopics.php?topicCatID=767 .
It will also soon have a link to a .txt version for downloading and
printing in Braille or transferring to disk, and two PDF versions, one
in regular print and one in large print.
Helpful hint to deafblind people.
Arlyce Watson
Attach velcro to your remote control or any small device and to a
certain spot where you want to put it down. That way your gadget
will never be knocked off and misplaced. End searching for it and
end frustration.
House Call Veterinarian
By Phillip G. Smith
Hello MWADB Family!
I would like to share with you, who may be a pet lover, my soheavenly experience of my cats’ visit with a veterinarian: the
mobile clinic.
Previously, for a long time, it had been tedious time for me to look
for a ride to take my cats to an animal hospital that is about 10
miles from my home. I do not drive at all because I have Usher
Syndrome.
So a few weeks ago, I happened to see an ad in my residential
community newspaper about the mobile clinic. I contacted the
service and asked some questions.
To my surprise, they said they can provide pets a service at their
door. So I made an appointment for my two cats with their new
veterinarian. Two weeks ago, the veterinarian drove her 24-foot
van to my residential parking lot that is a few steps away from my
home.
The inside the van was very well equipped with things like an X-ray
machine, operating room, and the likes. I just put my cats in their
carriers and walked to meet their veterinarian Dr. Rachel Wander
and her technician/assistant Michele Schoch. Of course my cats
were afraid at the beginning, but later they roamed around in the
van.
Dr. Wander and Michele had excellent communication with me via
typing in a large-font size using a laptop while they checked on my
cats’ health. At the end of my cats’ appointments, we just walked
home without a ride!
If you are interested, here is information below:
Healthy Pet Mobile Vet
Dr. Rachel Wander
Phone: 301-305-3722
Email: hpmv@healthypetmobilevet.com
Web site: http://healthypetmobilevet.com/
NOTE from editor: There are apparently many veterinarians who
do house calls – my vet, Veterinary Housecall Service (410-9230785) also does housecalls, and you can look on the internet for
“house call veterinarian” for one in your area.
Alaska Cruise
by Ann C. Black
Wow – what an adventurous, wild cruise we had last year, planned
by Lynn Jensen from DB EXPO. There were 23 American deafblind people, 4 Canadian deaf-blind people, and 38 SSPs and
family members. Five of the deaf-blind individuals were from our
DC area – Blaise Delahousaye, Steven Frank, David Jessop,
Shelly Franks, Lois Finn and myself. David is President of the
Baltimore Association of the Deaf-Blind, and he had won a free
cruise in a raffle. To our surprise, the largest group of people on
the cruise was Marylanders while the second largest group was
from Seattle.
The ship, named HOLLAND AMERICA, is huge. It is 15 years old
and looks very modern and comfortable with many activities,
including a hot tub for relaxation.
We left Sunday, June 17th, 2007 from Vancouver, Canada and
ended in Anchorage June 24th. We toured Ketchikan, Alaska’s
capital Juneau, and Skagway. Lynn planned a bus tour to visit a
museum where you can touch animals and objects, and an
interesting boat ride to see the glacier and mountains with
snow. Some also went whale watching, or rode a train or
helicopter to get a good view of Alaska. No doubt the landscape of
Alaska is breathtaking and gorgeous. When we arrived in
Anchorage, some people stayed to do more sightseeing and
relax.
Indeed it was an interesting adventure for us all, as Alaska is very
different from many states -- it is for people who love outdoor life
and animals. OOPS, also they like the rainy weather as it rained
most of the time we were there. Luckily we didn’t drown!
Many thanks to all of the interpreters and SSPs who went with us,
and a special thanks to my brave SSP, Irene Sellman! They did a
wonderful job describing scenes as well as providing
environmental information. I truly appreciated that, as this was my
first trip as a fully blind person. It was a big challenge for me – a
big adjustment in learning how to enjoy traveling. I am still
learning how to compensate for my visual loss as well as enjoy life!
Lynn will plan another DB cruise for the near future and I truly
hope more of you folks will join the next DB EXPO cruise.
Funny SSP story
Arlyce Watson
As an SSP at one of the AADB conventions, I took a mini break to
the ladies restroom. Because the bathroom was long and
rectangular, I thought it would have a stall. Nope, it was an open
view with a single toilet. Being distracted by its uniqueness, I
forgot to lock the door. After I sat down on the toilet, in came a
deafblind man feeling his way along the wall. My hair stood on
end! Grateful that he was too blind to see me, I hurriedly grabbed
some toilet tissue – zip-zop, dressed and stood up, and then
heaved a long “wheeeew!” when I saw him turning around to exit.
Later I asked him why he entered the ladies restroom and exited
like that. He explained that he had just exited the men's restroom
and thought he was out into the foyer, but ended up in another
bathroom which faced the opposite of where he exited. Aaahh!
He had the best forgivable and believable excuse!
Recipe
Arlyce Watson
Unexpected guests and no dessert to serve? Quck fix in a matter
of minutes!
Drain a can of sliced peaches.
Dot with butter (3 - 5 pats according to your taste)
Sprinkle with brown sugar (2 - 3 Tablespoons)
Sprinkle with chopped nuts of your choice
Microwave for about 90 seconds.
Serve as is or add vanilla ice cream or cool whip. Yummmmmmy!
MWADB Board members
President
Karen Bailey
karen.bailey@gallaudet.edu
Vice-President
Ann Black
anncblack@comcast.net
Secretary
Deb Livingston
(v) 734-646-1193
deborah.livingston@gallaud
et.edu
SSP Coordinator
Steven Collins
steven.collins@gallaudet.e
du
Social Recreational
Cultural Chairperson
Yashaira Romilus
yashaira.romilus@gallaudet
.edu
By-Laws Chairperson
Randall Pope
randy.pope@aadb.org
Parliamentarian
David Nelson
deafdavid@yahoo.com
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 quarterly newsletters, the latest
e-news, and discount rates for social gatherings.
1 YEAR
____ $12 - Individual
2 YEARS
____ $20 - Individual
____ $8 - Student
____ $16 - Student
____ $8 - Senior (62 and over)
____ $16 - Senior
____ $20 - Couple
____ $40 - Couple
____ Tax-deductible Donation (Thank you) $________
Name(s):____________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________
City, State, Zip+4:______________________________________
E-mail address:_____________________ Fax #: (___)___-_____
Want on e-mail news list for announcements ? Yes ___ No ___
Home Phone #: (___)___-____ Work Phone #: (___)___-_____
-mail
Your Birthday for newsletter greeting (month/day):____________
Make a check or money order payable to the order of
MWADB and mail this form along with the payment to:
Ann Black, 16 Clemson Court, Rockville, Maryland 20850
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 Karen Bailey - karen.bailey@gallaudet.edu
or call Secretary Deb Livingston – (Voice / relay) 734-646-1193
or visit our web site at http://nonprofit.deafvision.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 editor
with assurance that everyone in the photo has approved its
publication.
Editor: Dona Sauerburger 301-858-0138 (V/TTY)
sauerburger@mindspring.com
Next Deadline: January 1, 2009
Inside . . .
1 President’s Message
3 MWADB Events
4 Tribute to Shelly B Franks
6 Wow, What an Honor for Peggy Johnson!
7 MWADB Social Activities
9 Karen Bailey -- President, Doctoral Student, Mother
and Traveler
Member News and Announcements
12 Congratulations Steven!
12 Announcement -- Bibliography on Deaf-Blind
Interpreting
12 Helpful Hint to deafblind people
13 House Call Veterinarian
14 Alaska Cruise
16 Funny SSP Story
16 Recipe
17 MWADB Board members
18 MWADB Membership Form
19 Editor’s box -- “Keeping in Touch” information