Coco’s Letter of Support for Help Kindle Needed Change (HKNC)

*I wrote this for a group on Facebook which you can join, it’s for a good cause, to help improve and innovate Helen Keller National Centre to be the place it should be – not a place where Deafblind feel like they aren’t learning, a place of fear and oppression, and where almost no Deafblind lead. *

 

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A Letter of Support for

Help Kindle Needed Change

 

Christine ‘Coco’ Roschaert

Kathmandu, Nepal

December 18, 2012

 

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

 

 

Helen Keller is a heroine in her own right. She overcame her struggles with silence and darkness to achieve so much and proved so many people wrong even decades later about the abilities of Deafblind people. Not only did she have a breakthrough in communication, but she triumphed through academic challenges only to travel the world and raise awareness about Deafblindness, wrote endless classic books and poems, and she is the muse behind programs, international organizations and national centers (Toronto, New York and Mumbai). She always believed in speaking out, against oppression, ignorance and separation from functioning society.

 

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” – Helen Keller

 

Thus, in 1967 through a Congress Act passage, the Helen Keller National Centre was formed. HKNC is a rehabilitation centre aimed at training and enabling youth and adult people who are Deafblind.

 

The programs cover training independent living skills for the home and school, using a cane, Braille lessons, urban and environment navigation, technology introduced through assistive device programs and more. There are dorms for students with day-and-night staff, an interpreting team in sign language and SEE, lounge rooms, classrooms, a special-needs Deafblind dormitory, and acres of beautiful land. You can find this centre in Sands Point, Long Island, New York, a 30 minute commute from the Penn Station in New York City.

 

That center changes lives each time the students enter, for better or for worse.

 

I have been a visitor to that center twice, in 2008 and 2009 to visit a few good friends who work there during my visits to New York City.

 

To be told, I had heard good and bad things about HKNC, and wanted to see it for myself. I even made the effort to make appointments with Susan “Sue” Ruzenski, the Direct Services director of HKNC, to talk about a Deafblind Nigerian named Hassan and how I could get him over here from Africa to be trained. That was one of my missions during my visit to HKNC as well as giving the campus a tour, observing their classes, and trying to understand what was so bad about it.

 

So my friend, who used to work on the interpreting team in 2008, brought me to HKNC. I had to sign in as a visitor, and sitting across from me was an elderly 70-something woman smiling and ‘gesturing’ to me. I naturally signed in ASL, because, come on this is a Deafblind center with an absolute necessity for a 24-7 sign language policy. But I was taken aback to find out this secretary worked for HKNC for the past 30 something years and STILL DOESN’T SIGN. Nicely, I asked her, “why don’t you sign? How do you tactile with Deafblind ASL users?”. She sweetly responded: I’m taking some sign classes now. Me thinking to myself: at 70?!? Oh dear………..

 

My Deafblind friend, also a staff at HKNC, who is fully blind, took me on a tour before my scheduled meeting with Sue. My friend, whom I won’t name, took me through what I thought was the most physically and visually contradicting tour of a center I would have perfectly assumed was a 100% accessible place with everything, absolutely everything, a Deafblind student or staff desired. Less challenges and more ease in an environment.

 

I walked through white floors and didn’t see ‘markers’ or ‘raised paths’ to guide canes to certain rooms or stairs like I’d seen in other countries or buildings for the blind. I squinted my eyes at the bright white walls, I felt like I was being transported through a psychiatric ward. So cold, unwelcoming. I stopped by to read a bulletin board of announcements. There were three prints: small print, large print and Braille. If you can catch the irony here: the small print had 2 pages full of information. The large print was 1 page. You know, if you enlarge print, you should have 5 pages or so? Nope. Just 1 page and it was a ‘summary’ of the small print info. The braille paper is almost like a large print paper, the braille takes up a lot of space. But there were only 2, not 7 or 8.

So what I saw was that sighted people had more privilege to information than Deafblind people who were fully blind or close vision.

 

I looked at all the plaques of congratulations, successes, honors to HKNC throughout the years. Pictures with congressmen, famous people, well-known Deafblind people like Laura Bridgman, Bob Smithdas, Father Cyril Axelrod and Helen Keller herself. Pictures of groups of former students. They didn’t look exactly as happy as you’d see in a group of Seabeck Deafblind Camp. The rest, a lot of pictures of hearing-sighted people.

 

My guide took me to the assembly room. This room is used for presentations, student gatherings, trainings, and meetings. Once the doors opened, I was speechless. My mind was going “wrong, wrong, wrong”…… The floors were a light green and gray swirling mixture as if Picasso painted it. Straight ahead I faced a long hall and at the end was a 20-feet wall. The wall itself was painted a dark color, but I couldn’t tell if it was gray or brown. But wrong colors – it should be darker, like black or navy blue to ease the eyes of many Deafblind who had partial vision and could see contrast. But the HUGE white projector screen covered 15 feet of the wall, leaving a minor 2.5 feet on each end. No, no, no. The screen should be 1/3 of the wall, so we can look at interpreters with tons of dark space.

 

On each side of the room, the walls were painted white. Curtains were flowing with the wind from countless open sliding doors. I lost count how many sliding doors there were on each side, but this is way too many windows for my eyes to handle. Too much sunlight for the cataracts. I pitied the students and staff who came to this room with severe lack of visual accessibility to important information.

 

The cafeteria was not environmentally friendly. I saw the dorms, they didn’t have the space considered Deafblind friendly.

 

I got back to Sue’s office and she can’t make it to the meeting. Oh well. I met with the international admissions director, bless my mind, I forgot her name. She met with me, and I handed her Hassan’s application forms and wanted him enrolled here for three to six months. I’ve known HKNC has admitted international applicants and I wanted hope for this Nigerian man I met during my 2-year volunteer mission. The director said she’ll look into it and asked me about fundraising. I said as long as we keep in touch and you let me know the costs, then I can try to fundraise for it.

 

My first visit to HKNC left me with a great uneasiness. It was not the ideal ‘super-Deafblind’ center I had thought surpassed the advanced support system of Seattle, Washington. Months later, HKNC had not continued communication with me regarding Hassan, and it still forever haunts me. I dream of Hassan sitting in the desert dirt of Birnin-Kebbi, Nigeria, wondering if he’ll ever go to America and take back the tools he needs for a better life.

 

My second visit was brief, but I enjoyed the library visit and the technology room visit. I was so fascinated with what technology was being developed for Deafblind today. The library is a golden treasure trove of resources and I wanted to swim in it. There are some great things about the center such as these, some staff who I hold in high regard and the beautiful property. However, during this second visit, I met Joe McNulty. The Executive Director of HKNC. He was in a hurry, but in our brief conversation I could see that he didn’t sign well. Used voice more often. I could barely understand his signing. He says he’s been here a long time. If it were up to me, I’d want a Deafblind person in his position, who could sign very well, or Deaf or hearing with fluency in ASL. He left in a hurry and I was dumbfounded.

 

But in my honest opinion, there needs to be serious change. After my visits, hearing unsettling and sad stories, seeing highly respected people fired, students who stood up for their rights being expelled, complaints and letters ignored, questionable use of sponsorship funds, audism and oppressive environment, I believe that Susan Ruzenski and Joe McNulty need to go.

 

A new era of HKNC is so much desired. This generation is so different from when Laura Bridgman started out, and when Helen Keller wrote her first book. There are Deafblind people who are so diverse: the developmentally disabled, physically disabled, young, brilliant, elder, active leaders, mothers and fathers with children, who use cochlear implants, can speak, or use full sign language; and then there are people who can see and/or hear and want to learn more about us, to better support us.

 

I believe that HELP KINDLE NEEDED CHANGE is not a ravaging rebellion of a sacred philosophy by Helen Keller, but voicing her spirit by showing the world what they truly need from HKNC. This is almost similar to the Gallaudet Protests. Deafblind people want to change their leader(s). Deafblind people want to be noticed and supported. Deafblind people want to voice their opinions and change their lives for the better. If the administrators or the stakeholders of HKNC refuse to listen to the very consumers of the centre, then you have forgotten what democracy is. Listen to the very heart of this matter, and reach out to those who are fearful of reprisals or speaking out, whether you are Deafblind or Deaf or hearing.

 

If you are a former student or staff of HKNC and would like to write an open letter, please join our Facebook group. The same goes to allies who believe in this cause and want to see HKNC prosper, with the right leadership, new strategic plan, and a brighter future for thousands of Deafblind people who might pass that door (and be able to tactile sign language with a new ASL-fluent secretary, ha.).

 

A neutral, investigative committee needs to be established. The board members need to be reviewed as individuals and a whole. The administration needs to be revamped. Consumer and stakeholder opinion need to come forward. Fear needs to be ridden of with faith, support and tactile unity. Talk about your experiences, but most of all, please talk about the future – what YOU WANT FROM THE CENTER. The government knows about this movement, and they are listening. Come out and help kindle needed change at our beloved Helen Keller National Centre.

 

“It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal.” – Helen Keller

 

HELP KINDLE NEEDED CHANGE, I got your back.

 

Tactile love,

 

Christine ‘Coco’ Roschaert

 

Deafblind international advocate,

Director of Nepal Deafblind Services,

Gallaudet graduate ’06.

Usher Syndrome/Deafblind

 

411: Worldwide Organizations for the Deafblind

I’m on a roll. Finding more resources for you to dive into and become more enriched with what the Deafblind sphere has to offer.

Take a look at a long list of continent-categorized Deafblind associations. Some are outdated, but some are still active.

I’ll put up my information there for Nepal Deafblind project shortly.

http://www.deafblind.com/org.html#European

Namaste,
Coco

411: European Organizations of the Deafblind

If you’re living in Europe and looking for connections to Deafblind organizations, here is the link”

http://www.deafblind.com/europe.html

I can see a few organizations where I personally know the president and active members. If you need a direct contact, I might be able to help you out.

Namaste
Coco

Db Organization in Focus: Filo D’Oro Italy

The Italian Deafblind Association is featured in today’s blog

FILO D’ORO ITALY

http://www.legadelfilodoro.it/

The text is in Italian, but more reason to learn the very romantic language to understand how service and passion can fulfill a Deafblind person’s life by providing care, support, and lessons for independent living.

Grazie, Humberto!

Tactile unity
Coco

Update – October 20, 2011

Update – October 20, 2011

Namaste, everyone.

Hope this finds you all well, healtthy and in good spirits.

This finds me settled in Kathmandu, Nepal as of this moment in my cozy, black-and-red Asian motif living room thinking to myself: I seriously need to hit the keys and blog something. It’s been too long.

That’s because in part, sometimes I can not find my muse and it’s lost somewhere in the universe that is the mind of Coco. In most part, it’s because in five months, I have been to Nepal, Europe, America, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong and Nepal.

Carrying around with me a 12-pound ancient laptop (thanks, Dad, for the loaner) that left a huge dent on my shoulder from the weight in the shoulder bag while I was running around like a headless chicken. Overwhelmed and with very little time on my hands, I found it less and less accessible nor available to blog. I’ve got over 100 vlogs from Nepal earlier (internet here not fast enough to download, trust me) and from South Africa, Brazil and Hong Kong that I have not yet put on Youtube! In time, and hopefully, the net here is faster enough to download. Then you can watch all with your viewing pleasure.

I can say with certainity and gratitude that going to WFD and Deafblind International conferences gave me the extra drive and passion to strive better. The networking, social events, eye-opening workshops, side trips, feeling the spirit of each conference was amazing. I am forever grateful to those who made it happen. I would like to list them in my next blog with separate respect for all they’ve done. I would like to pray with Buddha and be thankful for the opportunities that was presented to me. If it seems that I’m not grateful through dismal blogging, that’s incorrect.

Not only did the conferences occupy my time, but personal events in my life had become quite difficult for me to balance even the simplest tasks in everyday life. My relationship in Nepal with a beautiful artist ended in May after coming to the realization we weren’t meant for one another. Our decision left us very devastated and when I got home, I felt like an empty shell. It was my first love, first relationship. I didn’t get to experience that in high school nor Gallaudet University nor in Africa. At 31, I thought I had found the man I wanted to marry. I just sat around the house, slept odd hours, wept, screamed, went silent, yearned, and walked the trail for fresh air. At that time, I thought, How soon would I recover from this horrible, manifesting, indescribable hurt? Was my heart literally bleeding? Fast forward five months: We both wish the best for each other in our now separate lives. My heart isn’t bleeding like the Niagara Falls, but it’s still a little babbling brook. I still ache for the company we once shared filled with joy and romance, but understand it’s over. I find myself back in Nepal at present time living alone in my apartment (but gratefully, constant companions from all over the world to visit) and my work. No more being by his side. So that was one of the hardest things I’ve experienced in my life and going to South Africa was a wake up call from my long slumber.

Both of my parents are not in good health. My mother now has to have a blood transfusion because of a pre-existing health condition and it would mean she is going to die if she doesn’t have one soon. But I’m very grateful that I pushed hard this summer to find her after she moved out of her apartment and disappeared. She was not in my life nor contact for three years. Through my aunt’s clever sleuthing, we found her. Finally. It devastated me to find her in the state she was in. I felt helpless. I wanted to help but knew, after 31 years of being her daughter, all I could do was tell her I love her and that I’d forgiven her for her past mistakes. If she passes by the time I’m here I’ll have that knowledge and inner calm knowing that we met and she knows I’m her angel.

My father has a bad heart. I came home in May also to take care of him for the summer. I cooked healthy foods, encouraged him to exercise, made him laugh and monitored his activities. I worry about him. I want my father around for a few more years so he could find complete joy for himself, and possibly to walk me down the aisle to a man whom he and Grandpa Maurice would approve of. I hope he’s reading this. I pray that you’ll change your lifestyle and find the peace you deserve and live for a long time.

There are more crises that also happened during the summer, but I feel that’s way more personal and for me to keep to myself. But it sure wasn’t an easy five months.

Now that I am back in Nepal, I need to get a few major things out of the way and then have that clear path in my spinning brain to actually blog about the remainder of WFD, Brazil, Hong Kong and the rest of my blog about my project here.

I want to say I am extremely grateful for your support. I am on Facebook and I update people on my life, in five sentences or less (it takes 30-50 seconds to type rather than 2 hours for one single blog).

By the way, I’ve lost 20 pounds, the healthy way. Damn proud. That’s one achievement out of several this summer so that kind of balances it out!

You’ll be reading from me soon.

Tactile love.
Coco

South Africa Journal #8: Deaf Democracy?

July 17, 2011

International Conference Centre, Durban

This is my first ever WFD Congress. I had been a part of the WFD Youth Camp in 2003 in Canada, but this would mark my first time being a full participant of the Congress. Needless to say I was over the moon about this entire experience – to think about the people I would meet and my upcoming presentation at the end of the Congress.

Tired from the long night that ensued the night before with the Youth Congress and making a late-night sojourn for a burger at McDonald’s with 15 Deaf youth waiting in a long line, sandwiched between two cars with terrible exhaust that smoked toxic gas and finally getting our burgers at midnight.

I arrived at the conference centre early morning anticipating easy registration process and witnessing the voting process that would begin a new generation of WFD executives and Board members. I was curious to know if two people I acknowledged – Colin Allen from Australia and Dr. Joe Murray from USA would be elected as President or Vice President.

The registration process took longer than expected. Seeing as I registered very late, three weeks prior to the Congress, my name did not show up on the roster, so I had to run around for some time until it was settled. It wasn’t any easier, because I had no Deafblind guide to take me station to station, interpret what one person was saying – I had to rely on volunteers and to place my hand directly on the person responsible for registration rather than third-person tactile interpreting. Third person tactile interpreting means my Deafblind guide would watch the other person sign and interpret into my hands. It accounts for familiarity and less time consuming to ‘teach’ the other person – most whom do not know how to communicate directly with a Deafblind signing person – and get the business over with in double less the time it would take if I were to tactile directly with the other clueless person.

I was finally given a badge of registration with “DELEGATE” and once it was placed on me, I beamed with price. I was finally a delegate at my first WFD conference!

I rushed past the halls and standing people who were busily chatting away, to enter the doors of Hall 1&2 and I found myself in a darkened room, like a circular hall, with a grand stage up front and hundreds of people sitting and standing around. In the back, I squirmed along with my volunteer guide, Barry from the UK, until I found my seat. Bo from Denmark and Barry volunteered to interpret the voting process, much to my gratitude.

For the rest of the week, because of my late registration and WFD Congress Organizing Committee’s lack of preparing a Deafblind Guide Team, I was left without a guide or interpreter for the rest of the week, so I would have to tap friends or acquaintances to interpret for me or take me place to place. As grateful I am for their support, I immediately found it very exhausting to find volunteers with spare time and the heart to do what I needed. After all, most of them were there to watch, experience and enjoy the Congress, not to work for a Deafblind person.

Back to the Congress General Meeting as it was called. I had arrived in time to hear Turkey plead their case to bid for the next location of the WFD Congress in 2015, It all sounded fantastic. I wouldn’t mind going to Turkey. It sounded so exotic. Next to bid was Mexico. I was far more impressed with their presentation and what they asked for in return from WFD was that the Congress focus on helping Mexico’s grave situation when it came to educating poor Deaf children. Mexico City had a lot to offer. I was deeply concerned about how the WFD Congress organizing committee would deal with the ongoing drug cartel crisis that continues to plague Mexico, and whether the delegates would be at risk in midst of the gunfire. But the team impressed me. I had missed the first bidder – Germany – but I was told their presentation didn’t impress as much as Mexico did. The talk amongst delegates was that Turkey would win.

And so they did. Congratulations are in order for Istanbul, Turkey. You bet you’ll see me there in 2015.  The crowd went crazy over the announcement.

Next, we would hear the testimonies of those interested in becoming President and Vice President of WFD. Two people, respectable for their work with the Deaf communities in their countries and for their long involvement with WFD, were up for the positions. Colin Allen, whom I had the honor of meeting in Sydney, Australia during my travels around the world back in 2010 did an exemplary job explaining why he was best for the position. If I got it right, he had more than 15 years of experience with WFD. And his understanding and willingness to work with the Deafblind community gave him high points in my book. Knowing Dr. Joe Murray back then in 2003, he also had been very active with WFD for a long time. He’s currently a professor at Gallaudet University, the only Deaf liberal arts university in the world. I saw him best for the Vice President position while I envisioned Colin as the President. Many people around me, with no voting power like I, had agreed with the same sentiments.

It was announced that Colin Allen won the Presidency. I could not be any more proud of him. I beamed with joy and fist pumped in the air for him.

One other person ran for the Vice Presidency. A little-known person named Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen came on stage and presented her case for the position. She was very active in the Deaf South Africa Deaf organization and she is the chair of the WFD Organizing Committee.  I thought to myself, ‘Okay, this seems like a nice lady, but since she wasn’t involved with WFD for a long time, I would go with Joe for this position….’

I was wrong. The voting congregation voted Wilma for Vice President, and Joe was voted on the Board again.

I was disappointed. Many of the people around me, standing in disbelief, while the South Africans in the far left corner cheered in jubilation and raised their flag. We all thought Joe would win.

I have a personal beef with Wilma. With the Congress organizing committee for the lack of attention they gave to Deafblind for months before the Congress. In future journals, it’ll all be revealed. In no way do I hold the 2007-2011 WFD Board accountable for the actions of the 2011 Organizing Committee. Wilma, along with others on the Organizing Committee, knew of my complaints about lack of accessibility for Deafblind delegates, as far back as January this year and did nothing about it. I sat there in disbelief, that a person less-known by the large, devoted group of WFD members was voted by a small number of delegates. Not the entire 200 people who stood in that room, but roughly 40 delegates who had voting power.

What baffled me more was the process of voting. For the Youth Congress, the Board and the President, Vice President was elected on the last day of the Youth Congress. It made perfect sense, so that the whole group of delegates would know who they would vote for. And the entire group of delegates – 2 from 30+ countries, would get a chance to vote. Meaning all the people in that room during the Youth Congress could vote their leaders.

But for WFD General Assembly, it was an entirely different strategy. Voting for our new leaders was held on the very first day, disputing any dissent or gaining perspective on who we would want to vote. Those who wanted the top positions only had one day to campaign. I didn’t have any voting power. Nor did the voting delegates know who Wilma was, or what the others who had contributed years and years of their time to WFD would have to offer to the future of our international Deaf organization. 2,000 people were in attendance during the Congress but roughly 40 delegates had the power to vote our leaders.

Why couldn’t the General Assembly be put off until the end of the week? Why couldn’t all the registered members of WFD be allowed to vote instead of representatives from Deaf organizations in 40 countries? The voting process is flawed. I can only hope that in the future it is reversed, so that even if I’m not representing the Canadian Association of the Deaf but a longtime, longstanding member of WFD, I am allowed to vote for someone, who has campaigned the entire week during Congress to gain my confidence and declare the true winner at the end of the week.

I have no great animosity towards Wilma, but I have to say – who is she, really? That makes me uncertain of how WFD would efficiently govern with her in this position, as all I know about her is that she chaired the Congress this year. I want someone who is familiar not only with the WFD governing system, but whom the entire Deaf world knows.

In the end, all I could think about was how I would approach the Turkey 2015 organizing committee and team up in efforts to make the next Congress more accessible, for Deafblind people – but possibly, also, for  the rest of the Deaf delegates who would come and righly deserve their place in the voting process.

After all, we reserve the human right to determine who governs our future. That, folks, is democracy in its true form. Equality for all, with people who we trust leading in front.

Ubuntu

Coco

South African Journal #7: WFD Youth, Our Future

July 16, 2011

 

International Conference Centre

 

Durban

 

It was early Saturday evening as I sat waiting in the hotel lobby for my two Canadian friends, who happen to be WFD Youth Camp delegates from Canada, to arrive for our dinner date. The Hilton hotel began buzzing with activity, the swarm of delegates started arriving for the WFD Congress. The opening ceremonies would commence the next day. While I was waiting, I had a lovely chat with the American National Association of the Deaf representatives, Howard Rosenblum and Nancy Bloch about the efforts they were pushing NAD towards a close working relationship with the Deafblind association and the great news that the Federal Communications Commission would fund Deafblind people millions of dollars per year for technology advancements. Afterwards, I had the leisure of meeting current President of WFD, Markku Jokkinen, whom I had met way back in 2003 during my time as a leader for the WFD Youth Camp in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was a brief and cordial reunion. He didn’t seem to remember me, but that is all right. I pondered about the rest of the week – who I would recognize from past international conferences, or the new people I would befriend. My heart was beating with excitement.

 

And as hours went by, I started to get fidgety. Where were my Canadian friends? I asked Howard where they were, and he said that the Youth Congress was being held up and that they were still voting on new board members. I had to check this out, so I asked someone to guide me there.

 

I saw the International Conference Centre for the first time. A huge, colorful banner stretched 15 feet horizontally above me. Booths for registration and security checkpoints were set up. Despite being a leader at the Youth Camp in 2003, I never set foot in a WFD Congress. This would be my first!

 

It took us a while to get to the room where 200 Youth Delegates were packed, it was easy to see that there was high anticipation, flurry of hands signing, people waving makeshift fans to keep cool in this overheated room. The A/C was on, but it was the energy of the room that felt like a fire was set ablaze. It was an enthralling feeling. To be young again… wait, I am still young!

 

I thanked my guide, Rachel Noble from New Zealand, and sent her off. I looked around and stood, with my cane erect and my colorful attire, hoping to catch the attention of someone who knew me. Sure enough, it took only 5 minutes before Wendy from Ireland caught me and gave me a good Irish hug. I had visited her home city of Dublin a few years back on my solo backpacking trip throughout Europe. She was a fantastic hostess. I asked Wendy if I could be escorted to the front, where I could catch the action. She asked one of the current-but-soon-former WFDYS Board members to do so, and soon enough, I was given a front seat. I spotted Melissa Malzkuhn on stage, a friend and colleague from Gallaudet, and looked to my right. Aha. There were my 2 Canadian friends, Dean and Christy. They waved a very enthusiastic hello and we winked.

 

As much as I wanted to be able to understand the discussions and the platform presentations, my vision didn’t allow me to do so. A gentle tap on my shoulder made me look to my right again. It was the Belgian delegates. “My name is Amandine. Would you like me to tactile interpret for you?”. Color Coco shocked. This young lady could not look more than 20, and she knew first off that I needed some kind of interpreting support. Gladly, I accepted her offer, and she told me that she wasn’t an expert. I told her that there was room to learn, and that one day, she would interpret for many, many Deafblind in Belgium.

 

A steady stream of youth above the age of 18 came on stage, proclaiming their interest to run for the new 2011-2015 WFDYS Board. I found a few to be interesting, the others somewhat bland. There was a college friend, Ryan DiGi, who put himself in the candidate pool. Good for him.

 

It was already 10:05 pm when they started going forward with the balloting. I looked behind me and saw a few slumped back in their seats, exhausted from a very early morning, a very long day and a continuous night filled with politics. They remained, earnest to get this business over with, and represent their country well.

 

Somehow, during the final tally, something went wrong. I couldn’t even get the whole story straight – it was as confusing for all of us. Two people were automatically off because of very low scores, and the first two were keepers. One made it above the mark, and one stayed on the mark but was let go. If that’s the gist of things, for me and for everyone else, to get four people on the Board was becoming complicated. Youth swarmed to form lines at both sides, and some were fiercely holding up hands, yelling “Vote again!” “Undue process!” “What is that?” – it was madness. Those who sat back lazily, tired, were now standing, alert and confused. One by one, the protesting youth deemed the process unfair, and demanded a recall. The WFDYS Board convened together and decided to go ahead with a re-vote. Amandine wanted to go on stage and speak her mind, so I enlisted Dean, who did an excellent job just as Amandine, then he wanted to speak his mind. Christy was juggling being a tactile interpreter and barking orders at Dean how to present the case from the Canadian delegates. It was amazing, to see that even in this frenzy, everyone wanted to make sure this Deafblind visitor was getting the visual access to everything going on!

 

I felt euphoria and strength from this pool of people, and it awakened something inside of me that had faded away, somehow, in the midst of my personal troubles of the past year. I found myself wanting to do more for the Deafblind, to fight for them like the Youth Section of this Congress fighting for equality, justice and our future.

 

Meeting with the youth after the heated Youth Congress brought back good memories for me, from the 2003 Youth Camp. I was leader for ten wonderful youth, planned crazy activities to challenge them, led a workshop on Deafblind topics, and most fondly, changed the life of one Deafblind American man named Christopher. Today, I know where most of the youth from 2003 are, most notably Filip Verhelst who is co-founder of Frontrunners – an exceptional educational course for Deaf leaders in Denmark; Christopher is now a mentor for Deafblind youth in his state and has accepted his identity as a Deafblind person and continues to evolve as a Deafblind leader; and the countless of Deaf people back then who are making achievements for their communities worldwide.

 

I know that the youth of today might be misguided by surrealism, by technology advancements, distorting political games, and parents who work more than they parent. However, I have seen proof, in that room on Saturday, July 16, that we can all be confident, that our future as a Deaf community worldwide will continue to strive, and succeed with more and more amazing additions to education, justice systems, development, technology and in my case, they are most likely to be more accepting and supportive of Deafblind people.

 

Congratulations to the new WFD Youth Section Board, may you continue to carry the torch for future generations of worldwide Deaf youth, and may you open your doors for incoming Deafblind youth leaders.

 

Ubuntu – the fountain of youth lies in all of us.

 

Coco

Back in Canada

Wow, what an adventure.

I am now back home in Canada, resting up and getting rid of the jetlag.

I will be feeding blogs from the adventures in South Africa soon, thank you for your patience, but most of all, support.

Tactile love,

Coco

South Africa Journal #6: In The Midst Of Things

 

Jeffreys Bay, South Africa

August 2, 2011

 

August 2, 2011

 

Nearly three weeks have passed since the day I arrived in Durban to kick off the WASLI conference and then came WFD and passed me along so quickly and then here I find myself sitting on a bar stool in a hostel by the beach at Jeffreys Bay reflecting upon the past few weeks. I had chosen to spend the last week of my amazing South African adventure alone, maybe because no one could tag along with me during my journey back to Durban to catch my flight, or I juse needed some ‘me’ time to reflect and relax from the three hectic, sociable weeks. Color me overwhelmed.

 

I have a thousand stories running through my mind and pray I will pour them out of my staggered mind with ease. I have been inspired, shocked, tactile a thousand times, challenged and even more understood by many throughout this journey. Every night of this trip, I thanked everyone who made this happen, and remarked how fortunate I am. I can only hope that many Deafblind who are like me get to experience this kind of amazement and joy.

 

The Deafblind that I have met at WFD and during my trip to Worcester (south east of Cape Town) have deeply impacted me, my direction in life, and gave me the major boost of energy and enthusiasm for my work. For these Deafblind I have met, I have learned so many stories about their lives, their stuggles and their dreams. I know a lot others around the world that I have met and not met yet, share the same yet different lives.

 

Not only do I encounter Deafblind people, but all sorts of people from all ways of life. They have made a mark in my memory, my life and aspirations. Deaf, hearing, colored, Zulu, Xhosa, African, Scandinavian…….  I have received help and love from Hearing people, but some have shown me AUDISM. I will explain more later.

 

I’m going through the motions of sitting by the window looking out and reflecting on the events, the people, the Congress and the lessons I have learned. In due time, I will write down about it.

 

You, the one I have met or not yet met, have made a mark in my life, as well.

 

Ubuntu,

 

Coco

South Africa Journal #5: The Passion Within

July 21, 2011

 

I have always strived to work in developing countries – for this reason I came to South Africa to make network and learn lessons through people who are from developing countries and work for them. It has been an amazing few days thus far – meeting the Member of Parliament of Uganda, Alex Nzezi, WFD Western and Central African Countries Programme Trainers Ablevi and Megan, coming into contact with several leading organizations that fund development programs such as Duskin Japan and ABILIS Finland. The people that work hard for enrichment and development in poor countries are to be commended for their drive to see other Deaf people thrive and succeed as much as their developed country counterparts.

 

Today, I attended Ablevi and Megan Youngs’ Plenary presentation about their WFD-sponsored work in French-speaking countries across Western and Central Africa, namely Gabon, Benin, Cote D’Ivoire, Cameroon, Togo and Guinea to name a few. I couldn’t be any more prouder of Megan – a friend whom I’ve known for years and years – and WFD for what they do in these countries to promote opportunities in education, organization and employment.

 

I was blessed to be given the opportunity to have two Deaf interpreters for my morning workshops – Vivien Batory and Bo Haardell from Denmark – whom I’ve known for years. They saw that I was without a guide or interpreter for most of the presentations so they offered their time and I thank them profusely for that. They admit to almost-to-no experience interpreting for Deafblind people even in their country – but I have seen that they have this natural instinct for Deafblind interpreting and I can only hope that they continue in the future for Db in their country and elsewhere.

 

Lindsay Dunn’s presentation struck a nerve – or an understanding – among the audience when he presented the topic of whether the Deaf – in developing countries – are being saved/liberated by people in rich countries with money to spend rather than using their knowledge to empower and utilize their skills towards other Deaf people who lack – especially in African countries. The history of slavery and ethnocentrism was discussed with North America and Europe in mind.

 

Next, two people representing Japanese associations for the deaf – locally and nationally – presented about their efforts with the Japanese Federation of the Deaf and the Dunskin sponsorship organization of the Deaf. They talked about their work with developing countries in Asia-Pacific that needed leadership training, funding, joint advocacy efforts and resource sharing. They host a leadership conference every year for Asian-Pacific people and surely I grabbed a few applications for Deafblind people I know in Nepal who deserve to go get an valuable education in leadership.

 

The afternoon was spent in meetings with Dr. Liisa Kappainen, a dear friend and former President of WFD, over Nepal Deafblind Project funding and the need to improve accessibility for Deafblind delegates for future WFD Congress and Conferences; met up with Dawn Jani Birley of H3 Media to talk about my background in Nepal working with a small NGO; rubbed elbows with Kalpana, Bikash, Pooja and Ramesh from Nepal; caught up on news with my dear friend Lindsay Dunn; roamed the conference center til dusk craving for some home-cooked food.

 

And I got just that, with Bapin Bhattacharyya – my flat mate who happens to be Deafblind as well. He cooked some Indian pasta dish with potatoes – it was so fascinating watching a fully-blind man cook and do his business around the kitchen effortlessly and with ease. I felt something come over me – that ‘knowing’ feeling that I’ll be just fine, being fully blind in a few years and cooking and taking care of myself and others, and being in the company of people who work so hard to achieve equality in developing countries, who share the same desire for a better quality of life.

 

Passions truly do fulfill lives in a way so unique that not everyone can share every aspect of it, but it does feel good to share a certain kind of passion with someone.

 

Ubuntu,

 

Coco