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O&M
Training at Helen Keller National Center
By Eva Johnson, Rehabilitation Counselor |
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On May 16-21,
2004 Mervat Badawi, Judith Davis, and Nannette Easterling (RCBVI staff)
had the opportunity to attend specialized training at the Helen Keller
National Center (HKNC) in Sands Point, NY. The training focused on
"Orientation and Mobility Techniques for Deaf-Blind Travelers".
Participants included O&M instructors from Alabama, Oklahoma,
Washington, Ohio, New York, Virginia, Minnesota, Louisiana, Kansas,
and even Iceland! HKNC is renown for the quality of its training related to Deaf-Blind issues. This training was no exception. The agenda included such topics as "Working with Infants & Toddlers and School Aged Children who are Deaf-Blind and their Families & Service Providers", "Characteristics of Deaf and Deaf-Blind Culture", "Communication with the Public", "Interpreter Issues", "Syndromes Causing Deaf-Blindness", "Modifications of Curriculum: Street Crossing Cards", "Modified Human Guide Video & Practice", and "Technology for Communication". As a part of the training participants explored the town of Port Washington on Long Island and developed individual O&M lesson plans. Participants practiced using certified sign language interpreters while presenting these lessons to four willing (and patient!) clients currently at HKNC. All of the clients were Deaf, had a visual impairment and used sign language interpreters to communicate with participants. Nannette Easterling and her client chose to communicate directly with each other during the mobility lesson by using American Sign Language. Presenters for the training included Eugene Bourquin, Ed Gervasoni, Annidya (Bapin) Bhattachryya, Angela Lampiris Piteris, Dona Sauerburger, and several other instructors and staff members of HKNC. Several of the presenters are well known in the profession of orientation and mobility for their knowledge and expertise related to Deaf-Blindness. Judith Davis made the following statement about her experiences during the training. "As a person who is considered deaf-blind I know that if I were to become totally deaf and blind, I could still function and maintain my independence. The most important thing that I learned was the benefit of communicating your intentions to the interpreter prior to the O&M training so the lesson will progress as planned. This is critical to the accurate assessment of the student's skills." Mervat Badawi was impressed with the transition of the students from living in the dorm to living in their own apartment within the dorm and later living in an apartment in the community. Nannette Easterling felt the training increased the knowledge and skills of the staff members who attended and will improve the services available to people who are Deaf-Blind who come to RCBVI for assessment and training. The importance of knowing how to correctly use a sign language interpreter is the key to clear communication with students. |
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