American Association of the Deaf-Blind

Most of us take going from home to work and back again for granted. Most of us can run to the grocery store or mall without a second thought.

Imagine if you are both deaf and blind:

Crossing the street without hearing and seeing the cars coming is life-threatening. Finding the right address when you cannot ask simple verbal directions is frustrating.

It's not that easy for people who are deaf-blind.

If you've been lucky enough to travel, you know how many details you have to consider: reservations, transportation, passports, translation phrase books, emergency phone numbers, insurance documentation and others.

If you are deaf-blind, your "must have" list would be almost that long every time you step outside your home, no matter if your destination is your office, the shopping center, or some far-off vacation destination.

Independence-whether that means hiking through the Alps or earning your way in the world every day-is the goal of most of us. Being deaf-blind makes attaining that goal enormously more complicated.

Consider the every-day challenges a deaf-blind person faces: how to safely cross a busy street.how to get the right bus.how to ask for help.how to make sure the request is understood.how to find a restroom or restaurant.how to navigate unfamiliar territory.

Finding solutions requires ingenuity,
organization and preparation.

Solutions can be as simple as carrying a white cane, a compass, or a notepad and a pen.or as high-tech as a Bluetooth-enabled notebook computer with a Braille Global Positioning System (GPS), a device that help deaf-blind people locate precisely where they are and provides directions to reach their destination in Braille and in real time.

It may mean figuring out your route-and anticipating possible needs-before leaving home so you can prepare communication cards asking for appropriate assistance.

It may be cajoling the local Department of Transportation to install accessible pedestrian signals that vibrate when it is safe to cross a dangerous intersection..or locating the Path Finder on your subway route so you know where it is safe to wait for your train.

It may require the daily services of a Support Service Provider (SSP), or the occasional services of an orientation and mobility teacher.

Different solutions work for different people who are deaf-blind.

It's about having a plan, a back-up plan, and a fall-back plan.

But for many deaf-blind Americans, the only thing standing between them and a paycheck is having enough solutions and resources to make a workable plan. That plan can mean buying very expensive assistive technology to help them achieve their goals or find their destinations. How expensive? This technology can range from $4,000 to $10,000 or more, depending on their needs.

Think that the federal or state governments help deaf-blind people purchase their assistive technology equipment? Not always. For many, they are on a very long waiting list. Imagine years spent waiting.waiting.waiting for help to arrive. Or sadly, perhaps they can not get the needed equipment because they do not qualify under the government's strict guidelines.

And when the technology becomes old, outdated or is no longer available, the wait starts all over again.

Worse yet, for those who are not computer literate, there is no technological solution for them. They are simply out of luck.

And that's why I'm writing to you today.

You have shown by your past generosity to the American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) that you care about the 1.2 million deaf-blind people in America today.

You have made their lives easier because you contributed to AADB and we sincerely thank you for your support. But there is more-much more-to do.

With your renewed gift today, AADB can ensure that individuals can get the training, support and technology they need to live productive, independent lives.

With your help, we can put the training and technology into the hands of deaf-blind people so they can earn a paycheck, support their families, participate in their communities, and end their isolation.

Please consider what your independence means to you. Working. shopping. worshipping. voting. meeting friends. You may take these everyday things for granted. A deaf-blind person can not.

Your gift today makes all the difference to a deaf-blind person. It opens possibilities for independence that many can only dream about.

Please give generously. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jamie Pope
Executive Director

P.S. We all dream of being independent. But being Deaf and Blind makes that dream much harder to attain. With your continued support today, AADB can ensure that Deaf-Blind individuals get the training, support and technology they need to live productive, independent lives. Please give generously. Thank you.