Jack Wright -- Tribute

July, 2007

by Dona Sauerburger

(Written for newsletter of the Metro Washington Association of the Deaf-Blind)

Jack Wright was a friend, a father, a brother, a mentor, a leader, an advocate, a pioneer and innovator, a teacher, a craftsman, a story-teller and, for many worthwhile national and local organizations in metropolitan DC, Virginia, and Baltimore, he was a supporter, member, leader, and/or founder. We in the Metro Washington Association of the Deaf-Blind (MWADB) especially appreciate his role in helping to found MWADB, serving as its first President (1984 to 1987), and working for several decades to help organize guest speakers and meetings of support groups, camping, picnics and various social gatherings and fundraising. Betsy Wohl, the current MWADB President, feels as if she is walking in his footsteps. For his many accomplishments and advocacy efforts, MWADB honored Jack in 2005 as the MWADB Deaf-Blind Person of the Year. Jack was also a board member of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) from 1992 to 1998, and was President of the Baltimore Association of the Deaf-Blind when he became sick and moved to a nursing home in Ohio about a year before his death.

All his life, Jack advocated quietly and with dignity and eloquence for the rights of people who are Deaf or deaf-blind. Gary Viall of Falls Church, Virginia remembers in 1987 when Jack was one of the speakers before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in support of a 5-year effort of the Northern Virginia Association of the Deaf to establish a community/resource center for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind. Gary says that Jack was remarkable – through an interpreter, Jack gave a speech from memory, and his intelligence and modesty greatly impacted the Supervisors. The Northern Virginia Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons was established and has been in operation ever since. Several years ago, researchers came from Japan, where deaf-blind people are cared for in institutions, and these researchers wanted to learn about deaf-blind people in America. Jack and another deaf-blind MWADB member, Laura Engler, graciously invited them into their homes and showed them how deaf-blind people can live independently. Jack showed them how he did things, and the Japanese understood how capable deaf-blind people can be.

Jack touched the lives of more people than we will ever know, bringing hope and inspiration to deaf-blind people, and helping others become comfortable with people who are deaf-blind. He often spoke to people such as student interpreters and church groups and explained about deaf-blindness and its culture and how to interact with deaf-blind people, responding to questions with rich stories and insightful answers. He accepted and adjusted to his deaf-blindness well and served as a mentor for many people who struggled with becoming deaf-blind. Blaise Delahoussaye who, like Jack, is deaf-blind from Usher Syndrome, said that Jack always shared great experiences of being deaf-blind to help others deal with similar situations. I once introduced Jack to a Deaf teenager who also has Usher Syndrome. She had never met a deaf-blind person before, and was afraid to even touch Jack or sign into his hand. Jack kindly put her at ease, and talked with her and answered her questions. That meeting was the beginning of her overcoming her fear of becoming deaf-blind. Jane Chandler, who also has Usher Syndrome, remembers that Jack helped her many years ago, when she was 24 years old and attending her first AADB conference. She felt scared and overwhelmed to see so many deaf-blind people, but Jack made her feel comfortable and taught her how to socialize with them. Jane later became active with the Virginia Association of the Deaf-Blind and was their president for two years, and went to Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) for training.

In December 1994, Jack made a decision that would change his life and set a precedent in housing and the rights of deaf-blind people. He was looking for an apartment with the help of Jean Esquival. When a rental consultant told Jean that they refused to allow deaf-blind residents, Jean explained the situation to Jack and asked him if he'd be willing to file a federal lawsuit for disability discrimination. She remembers that he answered yes, because “I want to open the door for all deaf-blind people to have housing rights.” Their case was presented by Fair Housing in Washington, D.C., and they won the largest fair-housing settlement in the nation – Jack received a free apartment for life and a generous financial sum.

Jack was also creative, talented and skillful, and a patient teacher. He made his living by caning chairs – his friend James Stover says Jack showed him how to fix antique chairs and was an expert in that field. He taught people skills such as braille, and sometimes taught the teachers, such as Maureen McGowan and myself. In 1976 Maureen taught Jack orientation and mobility (O&M) at HKNC, and I taught him O&M many years later. We were both struck by his creativity and his determination to travel independently, and we both learned a lot from him. He showed me some great tricks which I still teach to other people. Some of the earliest photos of deaf-blind people interacting with the public are the photos Maureen took showing Jack communicating with street-crossing cards. When I wanted to show people around the world that deaf-blind people can travel independently, Jack and another intrepid deaf-blind man, John Foley, agreed to let me videotape them traveling independently to stores and communicating with strangers. That video is still requested today, and has inspired hundreds of people to know what deaf-blind people can do.

But among all his accomplishments and legacies, Jack is remembered most for his warm heart, his “can-do!” attitude, his great story-telling, and his compassion. Jack Yates, who attended the same church as Jack in Alexandria, Virginia, remembers Jack always gave him a BIG bear hug, and Marilyn Ward-Tluszcz of Frederick, Maryland says “Every time I met with Jack, he had a beautiful smile and was always so positive! Jack was such an inspiration to me and I will miss him dearly.”

We all agree that the world is far better for Jack Wright having been here, and we thank him for his love and inspiration. We extend our condolences to his family, including his children Suzanna Atkins and Matthew Wright of North Carolina, and Reena and Haran Wright of Maryland; his grandchildren Christina, Ashleigh, and Matthew, Jr.; and his four siblings. Jack is interred at Zion Cemetery in Damascus, Virginia. Condolences can be sent to the family and a video memorial tribute may be viewed at www.garrettfuneralhome.com, and photos (including the pioneering photos of Jack at HKNC) and tributes are also posted here.