American Association of the Deaf-Blind 2007 Annual Report Our mission is to ensure that all deaf-blind individuals achieve their maximum potential through increased independence, productivity and integration into the community. American Association of the Deaf-Blind 8630 Fenton Street, Suite 121 Silver Spring, MD 20910 TTY/VIdeoPhone: 301-495-4402 Voice: 301-495-4403 Fax: 301-495-4404 Email: aadb-info@aadb.org Web: www.aadb.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the President Advocacy Outreach Information Clearinghouse National Task Force on Deaf-Blind Interpreting Fundraising Donor List Financial Statement AADB Board and Staff *LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,   Greetings!   On behalf of the Board of Directors of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB), I am thrilled to write this letter because this annual report is the first-ever report in this organization's history.  I want to take this opportunity to introduce AADB to a wider range of individuals and organizations locally, nationally and internationally.    AADB is the only national organization run by deaf-blind people. All the board officers, except a secretary, are deaf-blind. We are able to accomplish our duties through the use of support service providers (SSPs) and technology.   As an example, two three-day board meetings took place in Michigan - one in April and the other in November.  Board members also used an electronic voting policy (EVP) between meetings.  During the face-to-face board meetings, interpreters facilitated communication, and SSPs provided guiding and transportation services while EVP allowed board members to make, second, discuss and vote on motions via email between the face-to-face meetings.   I hope that this annual report will enable you to learn what the AADB Office staff and board members did during 2007.  Please contact the AADB Office if you have questions or need more information.   Sincerely,   Art Roehrig President ---------- *ABOUT AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF-BLIND American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) is a national consumer advocacy organization on behalf of people who have dual hearing and vision loss. It is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization governed by a board of directors, the majority of whom are deaf-blind themselves. The mission of AADB is: “to ensure that deaf-blind individuals achieve their maximum potential through increased independence, productivity, and integration into the community.“ AADB started in 1937 as a correspondence club where deaf-blind people exchanged Braille letters with one another. Later, these deaf-blind people wanted to meet and talk with each other in person. The first “meeting” occurred in 1975, in Cleveland, OH with about 25 deaf-blind delegates. Due to the success of this meeting, they agreed to meet every year and later changed to every two years. Consequently, the number of deaf-blind delegates increased since that “first meeting”. The last conference was at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland in 2006 with an attendance of 800 people, 300 of whom were deaf-blind and 475 were volunteer SSPs, who assist deaf-blind participants to access conference activities. AADB became a formal nonprofit organization with its own board of directors. It was recognized by the IRS in 1984. Since then AADB has grown by leaps and bounds from one full-time staff to three full-time and one part-time staff as well as several interns and volunteers. AADB advocates on behalf of deaf-blind people at the federal level, increases awareness at exhibits and presentations, and has an information clearinghouse, including publications and a website. In this first-ever annual report, you will find a summary of AADB’s activities for the year 2007. ---------- *ADVOCACY An important part of our work at AADB is to spread awareness and advocate for the needs of deaf-blind people at the federal government level. It helps that AADB’s office is near Washington D.C., making it possible for staff to attend meetings, coalitions and networking opportunities on a regular basis. Below are the highlights of our advocacy efforts in 2007: 1. Airport Security Screening Attended meeting of Transportation Safety Administration representatives and advocated on the needs of deaf-blind travelers. 2. Community Access Along with other national disability organizations, participated in a symposium held by Starbucks Coffee Company’ the purpose of which was to share ideas on how Starbucks Coffee Houses could market effectively to and become more accessible for the disability community.   3. Deaf-Blind Project Participated twice in the Maryland Deaf-Blind Project (Connections Beyond Sight and Sound) Advisory Council, giving feedback on ongoing technical assistance projects and activities that benefit deaf-blind children, their families and professionals who work with them.  4. Emergency Preparedness: a. Attended meeting at FEMA to bring up issues and concerns from the deaf-blind community to consider when they hire a new disability coordinator. b.Joined deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind work group sponsored by Center for Disease Control to look at how to develop and disseminate emergency preparation materials related to pandemics, epidemics and health education materials among the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind community. c. Participated in work group for Centers for Disease Control; gave feedback on how they could improve streaming videos for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and have vision loss. d. Two representatives from Centers for Disease Control visited AADB to learn more about our programs and services, and to brainstorm ideas on how to disseminate information on emergency preparation to the deaf-blind community. e. Participated in a special interview for a vixeo produced by Virtual News Network, a simulated broadcasting station similar to Cable News Network, to train emergency preparation and government officials. Spoke about the needs of deaf-blind people to get information before, during and after an emergency, and the challenges they face in obtaining such information. 5. Technology a. Represented the deaf-blind community at Coalition on Accessible Technology (COAT) monthly meetings. COAT focuses on how technology can be accessible to deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind users.  Issues discussed were how deaf-blind people can receive access to telecommunications services and other technology.  For more information, check out their website at http://coataccess.civicspaceondemand.org/node b. Represented the deaf-blind community at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Action Network (DHHCAN) monthly meetings. DHHCAN provides a forum for proactive coordination of information for addressing and influencing legislation.  It also seeks to further the movement toward universal, barrier-free access with emphasis on quality, certification, and standards. 6. Video Relay Accessibility a. Participated in Sorenson VRS task force on VRS services for deaf-blind consumers. Presented results of survey sent to major deaf-blind listservs. Discussed problems accessing VRS encountered by deaf-blind consumers and brainstormed possible solutions. b. Attended a training for Sorenson at Helen Keller National Center; reported on an informal survey AADB did on the problems that deaf-blind users face when using video relay services. c. Submitted a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requesting a Notice Of Inquiry (NOI) regarding telecommunications relay services for deaf-blind people.  The purpose of this NOI was to assess 1) the need and demand for a deaf-blind relay service, 2) existing and potential methods for providing such a service, and 3) the feasibility of such services.     7. Website Accessibility a. Attended meeting hosted by American Red Cross to discuss ways to make their website more accessible. Suggestions included creating a text only section and providing informational materials in multiple formats (html, text, MS Word, PDF) so they could reach a wide audience who have different format needs. ---------- *OUTREACH 2007 was an extremely busy year for outreach. AADB has a part-time outreach coordinator (25 hours/week) to assist with outreach activities. Outreach consists of exhibits, presentations, networking, and any other activities drawing members and the public to AADB. Below are some highlights of the 2007 outreach activities: 1. Exhibits a. Maryland Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing’s (ODHH) Extravanganza. b. Gallaudet University, Washington, DC. Three separate exhibits during workshops on deaf-blindness (see presentations below). c. American Rehabilitation and Deafness Association, St. Louis, MO. Poster Session on Support Service Providers. d. Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) national conference, San Francisco, CA. o National Council of Hispanic / Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NCHDHH) national conference, Washington, DC, e. Deaf Counseling Advocacy Referral Agency, San Francisco, CA. f. Northern California Association of the Deaf-Blind business meeting, San Francisco, CA. g. ASL Expo, Frederick, MD. h. Maryland Association of the Deaf / Potomac Chapter of Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf conference, Rockville, MD. 2. Interns: Interns enabled AADB to do more with the limited staff resources at the office. We appreciate the time and work the following interns did for us in 2007: a. Steven Evans, National Technical Institute for the Deaf/Rochester Institute of Technology, Information Technology. b. Casey Farneski, Gallaudet University, Business Administration. o Laura McNair, Gallaudet University, Deaf Studies. c. Rosalyn Ramos, Gallaudet University, Business Administration. d. Nina Winiarczyk, Gallaudet University, Deaf Studies. 3. Presentations: a. “Does Deaf-Blind Culture Exist? Part 2” to 50 students, faculty, staff and the public at Gallaudet University. b. “How Do Deaf-Blind People Communicate?” to 50 students, faculty, staff and the public at Gallaudet University. c. “Learn How to Become a Deaf-Blind Interpreter” to 50 students, faculty, staff and the public at Gallaudet University. d. “American Association of the Deaf-Blind: Its Programs and Services”, to 15 people at Maryland ODHH’s Extravaganza. e. “SSPs and What They Are” to 15 Maryland based professionals who work with deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind people at The Brown Bag Lunch, a regular professional networking event. f. “Deaf-Blind Culture” to 40 staff at Deaf-REACH, a community service agency in Washington, DC. g. “From Isolation to Independence: Deaf-Blind Coming Full Circle” co-presented to 25 rehabilitation and other service providers at the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association conference. h. “Burning Issues in the Deaf-Blind Community” to 15 participants in the Deaf-Blind Certificate Program in Institute of Deafness, Northern Illinois University. i. “AADB VRS Survey” to group of top officials from Sorenson VRS at training given at Helen Keller National Center. j. “Bringing Out the Best: Revealing the Deaf-Blind ‘Secret’” on deaf-blind culture and self-determination co-presented to approximately 40 educators, parents, and service providers working with deaf-blind children at the Nebraska Deaf-Blind Summer Institute. k. “The Members Have Spoken: AADB Forum on Deaf-Blind Interpreting” co-presented to 30 participants at RID’s national conference. l. "Putting Your Best Hand Forward: Tips to Developing Successful Leadership" to 11 deaf-blind individuals from Metro Washington Association of the Deaf-Blind. m. “Strategies for Developing an Effective Learning Environment for Deaf-Blind College Students”, panel presentation on demographics of deaf-blind students and Life after Gallaudet to 30 faculty, staff, and students at Gallaudet University. n. “Deaf-Blind Experience and AADB” to 101 students in Woodbridge High School, Fairfax, VA. 4. Other a. Established a Volunteer bank b. Provided information on AADB VRS Survey to Korean visitors investigating how to set up VRS for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind people in their country. c. Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI) conference – Board members, Tom Sprinkle and Emily Vera attended on behalf of AADB. TDI published letter from AADB’s President, Art Roehrig, in their conference program book. d. Hispanic/Latino Committee: AADB is mindful about reaching out to people of diverse cultures.  As a start, the Board of Directors approved setting up the Hispanic/Latino committee with Board member Emily Vera as Chair.  The purposes of this committee are threefold:  1) recruit Hispanic/Latino individuals and businesses to join AADB, 2) seek out donations from Hispanic/Latino businesses, and 3) assist with Spanish translation of AADB publications and webpage.  ---------------- *INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE Publications: The DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN magazine The Deaf-Blind American (DBA) went through a “face-lift” in 2007. The new look has a more attractive design from cover to cover, with up to 40 pages of helpful information and resources as well as pictures with captions. It is available in large print, Braille, email and CD. Another improvement was to feature a particular “hot topic” in the deaf-blind community in one magazine issue at a time. This allowed for both brevity and depth on the hot topic, making the magazine more enjoyable to read. For 2007, the hot topics published were: Support Service Providers, Interpreting, Aging, and Technology. We have gotten rave reviews on the new magazines. In addition, 2007 was the year we published the print version of The DBA magazine in-house for the first time with the help of our outreach coordinator who does the graphic design and a high quality copier/printer we are renting in the office. Handling our publications in-house is a cost-savings for AADB compared to contracting the print job outside. The Braille version continues to be done by the National Braille Press. Copyright and Personal Writings Guidelines were developed and put up on the AADB website. AADB E-News: In 2007, we sent out “AADB E-News” on the months that the DBA magazine is not published. That means eight “AADB E-News” were sent out. In order to increase awareness, we sent it out at no charge via email to everyone who subscribes. Members with current memberships automatically receive the E-News. For members who do not have computers or internet access, we send large print and Braille copies. We offered the “AADB E-News” in PDF format for the first time in January 2007. We also sent it out in plain text/MS Word versions for those who can’t access PDF. “AADB E-News” included brief, informative blurbs about AADB in action, news in the national deaf-blind community, calendar of events, and resources. At the Board meeting in October 2007, AADB Board voted to change the name of AADB E-News to “AADB Today” starting in January 2008. Website: AADB’s website has undergone design improvements for easy reading and access for all, including braille, large print, and screen readers. In 2007 our website got 770,000 hits; of that number 68,000 spent some time visiting. New information added to website include a resource directory, articles on emergency preparation, excerpts from AADB magazines, Support Service Provider White Paper, and listservs related to deaf-blind people.  Informational Materials: “Support Service Provider White Paper”, co-authored by Gene Bourquin, Mark Gasaway, Beth Jordan, Randall Pope, Nancy Rosensweig, and Elizabeth Spiers, is a paper that defines and describes the roles of Support Service Providers assisting deaf-blind people. It is available on AADB’s website. Print and Braille copies are available from AADB on request. AADB developed a new brochure for 2007 highlighting its services and activities. We also provided the same brochure in Spanish for the first time. Outside Publications: The following articles were written by AADB staff for publication outside of AADB: 1. Deaf-Blind People in Emergencies: How You Can Help”, published in Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc (TDI) 2007 Blue Book, an annual national directory and resource guide.  2. “American Association of the Deaf-Blind” published in ADARA Update, Fall 2007, Issue 3. 3. AADB’s webmaster was interviewed on use of technology in his personal life and for AADB in the TDI World newsletter, published by TDI in the summer of 2007.  Article was one of several in “TDI World’s Special Report: How Technology Changes Our Lives:  TDI Members Tell Their Stories.” 4. “American Association of the Deaf-Blind” published in ADARA Update, Fall 2007, Issue 3. 5. Reprint of “What is Visual Information?” article from AADB’s special Interpreting magazine in Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf magazine, VIEWS. 6. AADB’s Outreach Coordinator was interviewed for an article describing himself and his work at AADB was published in St. Rita School for the Deaf news magazine, Silent Advocates. in the spring of 2007. Information Requests AADB 266 (programs, services, history, membership, magazine) Deaf-Blind Resources 91 (programs, services, how to make places more accessible, Communication assistance) Blind/Visually Impaired 44 (services, programs, Independent living assistance) Financial Assistance 41 (mostly for hearing aids, some for computers, camps) Deaf/Hard of Hearing Resources 36 (programs, services, legal issues, Where to learn sign language, Meet deaf people) ---------- *NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON DEAF-BLIND INTERPRETING REPORT, 2007 The first meeting of the National Task Force on Deaf-Blind Interpreting (NTFDBI), a joint collaboration effort of RID, AADB and the National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers (NCIEC) took place on August 2-3, 2007 in San Francisco, prior to the RID conference. The meeting was made possible with the generous support of the NCIEC. Highlights of Meeting Outcomes 1. Development of Mission Statement: The mission of the NTFDBI is to establish a standard of effective practice to ensure the quality and availability of interpreters for deaf-blind people. 2. Discussion groups met to focus on: a. current practices in deaf-blind interpreting, b. effective practices in deaf-blind interpreting, c. current practices in deaf-blind interpreter education and d. effective practices in deaf-blind interpreter education. 3. An expanded literature and research bibliography was undertaken with work completed in 2008. The National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers is a member of the NTFDBI, and is funded from 2005 - 2010 by the U.S. Department of Education RSA CFDA #84.160A and B, Training of Interpreters for Individuals Who Are Deaf and Individuals Who Are Deaf-Blind. ---------- *FUNDRAISING Heritage Publishing: The majority of AADB’s revenues come from funds raised through telemarketing services from Heritage Publishing Company. In 2007, $853,739 was raised of which 31% went to AADB. Lifetime Memberships: Lifetime memberships of $500 were offered for the first time in 2007. As of December 31st, eighteen people became lifetime members bringing in $9,000 revenue. Lifetime memberships are now part of AADB’s permanent membership options. Convio: AADB is a growing organization and more funds are needed to support its mission and activities. The AADB Board approved a three year contract with Convio to work with us on fundraising online using our secured website and e-newsletters. The contract with Convio began in November 2007. Memorial Funds: Two memorial funds were set up in 2007: the Jack Wright Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Irene Jankowski Memorial Fund. a. The Jack Wright Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to honor Jack Wright, a deaf-blind man, who was a former AADB board member and a strong advocate of the deaf-blind community. The purpose of this fund is to make it possible for deaf-blind people with low income to attend AADB’s national conferences they would not otherwise be able to afford on their own. At the end of 2007, contributions received for this fund totaled $1,830. b. The Irene Jankowski Memorial Fund was set up to honor the memory of Irene Jankowski. Irene had optic atrophy and was deaf-blind for much of her adult life. She led an active life and participated in several deaf organizations in Michigan and Florida. The purpose of this memorial fund is to support AADB in its efforts to educate the public about the deaf-blind and low vision community. At the end of 2007, contributions received for this fund totaled $680.  SEE’s Candies: The AADB board approved a one year fundraising project selling See’s Candies from October 2007 until October 2008. ---------- *DONOR LIST We appreciate the support of all donors, regardless of the size of the donation. AADB depends on the generosity of donors to keep its programs and services going strong. We have about 27,622 donors that gave in 2007. It would be cumbersome to list them all in this report, instead the number of donations for different levels are shown below. Also, the list of donors who gave memorial gifts and in-kind (donated time, facilities, equipment, and/or services) is listed below. DONATION LEVELS: Businesses, Organizations, Nonprofits, Clubs: $500 or greater count-84 donors $250 - $499 count-247 donors $200 - $249 count-361 donors $150 - $199 count-477 donors $100 - $149 count-947 donors $50 - $99 count-1,920 donors $1 - $49 count-1,811 donors Individuals: $500 or greater count-18 donors $250 - $499 count-66 donors $200 - $249 count-132 donors $150 - $199 count-224 donors $100 - $149 count-3,056 donors $50 - $99 count-2,408 donors $1 - $49 count-5,871 donors   MEMORIAL GIFTS In Memory of: Kathie Anderson: Richard Anderson Robert Friend: Jeffrey & Evalyn Bohrman Eva Hayes: Harold Hayes Irene Jankowski: Dennis & Nancy Berrigan Joseph & Elaine Filippi Susan Jacoby Alexander Jankowski Katherine Jankowski Orthodontics Design Laboratory Marcia & Jean Zisman Howard Miller: Patricia Grindel Stephen Wenzler: Patricia Grindel Jack Wright: Timothy Adorjan Suzanna Atkins Julia Barker Joann Bozak Ann Black Peggy Johnson Patricia Lago-Avery Randy & Jamie Pope Sonia Sabath Ruth Silver Toby Witte-Dix 2007 IN-KIND DONORS: BUSINESSES: Ai Squared Design Science, Inc. Hear-More Humanware Holley Ear Institute / DeSales Conference Center Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc (San Francisco) Lipshultz and Hone,Chartered. Logo Productions Ultratec INDIVIDUALS: Anonymous (9) Suzanna Wright Atkins Paige Berry Anindya “Bapin” Bhattacharyya Robert Blumenau Jeffrey Bohrman Vincent Lee Clark Brenda Cuddeback Steven Evans Casey Farneski Marilyn Fernandez-Trader Steve A. Frank Richelle Frantz Mark Gasaway Jill Gaus a j granda Jim Halliday Rhonda Jacobs Ronald Jiu Beth Jordan Mia Kelly-Bock Patti Lago-Avery BJ LeJeune Frank Levine Maricar Marquez Betsy McGinnity Laura McNair Jackie Morgan Susanne Morgan Morrow Janie Neal Jelica Nuccio Susan Olson Rosalyn Ramos Rosanna Reis Bob Rittenhouse Arthur Roehrig Janet Sand Karen Schettle Jane Ward Solomon Tom and Jill Sprinkle Karen Peltz Strauss David Tanner Jason Trzebney Emily Vera Bruce Visser Dorothy Walt Tamara Ward Dawn Watts Harvey Williams Nina Winiarczyk ---------- *FINANCIAL STATEMENT Statement of Activities and Change in Net Assests. For the Year Ended December 31, 2007 Revenues: Contributions (UDS) - $579,969 a. Contributions - $286,882 b. Contributions (Restricted) $5,847 c. Released from Restriction - $2,436 d. Total a and b - $292,669 Grant income - $17,500 Membership dues - $17,470 Interest and dividends - $6,522 Other income - $805 Increase in cash surrender value of annumity - $3,739 Total Revenues - $915,263 Expenses: Program services - $224,080 Supporting services a. Management and general - 106,302 b. Fundraising - $608,977 Total Expenses - $939,359 Change in net assets - (-24,096) Temporarily Restricted - (+$3,411) Total Net Assets - (-$20,685) Net Assets - Beginning of Year - $258,258 Net Assets - End of Year - $237,573 The accompanying notes are an intergral part of this statement. ---------- *AADB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Arthur Roehrig, President, Washington, DC Vincent “Lee” Clark, Vice President, Minnesota Jeffrey Bohrman, Treasurer, Ohio Marilyn Fernandez-Trader, Secretary, North Carolina Karyn Campbell Jill Gaus Mark Gasaway Patti Lago-Avery Maricar Marquez Tom Sprinkle Emily Vera, Dorothy Walt ---------- *AADB STAFF Jamie Pope, Executive Director Elizabeth Spiers, Director of Information Services Chad Metcalf, Outreach Coordinator Katie Logan, Administrative Assistant Randall Pope, Webmaster