DeafBlind

[Ms. Kathy]

This site from the Canadian DeafBlind Rubella Association has some interesting and useful articles:
www.cdbra.ca/articles.html

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Deaf-Blind Perspectives is a free publication with articles, essays, and announcements about topics related to deaf-blind people.
www.tr.wou.edu/tr/dbp/index.htm

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Beth-David Institute--Center for Deaf Blind (Israel)
The Beth David Institute was established by Dr. Jacob Landman in 1976 for the purpose of providing comprehensive educational related and rehabilitation services for specified populations in Israel. In 1980 it established a residential home and hostel for developmentally disabled women, and in 1989 it established the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons to serve the estimated 1000 persons who have the dual disability of deaf-blindness in Israel.
www.cdb.org.il/english.html

[Ms. Kathy]

Liz and George HookerDeafblind Triplet Daughters
From Jamie Berke, Your Guide to Deafness.
Source Link: About.com deafness.about.com/od/deafblind/a/dbtriplets.htm

Now That's a Parenting Challenge
When I received an e-mail from Liz and George Hooker, parents of deafblind triplet daughters (deaf from ototoxic drugs, blind from prematurity), I knew I just had to feature this family on About. As one of the parents put it:
"As you know, deafblindness is a low incidence disability. I know of a set of seven year old blind triplets in California and a set of twenty year old deaf triplets in the Midwest, but I believe we have the only set of deafblind triplets."

At the time this article was written, their deafblind triplet daughters were close to turning five years old. Stated Liz Hooker: "We're lucky that the girls don't have any cognitive impairments beyond developmental delay. We work very hard everyday to push them along. It is most overwhelming though, because I know I'm outnumbered to perform the task at hand. I still have big dreams for them though."

Daughters Lose Eyesight
About: How old were they when you found out about the Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)? Do they have any sight at all?
Liz and George: Emma, Sophie, and Zoe were born premature, at 25 weeks. Sophie weighed 1# 3oz, Zoe weighed 1 # 6 oz, and Emma weighed 1# 5 oz. All three became blind from complications related to Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). By the time the girls were two months old, they had developed ROP. I didn't know they were blind until they were almost six months old. Sophie is legally blind, she sees colors and shapes, she also has tunnel vision. Zoe sees enough light to find the windows. Emma sees nothing.

Daughters Lose Hearing
About: How did they lose their hearing and how old were they?
Liz and George: They lost their hearing due to vancomyacin and gentamicin antibiotics that were administered when throughout their time in the NICU. The drugs were used to treat suspected sepsis. The two drugs when used together increase the ototoxicicity of the other.

They nearly completely lost their hearing when they were about 20 months old. It was a very difficult time for me because I didn't know what was wrong with them. The girls made significant progress their first year. They were about to start walking... they were saying cup and mama... then out of the blue they curled up on the floor in the fetal position. Everytime I drove them in the car they would throw up, my happy babies became angry and began to bang their heads on the floor.

I took them to the doctor thinking that their stomachs hurt, I had no idea they were losing their hearing. The reason they were curled up on the floor is because ototoxic drugs damage the hair cells on the cochlea which in turn causes deafness, in addition they also destroy the vestibular hairs. Due to the vestibular damage, the girls were experiencing severe vertigo and could no longer hold their heads up.

They also became mistrustful during this time. They all got real clingy and wouldn't roughhouse anymore. They would get scared when you picked them up off the floor, they always seemed to be on edge. It has taken three more years for them to recover and begin walking again. Most of the angry behavior is gone too. But the deafness was a huge setback for us. I hate to think of that time because I wonder if they thought I had just quit talking to them.

Daughters Receive Implants
When the triplets were two years old, they received cochlear implants.
About: How much benefit are the girls getting from the implants at this time?
Liz and George: Sophie is at a 22 month old level of language while Zoe and Emma are about 10 months in language development. They all have the Nucleus 24 cochlear implant. They hear most speech sounds. The reason Sophie is so much more advanced is that she is legally blind.

Your vision helps give meaning to sound. For example if you hear a squeaking sound and then see a swinging door then you can associate the two. Say someone is talking while the door is squeaking, you can then determine that the door is unimportant and tune it out, and listen more to the person talking.

In a room right now one might hear the ceiling fan, air conditioning vent, dryer, radio, cars outside, and still carry on a conversation. Through normal childhood development you learn to filter sounds and determine which sounds are important at different times. The challenge with Zoe and Emma is that they see through their fingers. So we must talk about whatever they are touching to help make sense of their world.

To help them tune out the background noise we have to take them to the air conditioning vent and let them hear the noise as they feel the air coming from it, let them touch the dryer as it tumbles the clothes. These are all great exercises to help them distinguish sound. What makes it more difficult is when Zoe and Emma are touching different things. If I say "Zoe, your eggs are lumpy and hot," while Emma is eating ice cream, then Emma may associate lumpy and hot with ice cream. You can see how it gets more difficult from here.

Now That's a Parenting Challenge
In summary, the expectation is that all the girls have the tools to talk; we just have to help them sort out their world first.


Daughers Get Educated
About: What educational approach is being used?
Liz and George:They are being educated with an oral and sign approach. We sign and say everything within their routine. We hope to mainstream in the future but I believe the girls will always have some sort of interpreter in school.
Daughters Play Little
About: How do they play with other children?
Liz and George:They don't really play with other children. Very rarely do they play with each other. Sophie will laugh and become excited when she sees her sisters trying something new, but that's about it. They eat off each other's plate, steal one another's cups and pillows... I mean they are definitely aware of one another but that's about it.
Parents Challenged Daily
About: What is life like with deafblind triplets?
Liz and George: 24 hours of hard work. Blind kids don't sleep well, so I rarely get a full night's sleep. We are working on table manners but spills are frequent so we are constantly sweeping and mopping. Two of my triplets are not potty trained so we go through quite a lot of diapers. I'm constantly on watch to make sure they don't fall down the stairs, or run into something. They can't tell me if something hurts, how they're feeling, or if they need a cuddle. In those ways, it's a lot like having infants. I worry a lot about meeting all of their needs. It's quite a bit of guesswork.
There's good parts too. Those first steps were like watching them win the marathon. They work so hard for every little gain. The highs are higher and the lows are bottomless.

Having deafblind triplets is going to bed every night and knowing that I didn't do enough. The odds are stacked against me. There is no way for me to give them everything they need. Sometimes I wish that if it was my fate to have three deafblind children that I could have them five years apart just so I could give each of them all they need in these developmental years. We're not quitters though and we are making slow but steady progress. I just pray that God will fill in the gaps where I couldn't.

Parents' Typical Day
About: What is a typical day with your triplets like?
Morning

Liz and George:I wake up about 7 a.m. and test their cochlear implants and put their batteries in their packs. Then I wake the girls by rubbing their backs. I help dress them and change their diapers. I walk them into the bathroom and help them brush their teeth and then fix their hair. I walk them downstairs one by one and put them at the kitchen table where they get breakfast.

After breakfast, I give them their canes and walk them out the bus stop. They go to school Monday through Friday for most of the day. I have my own business that I do from our home while they are gone. The girls are in their own classroom and they have one teacher and two paraprofessionals. They take the girls through a [learning process] that concentrates on routine.

Afternoon

In the afternoon at home we have private therapists (OT, PT, ST) four days out of the week. We try to take them outside if the weather is nice. The younger kids in the neighborhood will often stop by and say hello. I try to have the house cleared out by 7 p.m. so we can eat like a family.

Dinner
They are pretty good at picking up the utensils they just tend to throw it down after taking a bite. Sophie will eat anything that you let her dip into ketchup. We take our time eating dinner.

Bedtime

About 8:30 p.m. they take a bath together. They LOVE their bath, which is a good thing because they really need it after supper. We put them in their jammies and to bed about 9 p.m. Emma usually stays up until midnight and then Zoe wakes up until about 3:30 a.m.

Weekends

On weekends we will spend a lot of time outside. I have a small trampoline, and rocking horse. I'll get some playdoh out or some other toys. I then rotate their activities every hour like a circuit course.

Big Sister Helps
About: Does Sarah help? In what way?
Liz and George: We call Sarah the invisible child. She stays away from the commotion most of the time. We encourage her to play with her sisters. When we take all of the kids somewhere she helps guide one of them. She fetches diapers, cups, and little things they need. She helps me watch them at the park. She likes to fix their hair too.
Parenting Deafblind Easier
About:Is it any easier to raise deafblind children today compared to Helen Keller? Compared to a decade ago?
Liz and George: I thing the technology of hearing aids and cochlear implants definitely gives deafblind children more access to their environment.
But we don't have an Annie Sullivan, someone willing to devote their entire life to a deafblind person. I don't know that we'll find three special people like Ms. Sullivan in this day and age. Helen Keller's life proved that deafblind people can learn and contribute to society. That's made a huge difference in how the girls are educated. I think Helen Keller's success raised the bar. And that's a good thing.

Need for Intervenors
The Hookers are seeking funds to pay for intervenors for their children.
What is an intervenor? According to the Hookers' website at www.notbysightfund.org it means someone like Annie Sullivan, who worked with the young Helen Keller. The double whammy of deafness and blindness is such that developing adequate language is dependent on having the help of an intervenor. Deafblind children must be taught how to do everything.
Update: On February 28, 2007 the Hookers were featured on the Dr. Phil show. Towards the end of the program, Dr. Phil surprised them with the news that an intervenor is going to work with the children for two years! Fundraising is still necessary however to cover intervenor help after thatAbout.com To view this page in it's original form, please visit:
deafness.about.com/od/deafblind/a/dbtriplets.htm

[Ms. Kathy]

People - Laura Bridgman Julia Brace
From Jamie Berke,
Your Guide to Deafness.
FREE Newsletter.

Predecessors of Helen Keller
Before Helen Keller, there was another deafblind child -- actually TWO deafblind children - who had also managed to accomplish quite a bit at a time when the odds were seemingly against them. These children were Julia Brace (1807-1884) and Laura Bridgman (1829-1889). (There was also a third child, Oliver Caswell, but hardly anything has been written about him).


Julia Brace

Brace lost her vision and hearing around age five. In later childhood, she began a long and happy life at the Hartford Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb. During her residence at Hartford in the 1830s, she became a celebrity because she was able to do so much in spite of not being able to see or hear. When she was in her mid-30s, the Perkins Institute attempted to give her more formal instruction. Unfortunately, because of her age she was not able to make much progress, and had to return to Hartford.



Laura Bridgman

Bridgman was younger, and in the 1840s she was the Helen Keller of her time. A student at Perkins (Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind), she was visited by the novelist Charles D i c kens. D i c kens wrote a romantic description of his meeting with Laura Bridgman. thingyens describes Laura's early childhood and illness, and the efforts that were made to teach her.

Bridgman has been the subject of both educational publications and a children's book, Child of the Silent Night. While she was at Perkins, a picture was made of her with Oliver Caswell. A bright child, Laura learned how to write letters.

Both Brace and Bridgman paid the price of being pioneers in deafblind education -- neither child was able to live an independent life outside of the institutions that they called home.

Books about Laura Bridgman (no books apparently available on Julia Brace)

The Imprisoned Guest: Samuel Howe and Laura Bridgman, the Original Deaf-Blind Girl
The Education of Laura Bridgman: First Deaf and Blind Person to Learn Language

[Ms. Kathy]

Dog Rescues Deaf, Blind Dog
Furry Friend Spots Special Needs Canine

POSTED: 11:36 pm EDT August 15, 2007
UPWMUR.comDATED: 11:25 am EDT August 16, 2007
Source Link: WMUR New Hampshire www.wmur.com/news/13903955/detail.html

RYE, N.H. -- Fulton is a dog that is both deaf and blind.

Monday night he wandered away from his owners in Rye.

For almost 24 hours, Fulton roamed 190 acres of woods. His owner, Bill Hurley, was worried no one would read the dog tag that explains his special needs.

After hours of searching, Hurley's daughter Elizabeth set out with her dog Zamboni.

"Zamboni acted funny, sniffing into the air. I went to see and there was Fulton curled up in a ball in a patch of mud," said Elizabeth Hurley.

Zamboni is credited with rescuing Fulton. Both were treated to ice cream after the ordeal.

Video link: www.wmur.com/print/13903955/detail.html#

[Ms. Kathy]

Sep 06, 2007 09:27 ET
Global Universal Film Group Movie to Be Included in Special Needs Curriculum
Highlighted Links


Through Your Eyes
HOLLYWOOD, CA--(Marketwire - September 6, 2007) - LitFunding Corp. (OTCBB: LFDG) announced today that its subsidiary, Global Universal Film Group, has reached an agreement with Dr. Jerry G. Petroff, PhD to include the film "Through Your Eyes" in his core curriculum for special needs teachers. Dr. Petroff is the Director of Outreach and Research of the Center for Assistive Technology and Inclusive Education Studies (CATIES), Project Director of the New Jersey Deafblind Project, and has over thirty years of experience working on behalf of students, youth and adults with disabilities.

Global Universal released "Through Your Eyes" on August 21, 2007. "Through Your Eyes" is a film chronicling the only known deafblind triplets in the world and is narrated by Michael Madsen and David Carradine. Global Universal production executive James Paul commented, "The film is not only a touching and moving story, but we feel it is very educational as well. We are fortunate to be able to provide it as an aid to those who can directly benefit."

Additional information on the movie can be found at www.throughyoureyesthemovie.com.

About LitFunding Corp.

LitFunding, until recently, has specialized in the funding of litigation, through its wholly owned subsidiary LitFunding USA. Fees are earned when any lawsuit it funds is settled or otherwise concluded by a court ruling. At that time, both the funds advanced and the fee contractually agreed upon are repaid. Last year, LitFunding acquired Easy Money Express, a startup in the payday loan advance business, to provide an additional business model in the money lending business. Additionally, LitFunding acquired Global Universal Film Group through a merger with its subsidiary, Silver Dollar Productions. Global Universal's goal is to produce a slate of films, back-to-back, using tax credits and asset-based lenders for financing. LitFunding is contractually obligated to effect a "spin-off" transaction whereby Global Universal will become a publicly held company by distributing a portion of Global Universal's shares to LitFunding shareholders.

About Global Universal Film Group

Global Universal is engaged in the finance, development and production of feature films intended for worldwide release in domestic and foreign markets. Global Universal plans to develop and produce a slate of six to eight motion pictures that will be financed by leveraging state tax credits received from each film's budget with debt financing from asset based lenders and private equity funds. When LitFunding acquired Global Universal in March of 2006. Global Universal's website is www.globaluniversal.com

This press release does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale. Except for the historical information presented herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or by the Securities and Exchange Commission in its rules, regulations and releases. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. These risks include the ability of LitFunding's subsidiary, Global Universal Film Group, to reach definitive agreements with respect to and close the transactions discussed in this release as well as activities, events or developments that the company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual result or developments may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. In addition, other risks are detailed in the company's periodic reports. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Contact:
LitFunding Corp., Las Vegas
Natalie Pokorny
[phone]

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Since posting this article and the one above about the Hooker triplets, I have been to the web site and ordered the movie "Through Your Eyes." I would reccommend it as an educational tool for those who need to be informed about the deaf-blind.
Ms. Kathy

[Ms. Kathy]

Being deaf and blind can't stop this man living his life



View GalleryBy Hannah Gray
Ahead of a unique fund-raising event, the Vision 5k UK, which aims to raise funds for deafblind charity Sense, features writer Hannah Gray finds out about one young man who manages to overcome huge obstacles to lead a packed and varied life.
BEING deafblind has not stood in the way of Richard Brumby leading the kind of active lifestyle which would put most fully-sighted people to shame.

Richard (22) has studied art at a college for people with visual impairments, he has abseiled, been horse riding and even tried the new extreme sport Airkix, a sky diving simulator.

Two years ago he went sailing on the Solent in a specially adapted boat.
Soon he will start an art course at Peterborough Regional College, and at the end of September, with the help of a guide, he will take part in a special 5km walk, the Vision 5k UK, which will raise money for the charity Sense, which runs the shared home in Paston, Peterborough, where Richard lives.

Richard will be providing some stiff competition for the other participants, as he already walks for an hour each night.

Manager of the house where Richard lives Michelle O'Reilly, said: "I think he'll be brilliant. I have every confidence in him.

"I think he'll be excited about the number of people there, and he will enjoy just setting out and being part of it.

"From my point of view, I think it will be great to show people he's deafblind and he can still do it."

Richard's active and mobile lifestyle is remarkable given the challenges he has faced in his life so far.

He was born three months prematurely and spent the first five months of his life in hospital.

When he was 17 months old, he was diagnosed as being profoundly deaf.

He spent the first 14 years of his life able to see, until his vision began to deteriorate and he was diagnosed with a condition called retinopathy of prematurity, when children are born before the blood supply to the retina has a chance to develop.

Despite undergoing seven operations to try and save his sight, Richard now only has what is know as light perception – he can see lights against darkness.

He can hear environmental noise, for example that people are talking but not what is being said.

When he was aged 13 he was also diagnosed as having Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism).

Despite all of these difficulties, Richard has an incredible knack for communication.

He mastered British Sign Language before he lost his sight, and still uses this to communicate with other people who can understand it.
He can also read Braille.

Other people are able to communicate with him through deafblind manual, a type of finger spelling which is done on his hand, as well as hands-on sign language, when he places his hands over the signer's.

Richard's mum Mary told the ET: "He's always been brilliant at being able to adjust his mode to whoever he's trying to communicate with."

As well as raising funds for Sense, the Vision 5k UK at Burghley House in Stamford also aims to raise awareness of deafblindness, and entrants who are not visually impaired can show solidarity by wearing a blindfold and running with a guide.

It will take place on Sunday, September 30.

For more information, visit www.senseevents.co.uk, e-mail [e-mail] or call 0845 127 0065.


FACTFILE... Deafblindness

Sense estimates there are at least 27,000 deafblind people in the UK today.

When someone is born with combined sight and hearing difficulties, this is called congenital deafblindness, for example if it is as a result of rubella.

If someone develops these problems later in life, this is known as acquired deafblindness. This may be due to an accident, illness or as a result of aging. In some cases, people may be born with a genetic condition such as Usher syndrome, which may mean that they progressively lose their sight and hearing.

Sense supports deafblind people of all ages through a variety of different ways, including houses such as the one Richard lives in, special holidays, providing one-to-one support and campaigning for greater understanding of deafblindness.


Home makes Sense for Deafblind six

Richard lives with five other people at the Sense house. The housemates have their own rooms and share communal areas such as the kitchen, dining room and living room.

There is also a tactile garden for the housemates to enjoy.

House manager Michelle O'Reilly said: "We try to have it as much as a family home as we can."

Just like any family home, housemates help out with tasks around the house like cooking, cleaning and laundry.

The house, which was opened in 1991 is generally regarded as a home for life unless the resident's needs change, although they are encouraged to have as much contact as possible with their families.

During the daytime, most residents go to a day service at Hampton where they can take part in all kinds of activities, including educational and vocational programmes.
Last Updated: 21 September 2007 11:09 AM
Source Link:

[Ms. Kathy]

Deaf-blind city man joins disability rally
Source Link: Petersborough Today.Co.Uk www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Deafblind-city-manjoins-disability-rally.3266273.jp


Richard Howitt MEP, right, alongside Graham Hicks at the rally in Brussels. Picture Link: editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/PET//TH1_510200720etp-0510-02-0510_090906.jpg


By Mark Pearson
A deafblind man from Peterborough was at the forefront of a huge rally to force the European Union to do more to protect people with disabilities against discrimination.
Disabled Graham Hicks travelled to Brussels to take part in an outdoor ceremony, with more than 1,000 other people with disabilities.

He added his name to a petition – which has more than one million signatures – to challenge the EU's failure to honour its promise to bring forward a law against disability discrimination.

Mr Hicks (46), a talented sportsman who has set many world records, was accompanied by regional Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Richard Howitt, at yesterday's rally.

Mr Hicks, of Hyholmes in Bretton, said: "There were at least 1,000 people at the rally, and it felt like a really momentous occasion. it was a privilege to represent Peterborough at such a huge event.

"People from different countries were laughing and joking with each other, but we also realised it was a serious moment in the fight for equality.

"We've recently made big steps forward in the battle for disability rights in the UK, but many European countries are lagging way behind.

"Their streets, buildings and public transport are a complete no-go area for people with disabilities, because there is no provision for our needs.

"We need to force other Governments to up their game and stop this discrimination."

Mr Hicks has set several deaf-blind world records for his quad biking stunts, including securing a quad bike world speed record and travelling 127 miles on a jetski in under six hours.

Labour's Richard Howitt, who is president of the European Parliament's All-Party Disability Rights Group of MEPs, said: "This protest marks the next chapter in the history of civil rights marches which started in America in the 1960s and arrived in Brussels yesterday.

"I am delighted that Graham travelled all the way from Peterborough to ensure that the voice of disabled people in Cambridgeshire is heard.

"Despite all the advances of recent years, Europe still has no equivalent of the American Disabilities Act, and disabled people here continue to suffer as victims of denied educational opportunity, restricted housing choice and inaccessible transport.

"Europe rightly outlawed race discrimination seven years ago, and at that time promised that a disability law would follow.

"This year is the European year of Equal Opportunities for all. Graham and many others from across Europe have come to ensure that fine words are matched by concrete actions to protect people with disabilities."
Last Updated: 05 October 2007 12:02 PM

[Ms. Kathy]

[All of my students in my class for deaf-blihnd in Florida were rubella babies. ~KM]

Rubella (German measles) during pregnancy
Last Reviewed: October 2005
Reviewed by Ann Linden, CNM
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Highlights
Why do I need to be screened for immunity to rubella?
What are the symptoms of rubella?
What should I do if I think I've been exposed to rubella during pregnancy?
How can I lessen my risk of getting rubella while pregnant if I'm not immune?
What would happen to my baby if I got rubella during pregnancy?


Why do I need to be screened for immunity to rubella?
Your chances of being exposed to rubella are extremely small. But you need to know whether you're immune, because if you came down with this illness during early pregnancy, it could be devastating for your baby. You could have a miscarriage or your baby could end up with multiple birth defects and developmental problems (a condition called congenital rubella syndrome or CRS). So if you weren't screened for rubella immunity before you got pregnant, you'll have this blood test at your first prenatal appointment.

Fortunately, most adults in the United States are immune to rubella. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 91 percent of the U.S. population is immune to the illness, either because they've been immunized against it or because they had rubella as a child. (People born in countries without rubella vaccination programs are less likely to be immune.)

What's more, rubella has become quite rare in the United States, thanks to a very successful vaccination program. In 2004, only nine cases of rubella and no cases of CRS were reported in the United States. (Before the vaccine was developed in 1969, a rubella epidemic in 1964 and 1965 caused 12.5 million cases of the disease and 20,000 cases of CRS in newborns.)

Small-scale rubella outbreaks have occurred sporadically in the United States over the years, however, so it's crucial to have your children vaccinated and to get vaccinated yourself (when you're not pregnant) if you're not already immune. Rubella, also known as German measles, is not the same as regular measles (rubeola), and having immunity from one illness does not protect you from the other.
What are the symptoms of rubella?
The symptoms of rubella can be pretty vague, which makes it hard to distinguish from other illnesses. In up to half of the cases, the symptoms are so mild that you wouldn't know you were infected.

If you do have the typical symptoms, they start to show up about 12 to 23 days after you're exposed to the illness. You may first have a low-grade fever, malaise, swollen lymph nodes, joint pain and swelling, reddened eyes, and a runny nose for one to five days before a rash erupts.

The rash lasts only a few days, usually appearing first on the face and later spreading to other parts of the body. The swollen glands and joint pain can last several weeks. You're contagious from one week before until a week or so after the rash first appears. The most contagious period is when the rash is erupting.
What should I do if I think I've been exposed to rubella during pregnancy?
Even if you're immune, you should contact your healthcare practitioner and let her know you think you've been exposed. (There's a very small risk of re-infection, although it rarely results in problems for your baby.) Don't show up unannounced at your practitioner's office and risk infecting other pregnant women there. If you need to be seen, they'll make special arrangements so that you aren't sitting in a crowded waiting room.

You may have a blood test to see if you have rubella, then another test in two weeks, and sometimes one more in four weeks. Any change in your antibodies from when you were first tested for immunity indicates a recent infection.

If you're found to have rubella in early pregnancy, you'll see a genetic counselor about the risks to your baby and you'll be able to decide whether to terminate the pregnancy. There's no known effective treatment for rubella or any way to prevent it after exposure. If you choose not to terminate your pregnancy, your practitioner may give you a shot of immune globulin as soon as possible after exposure in the hope of reducing your baby's risk of defects. However, the shot won't prevent your baby from becoming infected.
How can I lessen my risk of getting rubella while pregnant if I'm not immune?
Unfortunately, you can't get the rubella vaccine if you're already pregnant. If you're not immune, you'll just need to be careful to avoid anyone with a rash or virus as well as anyone who's recently been exposed to rubella and hasn't had it before.

Make sure that your children have had all their vaccinations and that anyone else in the house who's not immune gets the vaccine. If there's even one known case of rubella in your community, you'll be told to avoid contact with other people (stay home from work or school, etc.) during the outbreak if you're in the first half of your pregnancy. You'll also need to postpone travel plans to any part of the world where rubella is still common.

Once you give birth, be sure to get vaccinated so that rubella won't be a concern for you during your next pregnancy. You can do this while you're breastfeeding, but you'll need to wait at least 28 days after getting the shot before you start trying to conceive again, so make sure you're using birth control during this time. If you do happen to get pregnant within 28 days of the shot, the chances that it will harm your baby are very low, but it's best to be safe.
What would happen to my baby if I got rubella during pregnancy?
In the extremely unlikely event that you came down with rubella during the first month of your pregnancy (generally before you know you're pregnant), there's a high chance (up to 90 percent) that your baby would be infected. Babies who are infected with rubella during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy develop congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), in which they can end up with a variety of problems, including deafness, blindness, heart defects, mental retardation, growth deficits, and a host of other disorders.

Miscarriage, preterm birth, and stillbirth are also common when rubella is contracted in early pregnancy. The risk of defects drops as the pregnancy progresses. During your second month, the chance that your baby will develop a rubella-related birth defect drops to about 25 percent; during your third month, it drops to 5 percent. After 20 weeks there's very little risk of defects.


source Link: Baby Center Rubella (German measles) during pregnancy - BabyCenter www.babycenter.com/0_rubella-german-measles-during-pregnancy_9527.bc?Ad=com.bc.common.AdInfo%40933262b

[Ms. Kathy]

Israeli role model program for deaf-blind children draws worldwide attention
Source Link: ISRAEL21c: A Focus Beyond www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enScript=PrintVersion.jsp&enDispWho=Articles^l1807
By Deborah Toubi October 16, 2007

One of the most important therapeutic tools for helping children with Usher Syndrome - the leading cause of deaf-blindness in Israel - may be role models who have the same condition.

A unique program initiated, developed and run by the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons in Tel Aviv, pairs children who have Usher Syndrome with mentors in their twenties who have the same syndrome, which involves congenital hearing loss and a progressive, degenerative eye disease. By setting a positive example, the mentors help tens of children each year - both Jews and Arabs - build self-confidence and learn to cope with the obstacles of their situation.

Program coordinator Yael Halevi, who has Usher Syndrome herself, explains that for most of the children, the relationship with a mentor represents their first contact with a successful role model. From her experience, as well as professional literature, it's clear that early and appropriate mentoring offers action and the hope of success as opposed to passivity and a feeling of impending failure.

As she put it: "It fosters their self-assurance and allows them to develop into confident and independent adults. This in turn benefits not only the deaf-blind community, but also Israeli society, which - instead of needing to support these children when they become adults - gains contributing members of society."

The mentor program has changed the life of Suha, a 19-year-old girl who was able to overcome anorexia nervosa, come to terms with her self-image and accept her situation with the help of her role model. David, 18, a recent high-school graduate, was unemployed and so depressed about his Usher Syndrome that he began to use drugs. Although he refused at first to have anything to do with the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, his mentor persisted and built a relationship with him. David's depression improved and he stopped his drug use. Eventually, the young man asked to become a mentor himself. Today, his personal experience has become a powerful basis for his mentoring others.

The past few months have seen heightened interest in the program, sparked in part by a highly positive article in the professional journal Deaf-Blind Perspectives. Since its publication, Elias Kabakov, Professional Director of the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, has responded to inquiries about the program from professionals and families in different states in the US, England and Jordan. A dialogue with the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf in Salt, Jordan, is of particular interest in terms of potential for cooperation between Arab and Jewish countries in the Middle East.

This year the goal is to have 20 children participate in the mentor program. They are among an estimated 1,000 Israelis who are affected by Usher Syndrome, which is the leading cause of deaf-blindness in Israel.

Those with the dual disability of deaf-blindness cannot always benefit from services only for the deaf or for blind, and require services and programs specifically designed to meet their needs. The Center for Deaf-Blind Persons is the only organization in Israel which develops and provides comprehensive educational, rehabilitation and social services for this population and works to enable them to live full and independent lives. In addition to helping deaf-blind Israelis understand and cope with their disability, the center's staff encourages them to play an active role in their own rehabilitation and that of others.

Chaim Fuchs, Executive Director of the Beth David Institute, which established and runs the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, notes that there is a pressing need to expand the mentor program. "There is currently a waiting list of at least 30 children who could benefit greatly from participation in the program," he says. "Only a lack of funding stands in our way of accepting them and giving them the opportunity to grow through a relationship with a mentor."

[Ms. Kathy]

Touching audiences from a still and silent place
Source Link: Israel21c www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Articles%5El1071&enSearchQueryID=116&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Culture&
By Tzippi Moss August 21, 2005

As the dark stage is lit and the music begins, a row of 12 actors dressed in black appear on stage with another row of actors in red seated behind them.

Nothing distinguishes them from any other theater troupe, unless you know that these actors are unable to see the lights or hear the music along with their audience.

Na Laga'at, (Please Touch), is the only theater company of its kind in the world. The group of twelve Israeli deaf-blind actors accompanied by their on stage interpreters have played to sold out audiences in Israel, Switzerland, the U.S. and Canada, winning praise from both the critics and the general public.

In their play "Light is Heard in Zig Zag," the actors share their memories and dreams on stage with wit, originality and power, One man enacts his fantasy of fishing, with the other actors playing the potential catch. A woman dreams of becoming a famous actress. Another simply wishes for the normal day of a person who can see and hear: listening to the news and going shopping and being able to view the items she buys.

With the exception of two actors who can speak, the rest of the script is spoken and signed by an interpreter.

Adina Tal, the artistic director of Na Laga'at, was approached five years ago by a non-profit organization that received a grant, to teach drama to a group of deaf and blind students, most of whom have Usher's Syndrome, a genetic debilitating condition that gradually causes both deafness and blindness. None had acting experience.

Though Tal has a rich background in theater and was the head of her own very successful company, she had no background working with the disabled.

"No one in my family is blind or deaf, which is the natural way most people become involved."

Despite her concerns that such a venture could evoke reactions of pity or result in a sub-standard production, Tal made a conscious decision that she would work with the troupe as regular actors and produce quality theater. "I fell in love with the group," states Tal.

They have played in the well known "Schpielhaus" Theatre in Zurich, UN headquarters in Geneva, and will be performing at the Lincoln Center in New York September 15th.

"You could say it was the height of "chutzpah" (provocation) to take an art form that involves the highest degree of communication and involve people whose greatest problem is communication, and who have to overcome these difficulties."

The interpreters and drums provide the cues, with the interpreters transmitting the audience's applause to the actors by tapping on their hands, which they pass on in a chain from one to the other.

Tal sees it as a given that the actors' lives have changed dramatically. Yet the most frequent comment mentioned in both the journals left in the lobbies of the theatres, and in the interpreter assisted dialogues that ensue after the show, is how the viewers' lives have been transformed as well. "We see the reactions of youth. Even those that normally can't sit still, don't want to leave at the end of the show."

When asked to explain the extraordinary impact these actors have on the audience, Tal comments that their ability to break through the most formidable barriers encourages the viewer to ask, "if they can, why can't I as well?" She further explains the theatre has given the actors tools to powerfully communicate from their world of total stillness and darkness, a world reminiscent of the embryonic place we have all come from. "This is the magic, the moment of creation and awe that provides a journey for the audience, of looking both outwards and inwards at the same time. All great art does this."

Both Tal and business manager Eran Gur have poured their love and money into getting the group off the ground. Gur, who had a successful security business employing over 2000 people, left it all to devote himself to Na LaGa'at. "We work together in every sense of the word. There is no separation where Eran manages the business and I direct. We do it all, including making sandwiches for the actors, if that is what needs to be done."

They have a greater vision as well, to create a center "where the deaf-blind will work and the hearing-seeing population will come for entertainment." Initially it will include a restaurant run in total darkness and a theatre. The deaf-blind will cook. Modern technology which will assist people to type in their orders and have them immediately translated into Braille will allow the blind to wait on tables. An additional theatre troupe of Arab-Jewish actors is in the works. Future plans include perfume workshops and massage treatments.

"Once there were no deaf-blind actors. One day there will also be deaf-blind masseuses," asserts Tal. "How many deaf-blind people have you met in your life? I believe through a center, there will be a place not only for a meeting between the deaf-blind and the hearing-seeing, but also to encounter yourself."

While such a center will be the only one of its kind in the world, Tal and Gur hope to spawn branches elsewhere built on the same model. They are actively seeking partners. "There are people who told us if we open a branch here in Israel, they will open one in New York. The important principle in rehabilitation of any kind is to move outwards and create such a meeting point where all involved are enriched."

[Ms. Kathy]

Speechview's speech translator
Source: Israel21c
March 11, 2003

The Israeli company Speechview developed a revolutionary technology that will benefit the deaf community: a computer-animated face that "translates" speech into lip movements that can be read instantaneously by deaf lip readers. The story was pitched to Associated Press story and appeared as part of a larger story describing how technology is being used to improve access for the disabled in all aspects of society and the workplace. A photo of the Israel-developed product was the art distributed by the AP to illustrate the story.
The story has appeared in over 300 newspapers in the U.S. reaching over 9 million readers.

Here is the story that AP ran on March 11, 2003.

LOOMING NEEDS OF AGING BOOMERS FORCING HIGH-TECH
TO IMPROVE DISABLED ACCESS

By Brian Bergstein

NEW YORK (AP) - To Annemarie Cooke, the world looks something like an Impressionist painting. Details and colors are washed out, and anything beyond arm's length is almost impossible to make out.

Cooke was a newspaper reporter when her vision began to fail 25 years ago. She had few options for adjusting at work beyond making the text on her computer appear larger.

Now, using software that reads aloud what is on the screen, Cooke, 50, is an executive at a nonprofit organization for the blind and dyslexic.

"All you have to do is breathe or blink and you can use technology effectively," Cooke said. But it is not all easy - cell phones and their tiny controls "are a nightmare."


Cooke's experience illustrates that while specialized devices offer assistance in dazzling ways, technology companies are just beginning to work harder at making all computers, gadgets and Web sites easier to use for people with disabilities.


Government regulations are largely forcing the change, but so is the quest for profits. High-tech companies say that as the big baby boomer generation grows old, business will suffer if computers and other devices befuddle aging eyes, ears and fingers.

"The voice of boomers will come through loud and clear," said Madelyn Bryant McIntire, Microsoft's director of accessible technologies.
Forty-two percent of people older than 65 have a disability, according to the Census Bureau. And the number of Americans older than 65 is expected to soar from 35 million now (12 percent of the population) to 59 million (18 percent of the population) in 2023.

Some technology companies such as Microsoft and Xerox have begun working more closely with organizations for the disabled and smaller companies that design add-on software. Telecommunications companies are closely examining services popular among deaf and hearing-impaired people of all ages, such as instant messaging over computers and two-way pagers.

AT&T and Sprint recently started offering video relay, in which a deaf person sets up a Web camera on his computer and uses sign language to address an operator, who in turn translates to the hearing party on the other end.
Users say video relay is faster and conveys more emotion than the traditional TTY system, in which a deaf person types his or her end of the conversation and an operator reads it to the hearing person and then types back responses.
"Video relay is absolutely fabulous," Philip Jacob, a deaf 43-year-old systems administrator at the insurance consulting firm DataLife Associates, said in an interview over AT&T's video relay service.

Even baby boomers who develop hearing loss but do not know sign language will have several phone technologies at their disposal.

To help lip-readers, researchers in Israel have developed software that gathers the individual sounds in a phone conversation and displays a computer-animated face that appears to speak what the person on the other end of the line is saying. Northview Enterprises of Clearwater, Fla., plans to adapt the Lip-C Cell software soon for American English.

UltraTec of Madison, Wis., hopes to gain regulatory approval soon for its CapTel phone, which uses a captioning service as a silent middle man, so a person with poor hearing can read a transcript of a phone conversation almost in real time.

But technology still has a long way to go.
For example, newer digital cell phones often interfere with hearing aids.

Many disabled people find wireless devices so hard to master that engineers plan an extensive discussion on design improvements at this month's CTIA Wireless 2003, one of the industry's most important conventions.
Despite a 1998 law requiring federal agencies to tailor their Web sites for people with disabilities, a recent study funded by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that fewer than 15 percent of federal sites made their content sufficiently clear and easy to find.
Too many Web sites use fine print and light blue colors, which become more difficult to see as people age, and layouts that can trip up screen-reading software, said Bill Gribbons, a design expert at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass.
Gribbons advises financial services firms, health care providers and insurance companies on how to make their Web sites better for their aging clientele.

"Many times designers simply aren't aware of these things. What works well from their perspective can be problematic for an aging user," Gribbons said. "When I talk to my students, I refer to it as designing for our future selves."

[Ms. Kathy]

Husband of deafblind woman speaks at Perkins
Posted on November 5, 2007 by Chris Helms
Source Link: Watertown Blog: blogs.townonline.com/watertown/?p=6132



After you’ve voted tomorrow, head over to the Perkins for what promises to be an interesting talk.

Here’s the word from Perkins:

The Perkins Deafblind Program and the Braille & Talking Book Library invite you to hear Emmy winning Chicago TV Sportscaster and author Rich King read from his book and speak about his life with his late wife, Maggie, who was deafblind.
“My Maggie” is a rare and true love story. She was King’s childhood sweetheart and wife of thirty-two years. It was that love that transcended Maggie’s going both deaf and blind, overcoming breast cancer, changing careers in the middle of her life and fighting to realize her dreams before finally succumbing to ovarian cancer. Yet, underneath these great challenges, there was an incredible love shared by two people. It was cemented by adversity and reached a near perfect spiritual connection.

My Maggie is a frank and honest look from the male perspective of triumphing again and again over adversity, ultimately to lose in the end but not without laughter, good times and 32 years together. Statistics show that an overwhelming number of husbands leave when their wives become seriously ill, but Rich stayed.

The details:

Tuesday, November 6, at 3:30 PM
Perkins School for the Blind
175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA
Hilton Building Auditorium
Book Link: www.amazon.com/My-Maggie-Richard-King/dp/0977628167

[Ms. Kathy]

Dual sensory impairment in older people

Posted: 28 November 2007
Source Link: www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2007/11/28/106632/dual-sensory-impairment-in-older-people.html


Most people who are registered as "deafblind" have extensive needs. Many are congenitally deafblind and were identified at birth or early childhood, while others may have acquired this form of dual sensory loss during adulthood. However, a large percentage of those who have dual sensory loss develop it after the age of 60. Dual sensory loss in this age group is often not labelled as "deafblindness" or recognised as a disability, in fact it is often assumed to be an inevitable and inescapable element of growing older.

The proportion of older people who experience sight and hearing loss is increasing. In particular, there has been a significant increase in the number of people living beyond 85, when deafblindness is most likely to be problematic. While the statutory guidance issued in 2001 clearly sets out that local authorities are obliged to record those people they have identified as deafblind, this does not include all of those who have difficulties created by dual sensory impairment.

One of the problems is that there is no common understanding of how the Department of Health definition should be applied and consequently many older people affected by a combined sight and hearing impairment are not officially recorded. Over a decade ago the estimated total number of recognised deafblind people in the UK was 24,000: a figure which rose to nearly 250,000 when estimated numbers of those aged 60 and over with a combined sight and hearing impairment were included. These figures are likely to rise dramatically as the proportion of the population, those aged over 85, is projected to treble by 2050.

Vulnerability and isolation

Many studies show that the combined loss of vision and hearing has a greater impact than that of either impairment alone, since the person affected cannot use one or other sense to compensate for the loss. People who have adjusted to hearing impairment, for example, may lose the ability to lip-read as their sight fails, and individuals with visual impairment may lose the ability to hear clearly. In both cases, there is likely to be increased isolation arising from the loss of not only essential information and interactive routes like conversation, but also more solitary leisure activities such as reading, listening to the radio or watching TV.

The influence of a combined dual sensory impairment on sight and hearing may also make the person more physically vulnerable. In some cases the domestic environment may present physical obstacles or difficulties and require changes to make it safer or easier. While it is important to obtain diagnosis and treatment for conditions giving rise to sensory loss, the social aspects are often masked by a focus on the medical aspects of impairment and are separated from associated outcomes, such as falls.

For people with dual sensory impairment the potential for isolation increases as their impairment becomes more severe. Visits outside the home or from family and friends may become increasingly difficult when ease of travel and communication are lost, for example. As a result, such visits may diminish in frequency, leading to a loss of social interaction and potentially a loss of information about the world outside the home. Older people, their families and carers may also display unwitting ageism and assume that such isolation is an inescapable consequence of ageing, with the result that its effect on mood and motivation are rarely questioned. But studies have shown that while visual impairment and, to a lesser extent, hearing loss, clearly increases the risk of depression, combined dual sensory loss has an even greater effect. Depression, when identified, is considered a medical problem and therefore capable of treatment.

However, the combination of assumptions about the natural course of ageing and dual sensory loss means that the depression which can result is often ignored until it becomes severe. Disability in any form, but particularly the combination of vision and hearing loss, results in an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms and disorders which, in turn, can lead to illness, further physical impairments and other restrictions on activities of daily living.

Support and awareness

Raising awareness among those who come into contact with older people is important, especially with "non-specialists" such as social care and health workers, carers and family members. Non-specialists have the opportunity to identify problems at a much earlier stage and have a key role to play in raising awareness of how the potentially adverse effects of deafblindness on older people's quality of life can be mitigated. Their early identification of disabling dual sensory loss has the potential to involve specialists at a stage when interventions may be less intrusive while still providing a robust basis for enhancing and maintaining older people's independence and autonomy.

There are simple, non-technical and non-specialist forms of assistance. For example, one study indicates how minor alterations to individual behaviour can have a substantial impact in terms of minimising social isolation. By providing examples it shows how an awareness of the basic needs of those with combined sight and hearing loss can lead to an enhanced level of communication. It indicates how conversations can be physically arranged to allow light to fall on the face of the speaker to facilitate lip reading and how sound interference from the environment can be minimised. It therefore demonstrates how, if suitable hearing aids and spectacles have been provided and are used, simple interventions can allow older people who are deafblind to interact more easily with those around them.

Further information

œ SCIE Research briefing 21: Identification of deafblind dual sensory impairment in older people

œ Sense: charity working with those with dual, deafblind, sensory impairment www.sense.org.uk. It produces reports, factsheets and information sources including a toolkit, "Fill the Gaps" for use by those working with or in contact with older people.

œ Deafblind UK: charity offering services to support people with sight and hearing impairment and training to staff and others

œ Deafblind International, Bagely, M (1998), Communication and people who have lost vision and hearing in later life, from expert meeting on older people with vision and hearing loss, 18-24 March 1998, Copenhagen, Denmark.

[Ms. Kathy]

Deaf blind charity seeks holiday volunteers
Source Link: www.blackpoolcitizen.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1976308.0.deaf_blind_charity_seeks_holiday_volunteers.php

Sense - the national charity working with people who are both deaf and blind - is looking for volunteers to help children and adults have a holiday to remember this summer.

Every year Sense organises one week holidays all over the UK for more than 120 deafblind children and adults.

This year's holiday is at Ribby Hall, Blackpool, which includes 100 acres of countryside and landscaped grounds that can be explored by foot, horseback or bike.

Holidaymakers will be staying in villas in a holiday village.

Hannah Watson, Holidays Co-ordinator at Sense, said: "Sense is particularly looking for volunteers from Blackpool and the surrounding area to help give deafblind a fun-filled holiday.

"To volunteer you don't need to have done anything similar before and we fully prepare every volunteer.

"We'll be delighted to hear from anyone who thinks they might be interested in taking part."

People interested in being a Sense holiday volunteer should email [e-mail] or call Hannah Watson on 0845 127 0060.

[Ms. Kathy]

One Woman's Fight For Her Child
Source Link: WMGT-TV | News, Weather and Sports for Macon, GAwww.wmgt.com/node/6618
Submitted by Aundrea Cline-Thomas on Thu, 03/06/2008 - 7:05pm. News Local
One woman, is making it her mission to increase opportunities for disabled children in the state.

Rose Thompson's son has deafblindness. Because it's a dual impairement that affects both hearing and sight, special skills are needed to teach someone with this disability.

After local and state resources did not help, Rose Thompson hired an intervenor from Canada to give her son the one-on-one attention he needed.

"She has changed his lif. SHe has put new stepping stones, new footprints in his path. He's on the right track to success and that's what I want for him," explained Thompson.

After working with the intervenor, her son now knows his alphabet and he is potty trained. Hiring an intervenor is expensive, so she can only come two weeks at a time. There are more than 300 deafblind children in Georgia.

For more information about deafblindness:

education.gsu.edu/georgiadeafblindproj/
www.deafblindinternational.org/

For more information about contacting an Intervenor:
www.georgebrown.ca/Marketing/FTCal/comsrv/C108.aspx#maincontent

Rose Thompson's intervenor Lindsay graduated from George Brown College in Toronto, Canada.