Monthly Archives: Jun 2018

 

Every year I was invited to the DeafBlind support group – Waikato/BOP area. Today it was held at the Clock World in Ohaupo, Waikato. 

Why I was involved with this group? I am a deaf community support worker for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and people with disabilities for many years. I am also an advocator for the people/children with disabilities for 39 years or more. Today the weather was sunning and brighten up the dreary day after the long wet and wild weather week. I must say we enjoyed the early lunch together today.

However, Helen Keller was primarily known to many people and children around the world because of her disability – Deaf and Blind. As a deaf Historian of International and New Zealand, what about Julia Brace or Laura Bridgman? Who are these people? Have these people forgotten by us? 

Photo from American School for the Deaf… This photo: Julia Brace – 1807-1884.

Photo from Perkins School for the Blind. This photo: Laura Bridgman – 1829-1889. She died just before turning to 60 years old.

These three women who had got the same disability – DeafBlind. How did these women manage to communicate with other people in the schools, family, teachers and the community? A straightforward answer was tactile sign language.

Julia Brace developed a home sign system with her parents at home, and she learnt tactile signing from staff and students at the Hartford Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb (now it is called American School for the Deaf). Julia lost her sights and hearing from typhus fever at the aged of 5 years.

Laura Bridgman was an “Intellectually superior to Helen Keller” according to Annie (Ann) Sullivan. Laura lost all or most of her sensory through having scarlet fever at the aged of 2 years old. Laura Bridgman  Laura was taught how to write and to read by Samuel Gridley Howe through tactile signing. Note Ann Sullivan was also a teacher to Helen Keller. Ann was a roommate with Laura as well. Ann became blind from trachoma at the age of 5 years old.

Let us not forget these women apart from Helen Keller.

A couple of years ago this photo was taken from our property and seeing the flipped car in the ditch in the neighbour’s property. We were asleep and the dogs did wake us up BUT we assumed it was the possums or furry animals around our place.

We saw an ambulance staff checking inside the car while the forensics staff looking for pieces and clues of the accident on the roadside, down the ditch even under the car and the neighbour’s farmland. There were several police officers checking for the mystery clues and the marking on the road. Of course, many people were speeding just before approaching, saw this flipped car, police cars and ambulance van. The drivers reduced their speed even becoming nosy and speed up after passing this accident site.

We do not really know who the driver was but we do know that the driver was drunk and drugged under influence while driving on the road in the early hour of the morning. The wrecked car was left there for about a month and it disappeared while we were at work.

In 2014 it was the year we moved to our home from the city of Hamilton, one early hour of the morning, I woke up by the light shining from the dining room. My partner – Bill (name not real) was up and keeping an eye on a drunk guy hanging around outside while our older dog – Joseph was barking. Bill did not hand over the phone to the drunk guy, but he rang the number that the drunk guy gave Bill. Another person or people came to pick the drunk guy at the gate and gone. Bill was up and waited for another 20 minutes to ensure that they were not coming back. There were no repeat dramas until the car down in the ditch.

From Monday to Friday, I go to work and there is always a new person, familiar person, or a family with small children asking for serious crying helps. What about the people with disabilities? Yes, there are a small number of Deaf family who is struggling with the need for help through Social Service, no proper services for the Deaf family even a Deaf person, in Hamilton. Here is one website which is useful for you guys to learn about the urgent needs to work with many Deaf mental people. TePou – Working with Deaf people with mental health needs

One Deaf family with young children are seeking help but there are no local support or help services in their local area. I visit them once a month and it is called a ‘drop in and chat’ visit. Last week, a Deaf mother seeking a support group because their lives have gone from good to worst or pitfall. She was crying out for help and want to have long talk so she released her emotion and anger out.

I must say there are a high number of Deaf people fell in the cracks or under the influence of becoming drug addict or alcohol. There are many reasons for any Deaf people who are isolated, unemployed, communication problems, money problems, wrong types of friends even family in the drug and alcohol abuse cycles.  The picture showed here from The Sun.

There is a link from Youtube – Deaf Prison

The crime report the crime.org

Is that enough or the urgent more awareness for many Deaf people and the families in New Zealand? We do not have the number of Deaf mental/Deaf addicts even alcoholics here. Why not? Start learning about us and our needs now!

The suicide rate review from oversea

Barriers to care for the Deaf Community Health oversea

What about Deaf alcoholics??

A helpful tool from the USA for Deaf Alcohol and counsellors

Hidden problems within the Deaf community

Would be great to have a friendly Deaf AA, Deaf Mental Health and Addiction Support groups in New Zealand?

There is a public Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry meeting in Hamilton this Wednesday……..