,,JENN@E ,,CHALFANT ,,INTERVIEW1 ,,PART ,,TWO ,INTERVIEWER3 ,HOW DO YOU USE AN ,,SSP FOR TRANSPORTATION8 ,YOU MENTIONED DRIVING PLACES1 DO YOU RIDE THE BUS OR TAKE THEIR CAR8 ''' CAN YOU TALK ABOUT AN ,,SSP SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARD TO TRANSPORTATION8 ,JENN@E ,CHALFANT3 ,PERSONALLY1 ,I LIKE THE BUS4 ,I GO LOTS OF PLACES ON THE BUS4 ,WHEN ,I FIRST MEET WITH THE ,,SSP ,I ASK IF THEY WOULD PREFER TO RIDE THE BUS OR DRIVE4 ,MOST OF THE TIME THE ,,SSP WILL OFFER TO DRIVE AND THAT'S FINE4 ,SO AN ,,SSP TYPICALLY COMES WITH A CAR BUT ONCE IN A WHILE1 WE WALK4 ,I LIKE THE EXERCISE4 ,YOU DON'T ALWAYS NEED A CAR4 ,IT'S GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND IT'S NICE TO JUST GET OUT AND HAVE A GOOD WALK TOGETHER4 ,SO1 IT REALLY VARIES4 ,IT DEPENDS ON MY MOOD4 ,IT'S NOT ESSENTIAL TO ALWAYS HAVE A CAR4 ,IT'S NOT NECESSARY4 ,BUT IF A ,,DB #A PERSON PREFERS TO HAVE A RIDE1 THEY CAN NEGOTIATE WITH THE ,,SSP AND SHOULD OFFER TO PAY FOR GAS4 ,INTERVIEWER3 ,HOW DID YOU TRANSITION FROM USING YOUR TUNNEL VISION TO USING MORE TOUCH ,7,,JC3 ,YES47' AND HOW DID YOU INFORM THE ,,SSP8 ,YOU USED TO HAVE TUNNEL VISION AND STAND BACK TO SEE BETTER1 WORK HARD TO TRY AND CATCH ALL THAT SOMEONE WAS SAYING BUT THEN YOU TRANSITIONED GRADUALLY TO A MORE TACTUAL WAY OF COMMUNICATING4 ,HOW DID YOU EXPOSE YOUR ,,SSP WHEN YOU REALIZED THAT YOU NEEDED MORE TOUCH1 HOW DID YOU TELL THE ,,SSP8 ,JENN@E ,CHALFANT3 ,YES1 ,I REMEMBER1 ,I CAN RECALL BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THROUGH ,SIGN ,LANGUAGE VISUALLY AND THEN MY VISION DECREASED AS THE TUNNEL OF VISION GOT SMALLER4 ,BUT ,I DIDN'T SO MUCH GO THROUGH THAT PERIOD OF STANDING FURTHER BACK TO SEE MORE2 ,I MOVED PRETTY QUICKLY TO PUTTING MY HANDS ON THE SIGNER4 ,SO1 HOW ,I TOLD THE ,,SSP1 WELL FIRST ,I SHOULD #B SAY IT JUST FELT MORE NATURAL PUTTING MY HANDS ON PEOPLE1 FOR EXAMPLE1 YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE HAVE #E SENSES3 HEARING1 VISION1 FEELING1 TASTE1 AND SMELL4 ,SO AS A DEAF PERSON ,I LOST HEARING AND HAD FOUR1 THEN LATER LOST VISION SO ,I HAD THREE1 SO THE SENSE OF TOUCH BECAME MY POWER4 ,IT'S VERY1 VERY POWERFUL2 IT'S A WAY TO COMMUNICATE4 ,MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IT'S COMMUNICATION1 CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE THROUGH COMMUNICATION4 ,SO WHEN ,I FIRST MEET AN ,,SSP1 ,I JUST SAY IT1 8,I PREFER TOUCH1 TACTILE SIGNING2 ,I CAN'T SEE SIGNING0 AND ASK 8,ARE YOU COMFORTABLE80 OR ,I WOULD SAY1 8,I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND USING TOUCH1 ,I CAN'T SEE YOU CLEARLY1 IS IT ALL RIGHT IF ,I TOUCH YOUR HANDS80 ,I GIVE THEM FULL INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT ,I WANT4 ,BUT ,I'M NOT REALLY AFRAID1 BUT ,I ASK IF THEY MIND FIRST4 ,IT WAS EDUCATING THEM ABOUT WHAT ,I WANTED AND ABOUT TOUCH TO TOUCH THEM OR HAVE THEM TOUCH ME4 ,IT'S IMPORTANT TO #C INFORM THEM1 BE DIRECT AND PUT IT OUT THERE4 ,YOU CAN'T JUST SAY NOTHING OR BE AFRAID AND EXPECT THE ,,SSP TO READ YOUR MIND4 ,NO4 ,IT'S UP TO YOU AS THE ,,DB PERSON TO INFORM THE ,,SSP FULLY WHAT YOU WANT BECAUSE THEY OTHERWISE HOW WOULD THEY KNOW8 ,SO YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM ABOUT TOUCH1 EDUCATE THEM4 ''' ,I REMEMBER WHEN ,I WORKED FOR THE ,LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE ,BLIND1 ,INC4 FOR #G1 CLOSE TO #G YEARS1 WHEN SOME OF THE STAFF MEMBERS SAID TO ME1 8,I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU1 ,I NOTICE THAT YOUR EYES HAVE GOTTEN WORSE40 ,IT WAS KIND OF A SHOCK TO HEAR THAT AND MY FIRST RESPONSE WAS NO1 THAT ,I DIDN'T THINK SO4 ,BUT THEY ALL SAID YES1 THAT ,I WAS MISUNDERSTANDING THINGS PRETTY REGULARLY4 ,IT WAS HARD TO TAKE4 ,COMMUNICATION IS SO CRITICAL1 BUT ,I WAS EMBARRASSED1 CONFUSED AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO4 ,ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS EDUCATED ME ABOUT COMMUNICATION OPTIONS4 ,SHE SAID YOU CAN START USING TRACKING 99 #D 99 YOUR ,7THE ,,DB PERSON'S7' HAND ON THE WRIST OF THE SIGNER TO HELP YOUR EYES TRACK BETTER4 OR YOU CAN STAND BACK FURTHER AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE PERSON CLEARLY IN YOUR RANGE OF VISION ,7WITH GOOD LIGHTING ETC47' OR YOU CAN START USING TACTILE ,SIGN ,LANGUAGE4 ,I JUST TOOK THAT IN AND DIDN'T REALLY RESPOND4 ,I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO DO ANY OF THOSE2 ,I LIKED SIGNING AS A DEAF PERSON4 ,I MISSED IT SO MUCH4 ,I REMEMBER ,I WAS IN A LITTLE BIT OF DENIAL1 NOT SERIOUS1 BUT A LITTLE BIT4 ,SO ,I LEFT WORK AND STAYED HOME4 ,I HAD #B KIDS WHO WERE #C AND #E AT THE TIME4 ,THEY WOULD SIGN TO ME AND ,I DIDN'T FULLY CATCH EVERYTHING THEY SAID BUT ,I JUST LET IT GO AND THEN1 IT HIT ME ,,BAM6 ,,ME6 ,I',M ,,MISSING ,,WHAT ,,MY ,,OWN ,,KIDS ,,ARE ,,SAYING666 ,I FELT DISGUSTED WITH MYSELF4 ,I THOUGHT WHAT AM ,I DOING8 ,THEY LOOK UP TO ME AND GOOD COMMUNICATION IS SO #E IMPORTANT4 ,THEY UNDERSTOOD ,I WAS DEAF BUT NOT YET THAT ,I WAS GOING BLIND4 ,THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND4 ,THEY WERE JUST INNOCENT LITTLE CHILDREN DOING THEIR BEST4 ,I DIDN'T WANT TO RUIN OUR RELATIONSHIP6 ,SO THAT WAS IT4 ,THAT WAS THE TURNING POINT4 ,I KNEW ,I HAD TO GET OVER MY FEELINGS AND JUST DO IT4 ,SO ,I DETERMINED TO GO AHEAD1 AND PUT MY HANDS ON THEIRS4 ,AT FIRST1 OF COURSE1 THE KIDS RESISTED4 ,THEY WERE IRRITATED4 ,BUT WITH PRACTICE1 AND DETERMINATION IT GOT SMOOTHER4 ,I REMEMBER AT THAT TIME1 THE REST OF THE ,,DB ,COMMUNITY THOUGHT ,I WAS STILL RELYING ON MY VISION TO COMMUNICATE4 ,THAT'S WHAT ,I DID IN PUBLIC BUT ,I WORKED HARD TO PRACTICE IN SECRET2 ,I JUST KEPT ON PRACTICING4 ,AND THEN ,I DECIDED TO ,8COME OUT0'4 ,I WAS TERRIFIED BUT ,I SCREWED UP MY COURAGE AND JUST PUT MY HANDS OUT TO FEEL THE OTHER PERSON'S SIGNING AND ,I WAS SO SURPRISED1 THEY ALL SMILED #F AND SAID1 8,GOOD FOR YOU4 ,I'M SO GLAD YOU DECIDED TO START USING TACTILE SIGNING1 BECAUSE YOU'RE BEING HONEST WITH YOURSELF40 ,COMMUNICATION IS SO IMPORTANT4 ,FROM THERE ON ,I WAS COMFORTABLE USING TACTILE SIGNING4 ,BUT ,I'LL TELL YOU THE TRUTH--,I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION IS6 ,I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE IF ,I WAS STILL IN DENIAL AND STILL TRYING TO GET BY1 JUST PRETENDING BUT NOT UNDERSTANDING LIKE A DUMMY4 ,IT'S CLASSIC1 OF COURSE1 PEOPLE WITH ,USHER GETTING ONLY PARTS OF WHAT PEOPLE SAY1 JUST PRETENDING THEY ARE UNDERSTANDING4 ,IT HAS TO STOP6 ,DON'T DO IT6 ,TACTILE IS WORTH IT4 ,I'VE BEEN USING TACTILE SIGNING FOR #G YEARS NOW4 ,MY ADVICE TO ,,DB PEOPLE IS REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE4 ,YOU REMEMBER YOURSELF AS A HOPEFUL LITTLE DEAF CHILD FULL OF ENERGY1 LIFE AND CURIOSITY1 LEARNING ABOUT THE WORLD1 RIGHT8 ,THEN AS YOU GREW UP YOUR #G VISION GOT WORSE AND WORSE1 THE TUNNEL GOT SMALLER AND SMALLER1 RIGHT8 ,BUT STAY STRONG4 ,BE BRAVE1 REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE4 ,DON'T FEEL HELPLESS4 ,WORK WITH THE ,,SSP2 KNOW IT IS YOUR DECISIONS THAT MATTER4 ,REMEMBER1 IT IS YOUR POWER1 YOUR LIFE2 IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT YOU ARE BLIND4 ,KEEP THINKING FOR YOURSELF4 ,IMAGINE HOW YOU WANT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE4 ,WHEN YOUR VISION GETS BAD1 PARTNER UP WITH AN ,,SSP4 ,IT IS YOUR TASKS WITH THEIR EYES2 YOU WORK TOGETHER4 ,DON'T LET THE ,,SSP TAKE OVER4 ,REMEMBER THE ,,SSP WORKS FOR YOU4 ,7INTERVIEWER3 YES1 RIGHT7' ,YOU HAVE TO TELL THE ,,SSP WHAT YOU NEED4 ,YOU CAN'T EXPECT THE ,,SSP TO READ YOUR MIND4 ,7INTERVIEWER3 ,RIGHT1 RIGHT47' ,BE CREATIVE1 BE ASSERTIVE1 AND COMMUNICATE4 ,THIS SERVICE BELONGS TO YOU4 ,ALSO1 YOUR POWER IS INCREDIBLY PRECIOUS4 ,KEEP YOUR POWER4 ,WORK WITH THE ,,SSP1 SUPPORT THEM AND HAVE THEM GUIDE YOU USING THEIR EYES TO #H WHATEVER AND WHEREVER YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO GO4 ,I HOPE YOU FULLY ENJOY USING AN ,,SSP4 ,INTERVIEWER3 ,THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT6 #I