Winter Trellis 2013 – Accessible Version

~ Supporting the development of children who are deaf-blind as they grow at home, at school and in the community ~

Graphics: Logo of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind: Large green letters capital S and capital C, with a white palmetto tree superimposed where the S and C touch each other. In smaller black print “School for the Deaf and the Blind”. Under this is a green rectangular box with white print inside that says “embracing the possibilities”. To the right of the SCSDB logo is the Trellis logo. The Trellis logo has a narrow rectangular background that is turquoise blue in color, with a white lattice pattern on it. The word “Trellis” is printed in black. To the right of the word “Trellis” is a picture of a leafy vine, five leaves graduating in size from largest to smallest going from left to right. Inside of a small lavender oval is printed “Winter, 2013.”

Text: This issue of Trellis is dedicated to everyone who worked together to make the “SouthEast Regional Transition Institute” (SERTI 2013) an event to remember.  Graphics: A drawing of a mortarboard hat and a diploma. Above the drawing is the statement, “I have a plan!”

A quote from Helen Keller:“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” This text is in an upright rectangular box that is outlined by a green and white checkered border.

Graphics:Photo of the marquee sign in front of the SCSDB campus. The sign says WELCOME SERTI VISITORS! I HAVE A PLAN! Photo is outlined with a green border.

Picture of the graphic used to make the SERTI T-shirts. Kelly green background, with white letters. Text reads: “SERTI 2013, Spartanburg, SC.” Below that is a white box with green text that reads “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Below that is the name “Helen Keller” printed in white letters on the green background.

Between the two larger pictures, and angled towards the left, is a small photo of a map of the southeastern United States, plus New York and the Virgin Islands. The map was made by Brett Grayson. Each state is painted a different color, and a unique texture for each state has been added with puff paint, to make it tactually as well as visually accessible to all SERTI participants. The map was posted in the entrance hall of the Herbert Center building as a way to welcome participants from many different locations. This small photo is outlined in bright pink.

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What: The SouthEast Regional Transition Institute (SERTI 2013) was a weekend event for young adults who are deaf-blind, and their parents.

When: The event ran from Friday afternoon, Feb. 15, until Monday morning, Feb.18, 2013. Where: The beautiful campus of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind (SCSDB) in Spartanburg, South Carolina, served as the host site for the event. The snow storm on Saturday afternoon was a special treat for many SERTI guests!

Why: Like all teens and young adults, students who have combined vision and hearing challenges wonder what will happen after they graduate from high school. Will they go to college? Will they find a job? Are technology and

support services available to improve access to information, their communities, and social relationships? Will they be ready to embrace new opportunities, and to overcome any obstacles that lie ahead? Is there something they could be doing right now to make the transition to adult life more seamless? Transition-age students and their parents can benefit from an opportunity to discuss these and other issues with one another, and with professionals in the fields of education, deaf-blind services, and adult service agencies. SERTI 2013 provided that opportunity!

Who: More than 75 participants came from 10 states and a territory! Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the Virgin Islands were all represented at SERTI 2013. Many thanks go to the SCSDB Administration, Residential Life, Housekeeping, and Campus Security Departments, and to Sodexo Food Services, whose dedicated efforts made this event not just possible, but a genuine pleasure to attend!

How: SERTI 2013 combined elements of previous regional events for teens and young adults who are deaf-blind, with the format of the “Family Transition Weekend” which was co-authored by Elaine Sveen, Ed.S., Project Director of the South Carolina Interagency Deaf-Blind Project. In the past, wonderful teen events sponsored by a growing coalition of state Deaf-Blind Projects have taken place in Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi, with excellent outcomes. Participants have grown in self-confidence, learned and applied self-advocacy skills, and have really challenged themselves to set the bar high and reach for their dreams. The “Family Transition Weekend” format—which has been used successfully in Texas, Minnesota, Indiana, and several other states—added the element of parent involvement. Parents and students worked with a

designated facilitator—individually and together— to explore hopes and fears, evaluate readiness, learn a problem-solving model, and create a plan for their family’s next steps on the road to the day after graduation.As with past teen events, it was critical for every student to have full access to SERTI 2013 activities and discussion. Organized and overseen by Susanne Morgan Morrow, Project Coordinator of the New York Deaf-Blind Collaborative, the amazing depth, scope, and quality of interpreting and communication support services enabled every student to have full access to the event in his or her preferred mode of communication.

Graphics page 2:

Small photo of the SCSDB marquee sign that is featured in a larger size on page one.

Photo of a young man. He is alone, resting his elbows on a table, and has his hands together, with fingers interlaced and folded together, as if he is in deep thought. He is wearing a man’s hat over a light blue bandana which he is wearing as a headband. (Light blue was the color identifier for student participants in the weekend.) Text under the photo: P. Dalton Kennedy from Georgia.

Photo of a woman with dark hair and glasses, with her arm around the shoulders of a young man. Text: Marilyn Trader, regional representative for Helen Keller National Center, with Jeremy Zachary, student at theSouth Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind.

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Top half of the page is a photograph of a family. A teenage boy wearing glasses is in the middle, his dad on the left and his mom on the right. The dad is tall and wears glasses. The mom has long, straight strawberry blonde

hair. All three are wearing the green SERTI t-shirts, and all are smiling. The photo has a green border. Text beneath the photo reads: Alex arrives from Knoxville, Tennessee with his mom and dad.

Lower half of page 3:Cut-out box: How do you want YOUR Trellis?Get Trellis YOUR WAY! If you prefer to receive Trellis in large print, braille or electronic format, or if you have changed your mailing address, e-mail or phone, please complete this form, clip it out and send it to us at:South Carolina Interagency Deaf-Blind Project355 Cedar Springs Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29302

______________________________________________ Name ______________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________ Telephone E-mail Address______________________________________________Comments _____ Please make the changes in contact information that I have noted above. _____ Please mail me a large print edition of Trellis. _____ Please mail me a braille edition of Trellis. _____ Please send me Trellis in electronic format. (e-mail address required)

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In the center if page 4, there is text that reads: Arrival of Families and Staff. The rest of the page is a collage of 19 photos of families and staff. Many (but not all) of the

SERTI participants are pictured. No names or other text is on this page, but the photo descriptions below include a little additional information to support accessibility.

Row 1:a) Mike Fagbemi from the National Consortium on Deaf-

Blindness, wearing a white shirt with collar, brown sweater vest, and dark jacket. Mike came from New York.

b) Alex Valdez and his mom. Alex is wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, glasses, and a big smile. He has his left arm around his mom’s shoulders. She is wearing a bright orange top and smiling. There is a multicolor abstract painting in the background. Alex and his mom came from Georgia.

c) Janelle Marshall and her mom. Janelle is on the right, and her mom on the left. Janelle is wearing a maroon sweatshirt with white lettering, and is wearing glasses. Her mom is wearing a fuchsia sweater with long black scarf. There is a large painting in the background that is blue with geometric shapes in a variety of colors. Janelle and her mom came from Georgia.

d) Miriam on the left, with her mom on the right. Miriam is wearing a blue sweatshirt, and her mom is wearing a beige blouse with black jacket. Miriam’s mom has her right arm around her daughter’s shoulders. The painting behind them is made up of the hand prints of many children, using paint in many bright colors. Miriam and her mom came from South Carolina.

Row 2:a) Jeremy Zachary and his mom. They are both smiling.

Jeremy’s mom is on the left, with her arm around the shoulders of her son. She is wearing a light blue denim jacket, and Jeremy is wearing a gray sweatshirt. The handprint painting is behind them, and there is also a helium balloon with a valentine

theme. Jeremy and his mom came from South Carolina.

b) Two paintings are in the background of this photo – the handprint one and the multicolor abstract. The four women in this photo have come from Tennessee. Far left is Donna Consacro, Coordinator of the Tennessee Deaf-Blind Project, wearing a light pink sweater. She has short, curly gray hair and is wearing glasses. Middle left is Tiffany Ivens, a new staff member of the Tennessee DB Project. Tiffany has dark hair, and is wearing a gray sweatshirt over a purple top. Middle right is Ashley Jackson, SERTI student participant from Tennessee. She is the tallest one in the picture. Ashley is wearing a dark gray sweatshirt with yellow graphics. Far right is Rhonda Andrews, a teacher who has worked with Ashley for many years, and is her primary SSP. Rhonda has medium brown hair. She is wearing glasses and a light gray sweatshirt.

c) Kevin Russell and his mom. Kevin is tall, with light brown hair, wearing a tan sweater. His mom has shoulder-length blond hair and is wearing a cocoa colored top. Kevin and his mom came from Georgia.

Row 3:a) Pat Varner from Spartanburg Community College and

Kevin Russell, retired from SCSDB. Pat Varner is wearing a navy blue dress and Kevin Russell is wearing a purple shirt. They both look very happy and a bit surprised. They are friends who have not seen on another for a long time, and this photo captured the moment they recognized one another. Pat Varner is forming the ASL “I love you” hand shape with her left hand.

b) Debra Beheler, Associate Teacher at SCSDB School for the Deaf. She has long dark hair, and is wearing a dark top with a pretty necklace, and she is smiling.

c) With the abstract painting as a background, Aubre Watts is shown with her mom. Aubre is wearing a

rainbow colored tie-dyed shirt and a red baseball cap. She is wearing her glasses, and smiling. Her mom is beside her in a beige sweater. She has shoulder-length dark hair, and is smiling. Aubre and her mom came from Mississippi.

d) From Arkansas, Peyton Crosno with her mom and dad. Peyton stands between her parents, wearing a pink T-shirt. She has long, straight light brown hair. On the left is Peyton’s mom, wearing a peach colored top and black jacket. She has blonde hair that is straight and about chin-length. On the right is Peyton’s dad, wearing a navy blue T-shirt and navy blue baseball cap. He has a moustache and full beard, reddish brown in color.

Row 4:a) From Georgia, left to right, Susan Hickey, Venise

Niles, and Chandra Dennis. Susan is wearing a fuchsia sweatshirt, Venise is in gray with a black sweater, and Chandra is wearing a cream colored sweater over a purple top. They came to serve as SSPs and/or facilitators for the event.

b) Shawan Elder from North Carolina. Shawan is a student at Gardner-Webb University and came to SERT to serve as an SSP. She is wearing a light blue top, and holding three binders in her right arm.

c) Jennifer Cruise, SCSDB Orientation and Mobility instructor. Jennifer is wearing a black sweater with a long light blue scarf. She is standing in front of the handprint painting, and smiling.

d) Austin Nix and his mom. Austin’s mom is on the left, with her left arm around the shoulders of her son. They are both wearing their green SERTI T-shirts. Austin and his mom came from Mississippi.

Row 5:a)Andrew Hippenstiel with his mom, who is hugging her

son. They are both wearing their SERTI T-shirts and standing in front of the multi-color abstract painting.

Andrew attends SCSDB School for the Deaf. He and his mom came from South Carolina.

Row 6:a) Ashley and Patrick Kennedy with their mom. Ashley is

in the center, wearing a dark gray sweatshirt. She has shoulder-length dark hair and is wearing glasses. Her mom is to the left, in a gray and yellow striped top. She has short red hair. Patrick (who goes by his middle name, Dalton) is on the right. He is wearing a dark blue T-shirt and holding a drink cup with lid and straw. He has dark hair and glasses. Ashley, Patrick (Dalton) and their mom came from Georgia.

b) From Florida, Roberto Zuniga with his mom and Spanish language interpreter Raquel Resendiz. Roberto is tall, with dark hair. He is wearing a black and gray striped long-sleeved shirt and a black baseball cap. His mom is beside him, wearing a white blouse and beige jacket. Raquel is wearing a gray blouse and bright fuchsia jacket. She has her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, and is wearing glasses. Next in the photo is Emily Taylor-Snell, who works for the Florida Deaf-Blind Project. Emily has curly brown hair, and is wearing a navy blue top and brown pants. On the far right is Tiffany Kohnen. Tiffany has long blonde hair. She is wearing a white hat, orange sweatshirt, and blue jeans. Her glasses have black frames and orange lenses. Tiffany came to SERTI to serve as a mentor to the young adults.

c) Caitlyn Brotherton, student at Gardner-Webb University, serving as an SSP for the SERTI event. Caitlyn has long blonde hair. She is standing in front of the multi-color abstract painting, wearing a black sweater and holding several binders and folders in her arms.

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Headline: A Few of SERTI’s Special Guests

Photo: Three women, standing together, with a painting in the background, made up of multi-colored handprints of many SCSDB students. The woman on the left has shoulder-length red hair and is wearing a red top and black vest. The woman in the middle has medium brown hair, which is curly and cut to chin-length. She is wearing a red top and blue jacket, and is holding the handle of a white cane. On the right is a woman with short, straight red hair. She is wearing a brown sweater with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows.Text: Center: keynote speaker Dana Tarter. Mrs. Tarter is a special education teacher in Georgia, where she works with students who have autism. She has not allowed deaf-blindness to stand in the way of her career or family life. Her candid and energetic presentation inspired students, parents, and staff alike! Left: Maura Cauldwell, also from Georgia; right: Rebecca Cowan-Story from the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency.

Photo: A man in the center with a woman on each side. The woman on the left has short light gray hair and glasses with red frames. She is wearing a dark gray long-sleeved shirt. The man has dark hair, and is dressed all in black. The woman on the right has short hair and glasses with red lenses. She is wearing a forest green top and black jacket.Text: Center: Professor Steven Collins, PhD, CDI, Chairman of the Department of Interpretation at Gallaudet University. Dr. Collins is a Fullbright Scholar who has worked extensively with deaf-blind communities in the U.S. and Italy. Tactile American Sign Language (TASL) interpretation is his area of special expertise. He resides in Maryland. Left: Karen Rosenthal, deaf-blind support service provider (SSP) and freelance interpreter, also from Maryland; right: Lynn Dey, MA, CDI, graduate of Gallaudet University and an instructor of American Sign Language at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina.

Photo: Three young adults standing together. On the left is a young man with medium brown hair, and he is wearing a dark gray sweater. He is about six inches taller than the other two people in the photo. In the middle is a young woman with long, curly strawberry blonde hair, and she is wearing glasses with black frames and orange lenses. She wears a black top with a gray, beige, and dark pink striped sweater. On the right is a young man with dark hair, wearing the green SERTI T-shirt.Text: Center: Tiffany Kohnen from Florida. Left: Kevin Roberts from Georgia. Right: Jake McMahan from Georgia. Tiffany, Kevin, and Jake served as mentors to the students. Positive role models, articulate speakers, and wizards of access technology, their presence demonstrated the concrete results of effort, persistence, a positive outlook, and strong self-advocacy skills.

Below the text is a quote: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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Headline: Activities Text: SCSDB President Margaret Park welcomed families, interpreters, and other staff to SERTI 2013 at the panel discussion on Friday night. Students introduced themselves and their parents, as did staff, interpreters, and support service providers (SSPs).Photos: There are eight photos of people introducing themselves during the “welcome” activities, using a variety of communication methods. Some are speaking into a microphone, some are using American Sign Language to finger-spell their names and show their name signs, some are using tactile sign, and some have FM systems. All eight of these photos are outlined with green borders.

Text: Elaine Sveen led students in a discussion about their expectations for the future, while parents worked one-on-one with a facilitator to assess their child’s readiness skills and needs. While parents participated in an “expectations discussion” of their own, students met with facilitators to assess their own readiness for the transition to adult life, and to identify their goals.Photos: There are five photos with yellow borders. Two of the photos are of large group discussions, one of the students with their communication support providers, and one of all the parents together. The other three photos are of small groups that include a student or parent with a facilitator and one or more interpreters and/or support service providers. The small group photos represent the activity of completing the transition readiness checklist. Text in a rectangular box outlined in red: Wearing special goggles to simulate their own child’s vision loss, parents relied on their children’s guidance to complete a cooking activity—making treats for the horses that live on the SCSDB campus.Photos: There are four photos with red boarders. Each photo shows a student with one of his or her parents involved in the activity of making horse treats. Everyone in these photos is wearing the green SERTI T-shirt.

1. A mother and son, reading the recipe together.2. A mother and son, mixing ingredients in a white bowl.3. A father using a yellow spoon to mix ingredients in a

white bowl, with his daughter watching and smiling.4. A mother using her hands to pat the mixture of

ingredients into the pan, while her daughter laughs. Text: The Resource and Technology Fair on Saturday afternoon drew 19 exhibitors! Families learned about adult service options and were able to sample a variety of devices from Access Technology vendors and agencies.Photo: The SCSDB display board and promotional materials, with SCSDB staff Rachel Miller and Jennifer Cruise are serving as hosts. Rachel and Jennifer are

wearing green SERTI t-shirts and the yellow bandanas which identify them as staff members. The following poem is printed in a box with a light yellow background:

Deaf can’t hear.Blind can’t see.Deaf-blind stays forever.The cure for deaf-blindness does not exist.I close my eyes slowly, and I dream…I am an eagle that can see far in the distance, and hear the wind guiding my wings. I open my eyes, and see many hands dancing in the air.I can see. I can hear. I shout.All the magic hands are beautiful.My dream became reality.I am overjoy I forgot my situation.Doctor, how do you diagnose me?I don’t even remember it at all. by Miriam 2-17-2013

Text beneath the poem reads: The talent show audience was awestruck by the poem above, written and presented by one of SERTI’s student participants.(Note: The print version of Trellis that is mailed to families and given out at professional development events, workshops, etc. will have this poem overlaid with braille.) Page 7:

Headline: OutcomesGraphic: Mortarboard hat with tassel and a diploma.Photo: Jeremy Zachary, wearing a plaid shirt, holds Marilyn Trader’s right wrist as she communicates with him in American Sign Language (this is called “hand tracking”).

They both look very animated and excited about the conversation. Dr. Stephen Collins is watching, and ready to join in the conversation.Text: Student Jeremy Zachary discusses his hopes for the future with Marilyn Trader, regional representative of Helen Keller National Center (HKNC), and Steven Collins, PhD, CDI, professor of American Sign Language at Gallaudet University. As a result, Jeremy has a plan to attend an eight-week program at the Helen Keller National Center in New York in the summer of 2013. As an outcome of the parents’ discussion, Jeremy’s mom is ready to support that plan too!

In a box with a light green background: “Tomorrow, my son is going to learn to do his own laundry!”

In a box with a light blue background: “On Tuesday, I am going to start teaching my son how to clean the bathroom. He can do that with his sister. They will be able to spend time together, work as a team, communicate, and learn a functional life skill, at the same time!”

Graphic: Photo of the book “Why I am ME: All about CHARGE Syndrome”.In a box with blue border and yellow background:“I am going to read this book and learn about CHARGE Syndrome. I want to practice my social skills so I can make more friends and have fun.”Note: “Why I am Me” is available at www.chargesyndrome.org.au.

Photo: All 16 teens and young adults who participated in the SERTI 2013 event. They are all wearing their green SERTI T-shirts. They are arranged in two rows, standing on the stage in the forum at the Herbert Center building on the SCSDB campus, and all are smiling.Caption: “We have a plan!”

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Headline: Mark Your Calendar! Box 1Text: Experience the Wonder!11th International CHARGE Syndrome ConferenceScottsdale, Arizona, 2013Graphic: A southwest desert scene with cactus, a human figure playing a flute, musical notes, and a sun. Box 2Text: 11th International CHARGE Syndrome ConferenceJuly 25-28, 2013Fairmont Scottsdale Princess HotelScottsdale, AZPlease start planning for this NOW! The Project MAY be able to reimburse some expenses, but reimbursement occurs AFTER the event.http://www.chargesyndrome.org/conference-2013.asp

Graphics:Upper left corner of the page contains various logos and contact information. Logo of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind: Large green letters capital S and capital C, with a white palmetto tree superimposed where the S and C touch each other. In smaller black print “School for the Deaf and the Blind”. Under this is a green rectangular box with white print inside that says “embracing the possibilities”.Our MissionTo ensure that the individuals we serve realize maximum success through high quality educational programs, outreach services, and partnerships.Our VisionTo be the statewide leader in education and accessibility for individuals who are deaf, blind, or sensory multi-disabled.

Our ValuesEducation. Accessibility. Partnerships. Leadership. Accountability. Diversity. Teamwork. Relationships. Character. Independence.

Below the logo described above is a lavender-colored box with the following information:

SCIDB ProjectSouth Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind355 Cedar Springs Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29302

Phone: 864-577-7770E-mail: SCDeafBlind@scsdb.org

Below this is the Trellis logo. The Trellis logo has a narrow rectangular background that is turquoise blue in color, with a white lattice pattern on it. The word “Trellis” is printed in black. To the right of the word “Trellis” is a picture of a leafy vine, five leaves graduating in size from largest to smallest going from left to right.

Below the Trellis logo is another lavender box. In this box is the following statement: Supporting the development of children who are deaf-blind as they grow at home, at school and in the community.

Next is a narrow red oval placed horizontally. “Www.scsdb.org” and “Outreach Services” are printed on it in white lettering.

Below the red oval is the logo of the United States Office of Special Education Programs. The phrase “Ideas that work” is partially surrounded by a curved blue line with an arrow. The line starts at the end of the word “ideas” and circles around over the top, and ends pointing to the word “work.” The word “ideas” is red and all capitals except for the slower case s. The word “that” is blue. The word

“work” is all red, with capital “W” and the rest lower case. Beneath this, in smaller blue letters, is written “Office of Special Education Programs.”

Finally, the last item at the bottom of this section in small black print is the statement: “Funded through award H326C080022 by the US Department of Education, OSEP.”

End of Winter Trellis 2013.