Participants' Advice
(Narrator) What advice do you think parents and young adults would give a person who has never interacted with a deaf-blind young adult before? What would young adults who are deaf-blind hope others would know about them? Deaf-blind young adults have the same desires, hopes and dreams as any other young adult. The advice they would all leave you with is just listen and learn from them. 
(Ashley) Yeah, I have some experience with speaking to people about deaf-blindness. I think, what I think is important about being deaf-blind is... always understand, look at the person and, the deaf-blind individual's view. Look at them in a different view but don't look at them in your view, because you will never understand what it's like to be deaf-blind unless you look at it in a different way. I mean it's just, think about it, you have to think deep about it. Just, you know, think very hard about it and think about the other person's point of view and I would ask questions, it's good to ask questions about it, not be running away from them just because you think, "Oh, no, how do I deal with this? How do I deal with it?" It's scary but, you know, just face it, that is the important thing. 
(Annie) Let them know that-- don't treat a disabled person differently just because they're disabled. Get to know that individual, get to know where they are coming from, what they know, because you thinking less of them then you don't get to really find out the type of person they really are, how smart they are, how happy they are. They can help you in a lot of ways if you don't pre-judge them. 
(Aubrie) That we are basically like everybody else, but we can't see good or hear good, and you can still find a way to communicate with us. You would have to learn how to do it and it would be hard at first but once you get the hang of it you will know how to do it and you'll be like, "Wow, this is cool." 
(Darrel) Look past that kid's disability or the young adult's disability because what's going on in their head is just like yours. It's not, you know, it's not any different. The fact that they may not see or they may not hear you, that's, you know, the communication barrier but one that can be overcome. 
(Tracie) I would tell them that deaf-blindness is not in itself a disability, it's how the world perceives deaf-blindness that creates the disability. And I have taught my children from a young age that they may have disabilities but they should see it not as an obstacle but as a challenge to overcome, and they can find ways to overcome those challenges in their lives. 
(Austin) Just the fact that, in this retreat, deaf-blind students learn how to, you know, transition from high-school to adult life and that is sometimes difficult, because making, with making the transition they have to--deaf-blind people need, you know, special things and they have to be able to, you know, work to get them. 
(Danielle) I would tell them that they should come, because that way they can connect with other deaf-blind teens, and that in itself will-- I think they'll be able to have someone to express their frustrations to, and also they can get with other people who are deaf-blind and maybe solve problems together. Some things I did learn at the institute in 2012 was essentially accepting that I'm deaf-blind, it was my first time being around a whole group of other deaf-blind people. Before I knew I had hearing loss but I really didn't associate myself as deaf-blind, I thought, "Oh, I can hear, I'm fine. "And then as I started being more independent I realized, "Hey, no, not really, I kind of can't hear half the time", you know, the traffic sometimes I can't hear it. But, just being around other deaf-blind people made me realize that, "yeah, I'm deaf-blind as well." 
(Kevin) I've learned not to let my disability get in the way of our goals, yet still we have to keep our goals realistic. And I've also learned that you have to get your references and the services gone to and done before you move on to higher things like college and whatnot, so you know you have the skills you need to do what you have to. 
(Elizabeth / Interpreter) I did learn many different things, specifically through using the goggles, that vision is different for everyone who is blind, some have tunnel vision, which I have in my right eye, while other people can't see far away or can't see at night. Blindness is different for everyone, some are even fully blind. 
(Tracie) Well, before I came here this weekend my husband and I were thinking that Katie would probably always live at home and that we would end up taking care of Katie for the rest of our life, but through this weekend I have seen that Katie can be independent and learn on her own just as I have. And I guess I should have seen that in myself because I am also deaf-blind. But, I guess I thought that because this is such a different world than when I was growing up that maybe Katie couldn't do it and now I know that she can. 
(Annie) The most important thing that I've learned here was that my child has a goal and I can help my child to reach that goal, not tell him, "no, you can't do that." I can tell another parent, "don't tell you child--" if they have a desire to do something, "don't tell your child, 'no, you can't do that.' But help that child to reach that goal that he desires to reach.Ó 
(Danielle) I would suggest maybe, there's a lot of deaf-blind groups on social media now and there are several Facebook page groups, just search, do Google searches, for internet resources, they're out there. 
(Kelly) These students need to know that they can achieve so much that they might even surprise themselves. I know for sure that they will surprise others around them, but I think that there is a potential that's, not necessarily hidden, but it is greater, it is larger than what they may even dream of. 
(Diane) I think we're going to have to develop some different ideas about our roles, it's not just about going to meetings with young people. What we need to do from my perspective really demands high energy from us. I believe firmly that you can't teach what you don't have. I can't teach a young person to dream if I don't know how to dream myself. This is important because these young people deserve the very same things that any of us deserve. So if I say to you, "How do you define the quality of your life?" And you tell me, "It's the friendships, it's my family, it's having a job that makes me feel that I'm giving something back, that life is worthwhile,Ê knowing that I matter, recreation, having a good time with friends." Now, if all of those things are important to me, or to you, why would they not be important to young adults who are deaf-blind?