Experiences for Life #BATeenCast

The following podcast was recorded for use by customers of Minnesota’s State Services for the Blind. You can get more information about State Services for the Blind and the services it offers by going to www (dot) mnssb (dot) org. (music) Experiences For Life, from Future Reflections, a publication of the National Federation of the Blind by Jon Gabry Hello. My name is Jon Gabry. I grew up deaf and blind. I can now see things that are a little bit close up. My parents really encouraged me. I went to school, and it was an hour bus ride to and from. I went to the School for the Deaf in New Jersey. My parents knew how to make a plan for my life. They gave me experiences to learn and prepare for my future. They knew I needed to start building a résumé so that I could show people what I was interested in and what I wanted to participate in. All these experiences helped me make good decisions for the future. In ninth grade I started learning in the transition area. This was a good time to experience many new things. First I was involved in playing sports. I loved it! I played golf with the Mid-Atlantic Blind Golfers Association. I was also in a rock climbing club. I am the only deaf-blind belayer in New Jersey. [Applause] I also belonged to the Junior NAD, National Association of the Deaf. This is a service club. I also learned to play the drums. In 2005 I was a volunteer in the special education summer school in my town. Every day I made photocopies and checked math papers. I helped kids learn swimming. In the summer of 2006 I volunteered to be a custodian in a school in my town. I volunteered there for about two weeks. Later that summer they decided they would give me a job. [Applause] I learned a lot there through the experience and the hard work. I walked to work every day. The people I met were great, and I felt good. But I knew I didn't always want to be a custodian. I liked high school. I liked music and art. I knew I wanted to do college. I wanted to do something with math and art when I got there. When I was a junior in high school, I visited different colleges. I was nervous! I also visited the Helen Keller National Center in Sands Point, New York. It is a vocational training center for people who are deaf-blind. I attended there for two years. My goal was to go to college and to be independent. I enrolled at Nassau Community College, and I learned to use Paratransit. [Paratransit is a service that provides door-to-door transportation for people with disabilities.] I learned to obtain and use interpreting services and other services for disabled students. I learned to get technology and to travel the campus independently. I worked at the credit union, and this was a great experience. I also liked working at Barnes & Noble. That was okay. I worked at Stop and Shop, and I really didn't like that! All these experiences helped me learn more about myself and make better decisions. They also helped me develop my résumé. At the Helen Keller National Center I learned deaf-blind technology, orientation and mobility, communication skills, and independent living skills. I had my own apartment. I cooked, I cleaned, I shopped, and I did my own laundry. I was very responsible for myself. (I did order out a lot.) [Laughter] I met many other people who were deaf-blind. I enjoyed my independence. When I graduated from Helen Keller National Center in 2010, I went home to New Jersey. I wasn't happy about moving back home with my parents. My parents fixed up the third floor of their house, and it's a small apartment for me. I decided to go to Bergen Community College in New Jersey. My transition from high school was at last completed. As a student at Bergen Community College, I travel by Paratransit. I navigate the campus independently. I use interpreters and note-takers in my classes. I am studying math and art. My future goal is to become an architect. I want to design buildings for people who have disabilities. I also work in the fine arts. I prefer oil painting. My work has been exhibited in many galleries in New Jersey as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. [Applause] I am also a technology trainer for deaf-blind people. I work at the I-Can-Connect New Jersey program. This program provides telecommunications devices for deaf-blind people so they can stay connected to others and not feel so isolated in their lives. I still play golf, and I still go rock climbing. Sometimes I still play the drums, and I exercise lots. It's important to have a good plan when you prepare for a big transition. Encourage your child to have many experiences. Sometimes they'll be good experiences, and sometimes they'll be bad, but that's life. Everything should not be easy. Do sports, be involved in school, volunteer in the community. Start your résumé. Make an Excel spreadsheet and list all your activities. It is important to learn from every experience. Learn about yourself, what you like to do, and what your skills are. This will help you make good decisions as you go through the many transitions in your life. Thank you for listening.