Statements
Mission
Tennessee Organization of the Deaf-Blind is a non-profit, beneficial society of deaf-blind persons, with or without other disabilities and their families or significant others, and concerned individuals, organized for the purpose of advancing the economic, educational and social welfare of the deaf-blind persons and improving morale among individuals who are deaf-blind.
Background
In 1988, five children with Rubella Syndrome, who were born deaf and blind, needed to transition into a home where they could live together and continue to learn, communicate, and socialize with other deaf-blind individuals. This being against state policy at the time, the organization, the Tennessee Association of the Deaf-Blind and Multihandicapped, Inc (TADBM) began to fade. As these children were then adults, the parents agreed in 1998 to give the charter to the Tennessee Organization of the Deaf-Blind, Inc. (TODB, Inc.), and the Charter was amended and the Mission changed to serve the needs of all of the deaf-blind community, regardless of age, communication methods or other disabilities. TODB, Inc has statewide meetings in April and November. We had a camp for Deaf-Blind youth and adults at Camp Lindahl in Mt. Juliet in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002, and provided our own programming and SSPs. We lost our funding in 2003 but have continued to take small groups to camps in Baltimore and Georgia. We made trips to Dollywood at least once a year and we go sailing once a year thanks to members at Harbor Island Yacht Club. Participation in these activities has been limited due to the necessity of their being at the consumer's expense. Some members simply can not afford the expense. In 2010 we had a retreat in Soddy Daisy and in 2012, we had a retreat at Garner Creek Retreat Center south of Dickson. This year we will be going again to Garner Creek and in response to camper requests we are planning a field trip to Opry Mills, the Opryland Hotel and downtown Nashville.We will also have golf lessons, ballroom dancing and, hopefully, a tactile carnival designed and built by a deaf-blind Tennessean
Impact
In 2012 we had another successful retreat at the Garner Creek Retreat Center south of Dickson. Our primary goal was to create a pool of trained volunteer Support Service Providers (SSPs), statewide, who would be willing to assist individuals in their area,who are deaf-blind, when they need transportation, sighted guide, and facilitation of communication (not to replace interpreters) as they go about activities of daily living. We had a return of many previous SSPS and many new campers. Our theme for that camp was 'Every 1 CAN'. Work shops included: hands-on experience with new technology; nutrition, Voting, including practice on voting equipment and the need for self advocacy in requesting accommodations; and a delightful experience 'Every 1 Can' where groups raised questions about issues they had relating to their deafblindness and came up with solutions.In February 2012, a group of our members from Chattanooga formed the Chattanooga Chapter of the Tennessee Organization of the Deaf-Blind.Last year we continued working on establishing a pool of trained, volunteer Support Service Providers (SSPs) across our state.2016 Tennessee Organization of the DeafBlind Goals1. SSP Training Program2. Elevate Awareness for TODB across the state3. Increase membership for TODB4. Increase membership for the TODB board5. Promote TODB Events6. Set up a TODB Website7. Set up College and Camp Scholarship Fund8. Search for Grants to fund DB Camp 2017
Needs
1.) Cash donations to provide interpreters/CART for board meetings, meetings of the membership, planning meetings, and activities of the membership:$50.00 per hr & mileage (interpreters cost-2 hr. minimum), and $220.00 for 2 hrs of CART ie: $2000.00 2.) Cash/in kind donations for our retreat/camp to assist with transportation, room and board for volunteers, and program staff, and activity expenses. ie: $30,000..00 3.) In kind volunteers including: Support Service Providers (SSPs) at camp and in the communities, statewide; a secretary; treasurer, and a person to write the newsletter which currently comes out 3-4 times a year.4.) Cash /in kind donations for assistance with transportation.: $2000.00 5.) Cash donations for assistive technology devices and supplies.
CEO Statement
Because our consumers have the dual disability of deafblindness which is often combined with other disabilities, they can not drive or get around unfamiliar places without assistance. Many have very little communication. Others need interpreters or facilitators inorder to communicate. We need volunteers who are willing to assist with transportation and/or who are willing to give hands on assistance with crafts and woodworking. We need to expand our board with individuals who can come up with creative programing , fundraising ideas, and grant writing and are willing to help make it happen. We are serving a very small, but ever growing, segment of the deaf-blind population in Tennessee and we need to increase the numbers we serve and to do better to remove the confines of isolation. One of our remedies to alleviate their isolation is to expand our SSP Project mentioned above.
Board Chair Statement
Individuals who are deaf-blind face many challenges to live an independent life style. Being deaf-blind myself, I experience the challenges of adapting to both hearing loss and vision loss. Some peers have other types of disabilities along with the deaf-blindness. All of us are dependent upon Support Service Providers (SSPs), to sustain our independence. Currently, many only have SSPs at camp,and TODB activities. SSPs assist by providing sighted guide, facilitation of communication, and transportation to enhance the standard of living for deaf-blind individuals. They do not make decisions for us. We need to expand the SSP Project for individuals across the state. Another thing we all have in common is isolation, which can be alleviated by TODB having meetings and activities tailored for the deaf-blind individuals,and SSPs who can help getting us to those meetings and to community and family activities. Deaf-blind individuals use sign language, Braille, Support Service Providers (SSP), interpreters, and current technologies to enhance their communication networking. Most deaf-blind individuals are on limited incomes and need assistance to help pay for expenses to attend the meetings and activities. Donations are used to fund interpreters and transportation needs for deaf-blind individuals to attend meetings and scheduled activities. One of TODB's primary programs is a biannual retreat/camp for individuals aged from 10 through 80 years. Additional funds are needed to maintain the proper number of interpreters for meetings, activities, and camp to serve deaf-blind individuals for learning and socialization. One reward of camp is the participation of parents of deaf-blind children in a "hands-on" experience as SSPS to visually see that their children can become successful adults. An important goal of TODB is to sustain the camp and expand services and activities to the deaf-blind community. With available funds, our organization can expand the services to meet the growing needs, to provide additional interpreters, to provide training and mentoring to additional SSP's, to purchase equipment to enhance the communication needs of the deaf-blind community, and to help prevent the isolation of individuals who are deaf-blind.
Service Categories |
|
| Primary Category: | Human Services - Alliances & Advocacy |
| Secondary Category: | Human Services - Blind/Visually Impaired Centers, Services |
| Tertiary Category: | Human Services - Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations |
Areas Served
Our primary address and activities are in Williamson and Davidson County, but our membership spans the state. We have a chapter in Chattanooga which meets once a month. There are many activities in this area. We also have campers and SSPs at our camp from out of state and we participate in camps and conferences out of state.
| TN |
| TN - Bedford |
| TN - Cannon |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Clay |
| TN - Coffee |
| TN - Cumberland |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - DeKalb |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Fentress |
| TN - Franklin |
| TN - Giles |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Houston |
| TN - Humphreys |
| TN - Jackson |
| TN - Lawrence |
| TN - Lewis |
| TN - Lincoln |
| TN - Macon |
| TN - Marshall |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Moore |
| TN - Overton |
| TN - Perry |
| TN - Pickett |
| TN - Putnam |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Smith |
| TN - Stewart |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Trousdale |
| TN - Van Buren |
| TN - Warren |
| TN - Wayne |
| TN - White |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
