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.
Page 2:
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 the
South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Page 3:
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:
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355 Cedar Springs Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29302
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Page 4:
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.