Bruce Turner may be retired, but he’s still open to learning new things. This year, the CNIB Deafblind Community Services (DBCS) team convinced him to try out two-hand manual communication, and after some initial resistance, he’s become a convert.
“Two-hand allows me to get clear answers to my questions; it puts me on the same level as a person with vision, only in a different way. I can now communicate more effectively and receive more useful information,” says Bruce.
Currently living in Victoria B.C., Turner was born with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disease that causes the person to slowly lose their sight over time. He also lost his hearing at age three. As his sight loss progressed, it became difficult to read text and see people’s faces. Frustrated by the things he felt he couldn’t do, Bruce began to feel isolated.
When Bruce was connected with DBCS, he said it immediately made a difference. “DBCS has had a positive impact on my life,” says Bruce, who is now learning braille. “I can do errands and shop with my intervenor and go for walks safely.”
He adds, “So, my communication, mobility and learning have increased immensely. The service is wonderful and the intervenors are there for you and very helpful. The biggest benefit is the increase in my self esteem and knowing that I can still do things with help from an intervenor. There is also increased communication and community participation as well.”
DBCS is also where Bruce was encouraged to learn two-hand manual by Janine Tucker, who has been with DBCS for 29 years. She recalls meeting with Bruce first as an intervenor and being immediately impressed. “Bruce is amazing. He has such an optimistic view of the world and he’s just so thankful about any support he gets. He’s very patient,” says Janine. Yet she did recall his initial resistance to learning two-hand manual. She introduced him to DBCS board chair Penny Bennett (who also uses two-hand manual) to help inspire him.
Finally, Tucker offered Turner a challenge to try the two-hand manual for a week as a celebration of Deafblind Awareness Month last June, tossing in an offer of sports tickets as further incentive. That did the trick.
“At first, I was resistant to two-hand manual because I was so used to lip-reading,” recalls Bruce, who had also used hearing aids from a young age. “But now I had lost that ability and had no choice but to learn. I now understand the benefits of two-hand. Janine is a very good teacher and as soon as I opened my mind I was to learn.”
Now that he’s been using it for a while, Turner sees new pathways opening up. “Two-hand is working really well for me. The biggest benefit has been increased communication with family members. I have a better understanding of what is being said and done.” His wife Barbara is left-handed and learned it on her left hand, and his son learned as well.
From resister to recommender, Turner now encourages others to try out two-hand. “I would tell others that they have a lot to gain by learning two-hand. This is the smart thing to do and it will make communication easier. The benefits are priceless,” he says.