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BAD HELP organization,
Blind And Deaf, Handicapped, Elderly Living People.
We are a volunteer organization without dues to expose the BAD HELP we are receiving from government and private agencies, charities that collect for them selves on our good name. It is well known that mostly 90% of their collected funds are spent on administration, staff, their fat pensions and salaries, expenses, ineffective Mickey Mouse education with blind folds, by unlicensed teachers, self glorifying advertising and buildings which again will be mortgaged for the same purposes. Such noble actions of giving, granting and funding to charities and agencies must stay uncorrupt and accountable.
We supply public speakers and reports for the improvement of our plight.
I would like to the columnist for any paper to show true insight from victims.
We do not want to be third, to be cared for, after the self imposed drug addicts and generations of welfare recipients, yet we are treated as such with all benefits to them but very few benefits for us, especially if we are frugal and still working to pay taxes for them.
Free high-speed inter-net access would save millions through self-education for Vocational rehabilitation and the Government as a whole. It is the future for education and communication in general. The FCC pays for the very expensive Video Relay Services, even a Video Telephone, but they do not for the very much needed, high-speed access to utilize those services. With that, any computer could be used as a TDY, even with web-cams Video Conferences could be held to check the student’s progress to qualify for keeping equipment on loan. With that in mind, VR could save a lot, by giving us Road Runner connections. The loneliness of us handicapped would be drastically reduces and save on the big cost of mental health, drug and alcohol addictions. Through computer operations like needed data entry from home, we would become valuable taxpayers.
Dear Editor, Educator or student. 2,640,000
My name is Heinz-Guenther Pink, I am an elderly 73 year old deaf and blind in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am also a lifelong Math and Computer Educator and a keen observer for the deaf, blind, elderly and handicapped community. I am also a former Television News Camera, Editor and producer for the ABC network and the local affiliate KITV. Now looking for a job as columnist.
I only lost my eyesight 5 years ago. I had eagle eyes as a former pilot, but mostly I have taught math and computer science to teachers at University level. Now I have written many articles as an advocate for the blind, deaf and handicapped that could be very useful for any of your project and your students. If you publish this or any part of this, I herewith give you my permission. If some one wants to pay me for it or give a donation, that would be wonderful, if not, it is ok with me too. My main object is to help our future generations of the deaf, blind, handicapped and elderly. So distribute this freely to students, researchers, publishers or whoever might be interested. I know that many administrators will cringe, but they can correct me wherever I am wrong, but so far no one has ever corrected me, therefore I must be right. Please do not throw these honest reports into the round file, just pass it on. I am seriously looking for a job as columnist. Do you know one who would hire me?
Here it comes:
To whom it may concern and all interested parties.
It is no surprise to me that only 2 have registered for our HAWAII STATE CONVENTION OF THE National Federation of the Blind, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR 2 DAYS FROM NOW, on Friday Oct. 13, without any published Agenda. See e-mail below. Volunteer speakers are censored, therefore there is no free speech to disturb our anchored insiders who qualify for all the benefits and want $45 donations from the blind to also pay for the meals of the guests. Therefore there is no real VOICE OF THE BLIND. Open your eyes in the blind community and hear what we have to say. $45 just for lunch and dinner to feed the rich who can afford their own dinner is outrageous. I dare you to pass on this message to the rest of the memberships anywhere or please correct me if I am so wrong. It is high time that we have a change in our everlasting leadership to bring our membership up to at least a thousand. NFB brags that we have more than fifty- thousand members nationwide, so where are our thousand? Only less then 30 blind people? There are statistics for all sexual transmitted deceases, no statistics for the certified deaf, blind and handicapped, yet Kathy Reimers brags in the STAR BULLETIN about 100,000 deaf in Hawaii alone, where is her support to get us free education in sign language or learning DVD's in ASL with simultaneous speech? Free high speed inter-net is not wanted, just to suppress communications in the handicapped community. We hear self-glorifying news that 12 youths went camping and 14 children went to Haleakala but what was the high cost of administration for those programs? Only 10% of all legally blind will experience TOTAL darkness, the 90% have at least very little vision left, which will be totally blocked out with blind folds, for computer learning by uncertified teachers at Ho’opono. For years I have applied for a job as a Newspaper Columnist. There was no help or effort from Ho’opono. Now they advertised in their yearly newsletter a home job opportunity. It was a scam, I had to pay $100. plus advertising for a commission, partly for Ho’opono, as the sales rep said. There is a conflict of interest between the NFB and our State Agency Ho’opono. Katy Keim, actually Mrs. Stinneth, teaches for Ho’opono for years. Her husband Virgil Stineth is our NFB president is also on the advisory board there? As a blind paying NFB member I did not get invitations for the Christmas Party or even for other meetings until recently. My white cane was broken in a HIT AND RUN car accident. Ho’opono wanted to sell me such a cane with a 100% markup, not for free, for people who could maybe afford such a necessary life saving tool. Ho’opono gave a free cane to Governor Lingel, who certainly can afford to buy one and really does not have use for one. My 3 e-mails to her, asking for her cane where ignored. No wonder that I, as a life long Republican, have to vote for a more compassionate DEMOCRAT, called Randy Iwasa. I am for free Capitalism, but not for THE ABUSE OF CAPITALISM! We need a CHANGE badly. I do not like that 90% of all grants, funds and donations goes to the administration and less than 10% to the needy. Naturally you will
hear, that it also goes to the buildings for the blind and handicapped which, again, will be mortgaged for fat salaries, pensions, travel and entertainment.
I am old and do not advocate for my self, but for the many that are afraid to speak up. I always ask for a correction, if I am wrong, but NOBODY corrected me so far. Invite me to a public meeting or TV interview, I shall come and openly debate all issues with any one. Other articles are attached as file: BAD HELP!
Which stands for Blind And Deaf Handicapped Elderly Living People.
With my Love of Aloha for AllDr. Heinz-Guenther PinkAdvocate and program evaluator for the blind, deaf, elderly and handicapped.Member: NFB Communication Counciland ATRC Advisory Council for the State.Founder: Computer College of Hawaii since 1963, pinkhawaii@gmail.com
On 10/9/06, Milton M. Ota <mota@hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
>From the Registration Table and Convention Committee:Thus far we have had only 2 individuals confirm their attendance to the 2006 National Federation of the Blind Convention to be held during the weekend ofOctober 13 and 14.More information about times and location can be found on the web at:http://hi.nfbweb.org Or calling Newsline(R) and going to channel #2 for local information. (Youmust be a Newsline(r) subscriber to use this service).Cost is $45.00 and can be paid in check or cash. Make checks payable to
"National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii".As Chair of Registration, we need at least a head count of those planning toattend. You can leave a message at the following number:Oahu: 595-6123\nNeighbor Island: 866 595-6123****************************************Aloha:Milton M. Ota1318 Kanewai StreetHonolulu, Hawaii 96816-1718E-mail: mota@hawaii.rr.com\nWebsite: http://home.hawaii.rr.com/motaPhone: (808) 734-0612 / Cell: (808) 295-2528\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003d_______________________________________________\nNfb-hi mailing listNfb-hi@nfbnet.orghttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-hi\n-- Dr. Heinz-Guenther PinkAdvocate and program evaluator for the blind, deaf and handicapped.Member: NFB Communication Counsiland ATRC Advisory Counsil.Founder: Computer College of Hawaii since 1963, \npinkhawaii@gmail.com ",1]
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"National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii".As Chair of Registration, we need at least a head count of those planning toattend. You can leave a message at the following number:Oahu: 595-6123 Neighbor Island: 866 595-6123Aloha:Milton M. Ota1318 Kanewai StreetHonolulu, Hawaii 96816-1718E-mail: mota@hawaii.rr.com Website: http://home.hawaii.rr.com/motaPhone: (808) 734-0612 / Cell: (808) 295-2528========================================_______________________________________________ Nfb-hi mailing listNfb-hi@nfbnet.orghttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-hi
-- Dr. Heinz-Guenther PinkAdvocate and program evaluator for the blind, deaf and handicapped.Member: NFB Communication Counsiland ATRC Advisory Counsil.\nFounder: Computer College of Hawaii since 1963, pinkhawaii@gmail.com \n\n",0]
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Medicare Part D still is a great mess and mystery.
Neither the Health and Drug providers, nor the State Health Department or Medicare itself can give accurate and simple explanations.
Kaiser thrives on our Senior Plan and maybe many other HMO’s too. The Television Cowboy from Liberty Medical Supplies broadcasts that diabetes supplies MAY BE FREE if you are on Medicare. WRONG! Misleading advertising, you still have a 20% co payment. Why must there be restrictions and penalties for those of us who do not follow this Drug Scheme, to be pushed and driven into the hands of our robbers?
KISS means: “Keep it simple sweetheart!” Please do not make it more expensive through complications and manipulations.
Medicare should make at least all drug plans independent and the same and let each provider offer his own total discount. That way we can compare apples to apples without mixing up the difficult comparison with oranges, plums and potatoes.
Remove the doughnut whole at $2,150 when $3,600 must come out off our own pockets before catastrophic help sets in.
It is hard to find the $3.600. Why do we have to continue paying dues, while we pay it all and get absolutely nothing?
Why must we pay $20 or more for a pill that can be produced for pennies? If we can have rent control why not health price and drug control? Socialized medicine is long overdue, and so are services for the deaf, blind handicapped and elderly. Our government paid already through us, the tax- payers for the development cost of many programs and equipment for the blind, deaf and handicapped. Why then, must the government or we pay hundreds and sometimes thousands of times as much for the same programs and equipment? Social Security must be mandatory for every one, no private pension plans and golden parachutes.
pinkhawaii@gmail.com
E-mail to ASL University in 2005.
I was shocked to read in the article of Dr. Bill Vicars that most deaf people would rather remain deaf than become hearing. That must be a conspiracy, introduced by outsiders, to keep our deaf, blind and handicapped community isolated and silent.
The same is happening in the blind community. Only 10% of all legally blind will eventually become totally blind. Yet it is the new trend to put us, the 90% with low residual remaining vision into blindfolds for a much more and extremely difficult learning process. At Ho’opono in Honolulu, they even removed the computer monitors to make learning extremely difficult and long lasting. What a very ignorant concept of wrong education. I beg you, you as a Doctor of Education; to help me change those two totally wrongly conceived methods or cultures.+
I am very proud about your great work for our community. Please send me recourse references for any free DVD's or CDs with simultaneous speaking and signing, advertising or church productions are ok.
I remain with the Love of Aloha
Heinz-Guenther Pink, Ph.D.
Advocate and program evaluator for the deaf, blind, elderly and handicapped.
Deaf Culture.
When the time comes that you are losing your hearing, it is very hard to join the deaf community and communicate with them. The deaf culture states that it is offensive to us, the deaf, to use sign language and speech at the same time, even though it would be the best learning tool before we, the newly deaf, lose our hearing completely. Most of our lectures and church services for the deaf are silent with signing only. It is said that in California we have more hearing people who know American Sign Language than deaf people. That is a great beginning, because ASL is the third most common Language in the United States. More people would come to Lectures and Churches if the signing would be accompanied by speech. Churches and Lecturers produce many DVDs and CDs in Sign Language without speech. What a waste of resources and possible learning tools. I went to the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah’s witnesses to meet a large and great group of deaf parishioners. As a Newcomer I could have learned so much more about Jehovah if the signing would have been enhanced with speech. ASL is actually signed Pigeon English, every one will understand the same words in Pigeon English, weather spoken or signed. A very nice couple brought me a DVD with signs but no speech a few days later. I am studying it, but it is hard without speech. I pray that we, in the deaf community will change our culture by not thinking that speaking and signing at the same time is bad. No signer would ever be so rude to talk bad about us while signing something else. Maybe it was just a conspiracy, introduced by outsiders, to isolate the deaf community from the world. Just as bad is the idea that being deaf is a God sent blessing and that it is better to stay deaf then become hearing. Who could possibly think of such illogical ideas to keep us in isolation? Government also tries to brainwash us that the words “deaf, blind, handicapped, disabled” are so bad that they should never be used. I forgive those mentally challenged persons who came up with such a bad idea, just to keep help and entitlements away from us. Our school systems for the deaf also propagate those unacceptable ridiculous cultures.
Please give us the opportunity to learn ASL through signing with speech simultaneously and provide us with such recordings to communicate with our deaf brothers and sisters. The products of Topics Entertainment are great and affordable, but they would be miraculous if they would add simultaneous speech to their Instant Immersion ASL courses. A simple laptop communication toy with big print screen and keyboard would be a great tool for the deaf. It does not have to contain all the fancy features of the regular laptop, maybe it could have a speech synthesizer or an outlet for a Braille keyboard for our blind. It certainly would beat tactile touching.
I remain with the Love of Aloha
Heinz-Guenther Pink, Ph.D.
pinkhawaii@gmail.com
410 Magellan Avenue, Suite 1002
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Tel: 808 537-1875
Advocate and program evaluator for the deaf, blind, elderly and handicapped.
Deaf, blind and handicapped are worth a fortune! (2006)
Search under “Hawaii blind agencies” in google.com and you will find 1,600 references. There are millions more in the United States, if you only search for blind agencies without the word Hawaii. I just looked under google again and it grew within a month to 2,640,000 under the very same name, Hawaii blind agencies. What a lucrative source of money we must be.
Oh yes, it is so easy to get grants and raise funds on behalf of the deaf, blind, and handicapped. It is even easier to misappropriate those funds. It looks very proper to invest those millions and billions of grants and funds in buildings for the blind, deaf and handicapped with extremely few benefits filtering down to the handicapped. The true beneficiaries are the administrators and employees with high salaries, big pensions, great medical plans and expense accounts for travel and entertainment. Those buildings are often borrowed against to cover these “administrative expenses” as listed above! What a scam! The benefits for government administrators and employees are as great or better with nothing but frustration left for us the handicapped. Don’t they ever feel guilty for doing that to us?
Hold all private and government agencies accountable and do not let them spend more than 15% on overhead and administrative cost. Make a new law that reflects those ideas.
Please let every private and government agency or foundation post an accounting for the spent grants, funds and donations before they are approved as tax excempt.
I remain with the Love of Aloha
Heinz-Guenther Pink, Ph.D.
Advocate and program evaluator for the deaf, blind and handicapped.
A deaf blind and handicapped cry for HELP.
This is a living report, it was originally written before my invitation and trip to the Helen Keller National Center for the deaf blind on Long Island New York in April 2005.
To ALL the many Government Agencies, Private Foundations, Federations, Clubs, and Interest Groups associated and interested in helping the elderly, the blind, deaf and handicapped. I know that I am covering a large area, so only improve what you can. At least look if or why your name was mentioned! Correct me please, where I am wrong, otherwise I must assume that I am right!!!
1. The needs of the mostly silent majority, the helpless deaf, blind, handicapped and elderly must be addressed and met! Please read and answer our needs. Forward this to anyone who might be able to help us or is at least interested and does not only pretend to care! I know already that only a few of you will read about our needs in this article and even fewer will care and correct or answer me.
2. We need communication. Presently there is NONE! We were promised that we will be put on various mailing- and e-mail lists, yet many important events, presentations and parties went by without any notifications. Free mail and free Internet Access are convenient to use and easy to learn. So please give it to us and communicate with all of us! It would cost the Government very little to stay in touch with the needy people and give those capable FREE INTERNET ACCESS! Hawaii used to have free Quorum and FYI. Now we have nothing! With the free internet service we could learn ASL. American Sign Language from the web and many other educational programs.
3. The cell phone and regular telephone companies are particularly insensitive to the needs of the blind and the hearing impaired! They must be made aware of our needs. To have a brighter screen, louder ring tones and higher volume.
4. There are thousands of self-glorifying, overlapping, self-serving known and unknown Government Agencies, private Foundations, Associations, Clubs and Equivalents, WHO ONLY PRETEND TO LISTEN TO US, YET THEY DO NOT RESPOND TO OUR SUGGESTIONS, REQUESTS AND FRUSTRATIONS. Many of them, are just mutual admiration societies. Their objectives, purpose and Help Factors must be clearly stated and published with accountability for their existence. Only 10% of their funding should be used to cover their overhead and slow bureaucracy and 90% must go to their clients: the deaf, blind, handicapped and elderly. Often frustrated handicapped people go from one agency to another only to hear those same words: ”We do not handle that portion of your need here!” Agencies get grants and government funding FOR THE HANDICAPPED and elderly with various disabilities, so why can’t we, the HANDICAPPED KNOW what for and how those moneys are spent??? How much is used for which parties or unnecessary travel, conventions and education in our advanced, fast video, internet- and tale- communication era? How MUCH goes for administration and how LITTLE goes to the HANDICAPPED? Executive administrators are often very arrogant in handling our requests, especially those who belong to the council of the government and feel too secure in their position! Look at the vocational rehabilitation counselors for the deaf, blind handicapped and elderly. Do they really want train us for jobs or even REHABILITATE us for our independent living? Maybe they are just an arm of the welfare office to give the very poor, who do not want to work, everlasting training and support for their own benefits? They should not call them selves counselors for the DEAF, BLIND, ELDERLY AND HANDICAPPED, we get absolutely nothing as long as we have a little nest egg left. Maybe torture is next on their agenda. Is it a wonder that the US Education Department wants to close so many self serving Rehab Offices? Too many people are attracted by the words Deaf, Blind and Handicapped to DO GOOD but they only DID WELL for themselves and for their own job security!!!
5. It is NOT ACCEPTABLE for any adequately staffed agency not to answer the telephone at the first 5 rings! It is NOT ACCEPTABLE if an agency or agent or a counselor does not return a call within a reasonable time of 3 hours for any message left. IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE for a supervisor or agent to go on trips without appointing a second in command with responsibilities to take care of the immediate client needs. Internet or telephone calls can make confirmations. Fast, inexpensive Tele- or Videoconferences can substitute for unnecessary trips and cut down travel expenses. It is NOT ACCEPTABLE if an agency or agent is misinformed and gives us wrong or even false information or even fly off the handle! It is NOT ACCEPTABLE for an Agency or Agent to repeatedly break promises without an explanation! It is NOT ACCEPTABLE for an agency or an agent to act superior or arrogant as a PUBLIC SERVANT towards his clients! These actions cause great frustrations and result in unnecessary run-around for a client who is already plagued with an often-severe handicap situation! Why not hire more UNDERSTANDING handicapped to fill those jobs? All such complaints must be brought to the attention of higher supervising responsible agencies to correct those shortcomings and to protect the rights of the elderly, the mostly silent majority of the blind, deaf and otherwise handicapped. I shall start mentioning names if the shortcomings are not corrected. I am seeing fights between agencies to get hold of the funding for the handicapped without taking care of us. GREED IS THEIR ONLY MOTIVE!
6. Every manager and club leader must be Internet-wise to pass on the international knowledge and advances to clients and members. No one told me about the existence of the free MS. Narrator and other often too expensive screen readers, scanners and dictators. There must be periodic meetings and publications to inform the HANDICAPPED about what is available for them in equipment, programs and HELP, free items and advanced technologies.
7. The use of the free MS Narrator, expensive Zoom Text, Jaws, Open Book, IBM and Dragon Dictate should be made available for free through government mass purchasing and licensing. Even Tax Incentives could lower the super high price tags and encourage development. Then free Internet access, Word-processing, Spreadsheets, databases and e-mail should be taught to make those who can learn those skills, useful employable taxpayers. Such action would easily bring back those expenses in taxes and savings of the many capable handicapped that are WILLING TO WORK. If you do not believe us, than let us finance and buy the tools we need and you give us a total IMMIDEATE TAX CREDIT WITH INTEREST. That way you do know that we will make the income, otherwise any tax credit is useless.
8. We need unity. There are many different unknown clubs and agencies due to the lack of communication. All clubs and organizations should be brought under one roof and each must declare its objectives, goals, club dues and purpose. Our common bond is our disability, not our club. Clubs should share what they have in common and negotiate their differences. Membership lists with E-mail addresses and phone contacts must be published among its members to communicate better with each other.
9. Let US ALL KNOW which meetings, parties, support and FREEBIES are available to us. Now, only some favorites get all, just to keep quiet, and the other uninformed get absolutely nothing. Don’t place unnecessary restrictions, such as asset searches or long applications, in order for us to get those free entitlements for medical-, dental-, optical-, mobility-, teaching-, vision- and hearing-devices necessary for our work through vocational rehab or independent living home support for the elderly blind and handicapped. We should also support those handicapped individuals who paid huge amounts of taxes during their life time in contrast to those who used the welfare system for generations without contributing a cent! Publish all announcements, laws including the free mailing rules for the blind and handicapped that concern us, in all libraries, Ho’opono and other common institutions in big print, Braille, talking tapes and on the internet. We are not dummies, we need to be informed and communicate.
10. To get information and communication is a good training tool for useful work and independence. Reliable statistics show that ONLY 10% of all legally blind persons have absolutely no vision at all, therefore do not restrict our limited residual vision with the use of mind folds, because that slows down our learning process by at least 90%. Educators must be results-orientated, not only depending on rigid schedules and imposed disciplines or unproven methods. How do you expect the New Vision Program to work for the elderly blind or frail on a strict SIX-HOUR-LONG shift, five days per week?? Is it not an alarming indication that the percentage of course enrollment has dropped to less than 20% with the same number of teachers??? A professional teacher must take an oath such as, when his or her student did not learn; he or she has failed to teach! It is not easy, but it is professional! Effective teaching of the handicapped should not be measured by the number of hours taught, but by the results achieved.
11. Clubs should not prohibit their members to join other clubs. TOGETHER, also the weak become mighty or UNITED WE STAND! We must have a common web page under one roof with all announcements and all links. Internet and communication is good training for the handicapped. Government should provide free Internet access at little or no cost to them. What has happened to the free Hawaii State sponsored program Quorum and FYI??? Government-sponsored free Internet access costs very little and frees us from our isolation from the world. All club leaders and organizational managers must have Internet access so that they can obtain worldwide information and pass it onto their members. I am looking for a free public web site space under any organization. My title? ALL HANDICAPPED AND BLIND CAN FIND! We shall find all kinds of information, self-confidence, independence, work and freedom. Can you help TO find such free web site space for us? Here the blind and handicapped can number their questions by code numbers, for instance by B-237. All answers from all viewers would have to be posted under the same code number of that question. This way it is easier to find answers to important problems.
12. Handicapped people need tools to function. Government can negotiate a wholesale and licensing price to give more help! Issue hearing devices with MOST IMPORTANT low and high frequency adjustments. Don’t buy and distribute junks and cheap rejects from manufacturers, only to boost your statistics of how many handicapped got help! The free and cheap distributed tape players should also have a RECORDING FEATURE, various inputs and a FILTERING DEVICE with hearing device for merely a few dollars more in manufacturing cost. It is helpful to record and play back gathered information. It is tremendous cost saving to produce all three devices built in one! It is much easier to carry one multipurpose device rather than 3 or 4 different pieces in your- survival bag with you. We need an inexpensive hand scanner that reads newspapers aloud while scanning text into the computer. Q-cat has distributed a free bar code reader/scanner. Such a device could easily be adapted for newsprint. Get group licenses for Jaws, Zoom Text, Dragon Dictate, Open Book, IBM and the likes for a licensed loaner program. Give monthly tests. Ask for the return of the programs if test scores do not improve or if others misuse the programs and equipment. Even allocated government dollars should be stretched wisely as far as possible to get more equipment and services for us. Motivated self-education with help on the Internet or an occasional hour of group or individual help is a powerful tool to get us to function better and to gain earlier taxable employment and independence. This would also cut down on teacher’s cost factors as well. It is not important to brag how many high paid teachers we have, but how many taxpaying independent, functioning students they have produced.
13. There is a lot of expensive used equipment around, such as visual enlargers, computer programs, hearing aid devices, loud telephone bells, telephone flashers, double keyboard adaptors, keyboard with Braille reader, crutches, wheel chairs, hospital beds etc. from persons that have passed on, or have no longer any need to use those items. Let us ask the wonderful Lions Club to collect not only old glasses but also all kinds of hearing devices and other tools for the handicapped. Have a hotline or bulletin board for giveaways, trades or sales. Recall those underused items if they were original free government issues.
14. Please distribute the very hard to get, free EXACT postage rules for the blind and handicapped and use them. Not many post offices, have those rules on hand to distribute, often partial lists must be copied there.
15. We must create weekly informal known gathering places where anyone can meet and have informal conversations. It could be at the UH library, any fast food place or even on the lawn of the library for the blind and handicapped Ho’opono or on any other lawn for that matter. At the Library for the Blind we could have a concession stand and coke machine for the rich golfers and Palladium users passing by. We could have blind date socials where any sighted person must rent a $5 mind fold, for fund raising and public awareness of the blind. As a matter of fact, such a dance club could be highly successful and profitable for franchising. We must walk in small groups in department stores and supermarkets with small signs or shirts that read: “There is no help from charity for the blind and handicapped!” Clubs do not admit receiving any help! Those of us with slight residual vision for bright lights and contrasts can guide the group. We should be visible, and then stores will provide help. Be as independent as you can be! You will have a happier life. Go dancing if your partner holds you tight and guides you. You need the exercise and the pleasure. You do not need sight to dance, use your eyes for flirting, even though you might not see a thing. Beauty is in the eye or MIND of the beholder!
16. I have also invented a communication device for the deaf/blind persons. It is much easier and more sanitary than finger spelling or tactile touch communication, which is easily misused for unwanted physical approaches or even physical molestation. I need help in patenting this invention. I would gladly donate any possible profits to deaf or blind organizations. Manufacturing costs in plastic or metal would be less than a dollar. It could even become a fad for teens to send secret messages. They could even communicate with us in our otherwise isolated world.
17. I had a big Chinese jade trading business with thousands of bangles, hangers and charms. If anyone is interested, I shall sell everything below my cost or trade it for new or used equipment for my bad sight and hearing. It is a good business before Christmas or Valentine with free advertising in both papers for items under $150 in the Advertiser and under $100 in the Star Bulletin. I trade and need hearing tools such as telephone flashers, loud bells, hearing devices, reading color enlargers, scanners and programs such as Jaws, Dragon dictate, Zoom Text, Open Book and the like.
18. The blind, handicapped and elderly victims urgently need special crime protection, not only lectures. Increase the scope of the Legal Agencies for us or establish a new agency to help reporting and solving crimes with speedy results to put identified repeat offenders away. Lazy police officers will often label a crime of fraud and forgery as a civil matter even if only a verbal contract can be implied. The FBI only accepts your claim with more than $100,000 actual loss and multiple victims. Judges will call it a criminal matter and do not enforce penalties for blatant perjury, false witnesses, fraud and forgery. Prosecutors will not accept a claim if police did not write a report and investigate it, therefore we desperately need an advocate agency that will expedite our legitimate claims and make sure that they are expediently taken care of. Now the criminals have greater rights than their handicapped, blind and elderly victims.
19. I have e-mailed most of my ideas to many places concerned, without getting any reply whatsoever. Is there not anybody interested in our plight???
20. I did not get a member list from any club or organization nor was I put on their mailing lists as promised. Department Heads and their workers should not play big boss but they must also display their purpose and work schedule with accountability of time, grant money and success of their department. We do not need harsh bosses and bureaucrats but understanding, compassionate advocates for our cause. Don’t they call themselves PUBLIC SERVANTS? This is extremely important. Let us not make easy jobs for lazy or incompetent bureaucrats. We need help right now and here! Even time and grant money should not be wasted. They should get us more grant money and help from charities to fill our needs for programs and equipment without very long waits and excuses. So far I have never seen a grant, support or help for the truly needy, the blind, and deaf, elderly and handicapped!!! What is the matter with charities? Can’t they see true needs in us? Did any of our Agencies or Clubs ever ask them for help?
21. We need our very important STATISTICS for LOGISTICS! We need clout when it comes to political campaigning. Why are there no CRUCIAL STATISTICS on how many blind, hearing impaired, blind /deaf and mobility handicapped we have? How many in Hawaii, in the Nation and in the World?? The upcoming US census must be modified to include information on the handicapped. Every adult handicapped must be given special help in filling out voter registrations and absentee ballots! Give us equal RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES!
22. If the politicians charge us taxes on basic food, drugs and shelter Why not charge all political campaign funds the same 4% and soon 5% tax as we pay in Hawaii on medical, food, shelter and everything else. That would not only equalize the playing field of the rich and poor politicians but also give us a greater needed budget. We have too many non-caring politicians anyhow! What ever happened to the Government of the People, by the People and for the People??? Did they now also add "against the People???" Do the People determine those high salaries, medical or other benefits and fat pension of our government? If Social Security is sooo good, than let the people demand that everybody shall be under Social Security Act, including all our politicians, public servants and leaders! Believe me, there will be no more debate, Social Security will be fixed within one week!
23. What ever happened to our Republic or Democracy where the majority rules? How can we let just a handful of crackpots chase God out of our schools, God out of our constitution and God out of our country, to make us a godless society? What a SHAME!
24. Medical issues have to be addressed for the elderly blind and handicapped. If you become deaf, blind or otherwise handicapped after you retired, there is presently no way to get your social security adjusted for disabilities. That law must change. Presently there is no help for urgently needed dental and drug coverage. One cannot survive well, without good and functional teeth or needed drugs. We need desperate help on these issues. Now, any welfare recipient with few visible assets in this country can cheat to get benefits through double identities and large asset bases in the Orient or South of the border. Complaints and Fraud lines do not follow up unless you have the social security number and other information of the culprits. How many inspectors and investigators are presently in jail or under indictment? Honest people get nothing. We gladly pay a reasonable amount but not $5,000 for a hearing device, more than $150 to fill a needed tooth, more than $20 for a seriously needed pill, $1,000 for bitterly needed computer programs or devices. Why must we, or the government pay up to $6,500 for a color reader/ enlarger for the visually impaired, when a color video camera with a simple tripod costs only $39.95 at Wal-Mart’s Sam's Club??? When will the spending agencies wake up to ask for better and speedier developments of better and cheaper equipment and programs for more people?
25. Let Government establish an agency for central purchases of medicines and devices. Let Government contract reasonably priced dentists and prescription drug suppliers. Cut down on those humongous profits. Prices for drugs, dental work and medical services must be publicly advertised so that one knows in advance the affordability and can choose the cheapest service provider. Advertising for prescription drugs and kickbacks to medical doctors must be prohibited, to make the drugs affordable. It is the greatest Government and Social Discrimination against the needy handicapped, blind and elderly forcing them to spend their last savings while often lazy, cheating, able-bodied welfare recipients get all and any benefits on the book while their asset bases here and abroad are rarely searched or investigated. It often seems that social service workers and counselors protect their welfare clients for their own job security.
26.
Housing issues must be addressed. The blind and handicapped must have priority before the immigrants from foreign countries, who hardly paid any taxes in the United States but get all the housing and welfare benefits often through fraud, forgery or deception. Government must crack down on those incidents to free more money for the handicapped that paid their taxes in this country. Rents became sky high not only because of ordinary cost increases but through the many bad tenants who leave their rental units in shambles and do not pay their justified rent even after evictions and judgments. They often use the same scheme from landlord to landlord. Losses from those bad people go into the Billions and the culprits' tremendous gains are not ever taxed on State or Federal level. A law against rent fraud must come about to protect the rest of the needy and honest tenants. Landlords cannot pay taxes either for the lost income they didn’t receive. We have laws against simple shop lifting and hotel bill skipping, why are those laws not applied against multiple rent fraud by dishonest tenants?
27. The proposed new law to install sprinklers in older high rise apartments on leasehold properties is unfair. The land owner will get the building through reversion; therefore let the land owner pay for the sprinklers. There is no protection to limit the lease rent increase at the time of renegotiation. Be fair and limit the increases to 6% of the raw land value or city assessment, as it was meant to be. Most of the remaining lessees are handicapped and elderly individuals, easily scared into paying higher lease rent or high fee purchase without any protection from our beloved Government. Do not let usury and greed go rampant.
28. I was disturbed when I saw arm-twisting to collect donations for other charities from members of an elderly blind club. This sends the wrong signal. Do we, the elderly and handicapped have no needs? We should get help from Aloha United Way and other organizations for our equipment and learning tools. Anyone who wants to donate to charities will do so as a tax deduction at the end of the year without arm-twisting. Let us keep our club dues affordable. My annual dues are $5. - for the National Federation of the Blind, just the right amount and enough to run the club.
29. If you want to fire me for my liberal outspoken thoughts, you have my permission to do so, but that alone will not let my voice and advocacy for the handicapped go away. I hate to go to meetings where nothing is accomplished and important issues die of paralysis of analysis. Time is of the essence! We need a proper hearing device to hear you clearly and the programs Windows XP, Jaws, Zoomtext and Office with spelling correction to communicate better in writing. Put all able Americans back to work, especially the willing handicapped.
30. Government must create powerful investigating positions with “license to kill” all lazy, duplicated and inefficient positions and jobs. Replace any and all lazy or unresponsive managers and executives.
31. I would like to see how many of our directors, managers and other PUBLIC SERVANTS care enough about our needs to send me a reply .This is a public outcry! I shall publish all replies as a record.
32. Alone on this letter you can see and judge that even as a blind and hard of hearing person, I am a functional computer literate, why then did I have to beg and go on my knees to get free help for a government sponsored program like Windows XP, Office, screen reading programs like Jaws and a proper Hearing device to make me functional again??? Without it, I had to work ten times as hard to struggle with limited programs like MS. Narrator and borrowed hearing devices! As you can see, I am a helper and a great advocate for the helplessly silent blind, deaf and handicapped community. We have connections and job opportunities waiting for us, so do not let us beg for the tools we urgently need to fill those jobs. Do not waste so much money on incapable unprofessional teachers. There are hundreds of wonderful self teaching CDs and DVDs for American Sign language on the Internet but they seem to be boycotted from the shelves of our libraries and schools. Why must the deaf and hard of hearing spend $80. per class and all the wasted time to get to and from the class? There is an inexpensive interactive $19.85 ASL program developed by Michigan State University and a similar program that is called "i-communicate!" There are lots of programs for distant learning developed in Australia. None of our leaders and vocational rehab counselors do research for us and tell us about those simple, useful programs. Give me the job as a researcher or writer, I shall find those sources for you in a very short time! Let the educational Public Broadcasting Service broadcast ASL lessons for the millions of deaf and hard of hearing people! Many hearing people will be interested too. ASL is said to be the third most common language in USA.
33. Every library must install a double keyboard adaptor, for one regular keyboard and one keyboard with Braille reader. With that installation a blind, deaf or deaf-blind person can communicate with any one like a chat line!
34. I really would love to get a job in public relations or give me a newspaper column to communicate with and for the helpless needy, the elderly, the silent deaf, the blind, the mobility plagued and all handicapped, to free them from unnecessary time and money wasting bureaucracy and harassment! Presently, one would get faster help from begging with a hat and a cup on the streets than from those so-called helping government and private agencies!
35. Thanks for listening, if you really did, please write me a short reply to correct my thoughts, otherwise I might think that I am totally right!
I remain with the Love of Aloha
Heinz-Guenther Pink, Ph.D.
Advocate and program evaluator for the deaf, blind and handicapped.
benedictxvi@vatican.va
Dear Father of the World, Pope Benedict XVI.
I enjoyed your messages about Charity and Love as far away as in the true Paradise of Hawaii.
I am certified deaf blind and I am concerned about Charitable Organization, Foundations and Government Agencies.
Almost all or these organizations follow the motto that charity begins at home. Therefore they use about 90% of the funding for themselves, for their fat salaries, pensions, travel & entertainment expenses. Too often less than 10% goes to the needy. When they invest in buildings for the deaf, blind or elderly in order to raise more funds, those buildings are often mortgaged to the hilt to cover their benefits as above described.
The world must also teach the poor how to fish, to feed them for life and not only give them a fish to feed them for a meal. There are too many drug and alcohol addicts that are for generations on welfare and pass those bad habits on to their children from generation to generation.
In America we have our very troubled Social Security which is not even good enough for our politicians and other high class privileged.
Please recommend to the governments of the world to have ONLY ONE Social Security for ALL to fix that ailing problem.
May our Gracious God and Jesus Christ bless you and you decisions forever
With the great Love of Aloha
Heinz-Guenther Pink. pink@hawaii.edu
Dear Pastors and persons representing God,
To produce or reproduce Audiotapes of the Word of God is rather expensive and it also neglects the multi millions deaf and hard of hearing people.
Many more than half of the people are hard of hearing and need to learn American Sign Language with the grammar of Pigeon English which can easily be understood by the hearing and the deaf. To hear the Word preached in Pigeon English would also be interesting to the hearing people and especially to the children who could learn sign language as a game using it like a sort of secret language. Our fast aging hard of hearing community would have a great opportunity to learn ASL at home on their DVD player in order to integrate with the born deaf persons. To produce simultaneously signing and spoken DVD disks would only cost you a tiny fraction compared to audio tape production. Any section of the DVD could easily be repeated. The new interest and free advertising you would obtain from such an inexpensive production could be enormous. You could even find sponsors in advertising at the beginning and the end of the program. Asking for donations at the end when your audience has learned ASL, could also bring in a tremendous profit for further work for God, the creator of all beings and all things. Please remember that ASL is the third most common language in America.
May the Lord bless you and your new undertaking that the income shall enable you to build the greatest Temple or Cathedral of your choice to honor and praise God in Heaven.
Aloha with Love
Heinz-Guenther Pink pink@hawaii.edu
Yes dear Editor, educator or student. That is our plight. I have many more articles, but I did not overwhelm you. I will be overjoyed if you read all of this and pass it on or get it published. Please send me a short reply and correct me where I might be wrong.With the Love of AlohaYourHeinz-Guenther Pink 9607
kplease reply, wiil you publish or not
Dear fellow blind, deaf and handicapped.
I felt tickled pink, that we are ALLOWED to contribute to this annual Ho'opono publication. I addressed all of you, because united we stand. In my surveys I found that most of us handicapped believe that the vast majority of government or private agencies or foundations are self serving with about 90% of all donations and funding going to the administration, education and buildings the rest of us have to go begging with a hat, cup and our humility to get even something we so desperately need like a white cane, which was denied to me by Ho'opono. Therefore only a few want to belong to organizations that want only our dues and donations from US, the handicapped to pay for lunch and travel, speakers and guests who are richer than most of us.
1> There are NO RELIABLE STATISTICS of any group of our handicapped. We need them for our political power.
2> We desperately need COMMUNICATION through free high-speed inter-net access. VR will save much money through self-education and VRS.
3> The FCC pays through us all for Video Relay Services and videophones, but not for he needed high-speed cable access.
4> Our computer TDY connects to another TDY only through expensive VRS translator services!
5> We need help with installing the free eye ball
chat, Google Talk, Paltalk, SkyPE, Teamspeak TS_Client, AIM, MS Passport and many more useful communicators. Give us only one daily updated website for all handicapped with sub headers; for true info and events. All these services are free, but often difficult to install. Our seeing and hearing gurus could install them for us with names like blind1 all the way up to blind 999,999 with the same password like Aloha, which we could later change. Train and fund us as installer and repair person, that will help all of us so much and saves Vocational Rehab and Education tons of money.
PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG, BUT DO NOT IGNORE OUR NEEDS. Send me an e-mail of `what you will publish and what not.
Heinz-Guenther Pink
cc:to whom it may concern.
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Old Address: jkoki@dhs.state.hi.us (in effect until end of July) New Address: jkoki@dhs.hawaii.gov Thank you for your interest in Ho`opono's upcoming newsletter. The purpose of our annual newsletter is to share newsworthy articles and information of interest to Hawaii's blind community. Articles are generally from blind consumer groups and agencies. Ho`opono's newsletter only goes out to blind consumers in Hawaii who are on our mailing list. Many opt not to receive our newsletter. Ho`opono's annual newsletter is not intended to be a forum for expressing personal viewpoints, opinions or requests. In reviewing your draft, there are a variety of personal viewpoints and service and information requests. I will share your write up with our agency staff and we will certainly look at those items that relate to Ho`opono's services. For one, you should be able to purchase a white cane from Ho`opono and not be refused to do so. I regret that I will not be publishing the write up in our "In Touch" newsletter. Thank you again for taking the time to write us. Jon Koki (Community Services Coordinator)
Dear Mr.Jon Koki.
From you as our Community Coordinator for the Blind and Deaf/Blind, I would expect you to have at least an interest in our plight. I have given you many suggestions, but none seem to appeal to you or your service organization. If I am blocked from your newsletters or as a public speaker by you or any other insider administrator than please show me a way to where to place my forum. I assure you a place right next to me to correct my opinions if they are wrong. I even beg to be corrected! I would gladly debate our so caring administrators on public Television. Maybe you remember that I was a TV news editor for our local ABC network affiliate. Without having statistics and without communicating through free high-speed internet access for our various groups of handicapped persons we are purposely isolated from our guiding do-gooders who do rather well for themselves. I was told that all the insiders from the NFB and Ho’opono have the free new long white cane with the green handle. I also observed that only very few selected handicapped people get invitations to many parties and meetings. Many of us Blind are constantly, and conveniently dropped from your mailing lists. In my and many others opinion Lea Grupen runs Ho’opono very eficiently alone, why than must we have other not so useful administrators in our organization to eat up the funding??? Are they supported by the extra profits from white canes and other equipment?
Many of us strongly feel that Ho’opono’s facility should also be used for more Social and general educational functions. Presently it feels as when Ho’opono wants to reward or punish us or divide and conquer us. Please send me your corrections.
My Poem.
Presidents and fellow members of the
National Federation off the Blind!
Since you have restricted me from
Addressing our Hawaii State Convention as a local member, I do hope that you will find some one to publicly read my poem to the small Hawaii State Convention of about 30 members.
Mahalo, here it is:
“Of” is misspelled as you can find,
in agencies “off” the deaf and blind.
It’s a “Rip-off” very sure and clear,
by management that profits here.
Now since I became old and blind,
I live in this hostile world and find,
too many helping agencies galore,
the internet shows millions more,
but no one knows what they are for!
They use our cause and our name
to raise money for their own fame.
Their salaries and overheads are big,
we go begging with a cup and stick.
Fund raisers are made in our name,
for us the needy, is the empty claim.
Travel, Overhead, wages and expenses,
every administrator, easily dispenses.
Fraternizations, payoffs are the norm,
administration, in its very best form.
From the bottom to the very top,
Handicapped services are a flop!
Some will get it most will not,
one can not put them on the spot.
Obedient and silent we must be,
otherwise, punishment is a big fee.
Silent majorities are ruled by fear
That will stop, since I am here!
We must organize for the better,
Otherwise we are getting wetter.
They will sponge on our cause,
Without mercy, without pause.
Handicapped, Deaf, Blind and more,
Let’s organize our needy core.
We must communicate with all,
We must vote or we will fall!
Free internet access is a must,
not getting it, .will be our bust...
Lobby for it each and every day,
Communications will make us stay.
It costs so little, yet much it will do
for loneliness, training, work and you!
Social Security for government and all,
Without, that reorganization it will fall.
Through the people, by the people, true
Not against! but for the people, also you.
Equal Justice and Freedom for All,
only with it, we can stand tall.
God bless the whole world and also you.
Be what you can be, do what you can do!
This, my poem, may be read or published any where!
pink@hawaii.edu
I remain with the Love of Aloha
Heinz-Guenther Pink, Ph.D.
Advocate, speaker, writer and program evaluator for the deaf, blind and handicapped.
Letter to ASL university billvicars@aol.com
Suggestions Requested by the Helen Keller National Ctr
Dear administrators, educators, counselors and caring people at the Helen Keller National Center.
My attendance of the program for the elderly deaf blind at the Helen Keller National Center was most enjoyable and has benefited me greatly in coping with my disabilities. Thank you so very much. Unfortunately the time was too short for such a long trip.
Here are my suggestions you have requested.
All computers in the lab should be furnished with a double keyboard adaptor and double keyboard maybe some with a Braille reader. For easier keyboard orientation larger nipples should be installed on J, F, 0, 5 and F5 instead of those tiny needle head pimples.
Such simple 2-keyboard system should also be installed in all social areas and public libraries. Such simple computers, except for the Braille Keyboard, can often be obtained as donation from colleges, Goodwill and Salvation Army without much cost. This would make communication with deaf/blind much easier and will give job opportunities in computer repair and installation for them. I often wanted to communicate with our deaf/blind but could not, due to my own ignorance. I could have learned so much more from them at HKNC.
Maybe our great director could also lobby for free High Speed Internet access for all handicapped. Self-motivation and self-education is the best vocational rehabilitation tool for getting a taxable employment, information and fighting the awesome loneliness. The free High Speed access would also cut down on the tremendous cost of VRS, Video Relay Services, now paid for by the FCC. Deaf could communicate with other deaf or hard of hearing, through ASL Sign language on chat lines or video chat with their own computers and cheap web cameras. This would cost the government very little and could be offset through tax collection from us. It would also save on training, education and mental health costs, which is often caused through isolation and a feeling of uselessness and loneliness.
I know that accomplished signers and users of ASL, tactile Signing, finger spelling and print on palm will highly resist any change but Morse code could also be adapted in a great variety of ways. It would be more sanitary, prevent unwanted tactile approaches and possible molestations with costly lawsuits. I have designed a variety of Morse code devices which cost lest than 50 cents in manufacturing costs. The simplest form was made out of a small piece shoe molding in a U-shape, about one inch or less on each side. A small wood stick in the middle of the inside attached with a screw to make a mini see saw. A little piece of sandpaper on the receiving longer side could be installed for those with neuropathy and insensitive fingers. It could also be adapted to a little light or a vibrator. The possibilities are endless. Teenagers might want to buy it for secret communications, therefore extending also our communications. Communications between blind/deaf and the community is practically none existent. Millions of none handicapped people from the military and private industries would love to communicate with us. We cannot resist progress and new technology. The only constant in life is CHANGE!!! Every one must help and adapt.
Our leaders in deaf /blind technology like Mr. Bapu must approach advanced companies in India and Asia to manufacture our badly needed computer programs and equipment at a tiny fraction of the now unconsciable exorbitant high cost. Then our government can afford to distribute those items more widely. I shall exert any effort at age 73 to contact those industries as well to bring those prices down.
There should be more exposure and downloadable written information for all new technology programs and equipment such as open book, jaws, zoom text, dragon naturally speaking, book scanners, Braille Keyboards and the like. You have the tremendous knowledge and resources to share with us. I am glad that you have not adopted NEW VISION methodology,
With it I could have learned only a tiny fraction during my stay. Since only 10% of legally blind have total darkness in their vision we must be allowed to use as much residual vision in a much faster learning process.
The single web site of HKNC could easily be extended to 20 or more pages. In it, there could be a layout of the beautiful center with the names and e-mail addresses of all occupants and offices. There seems to be a resistance to publish the rules of postage free mailing for the blind and physically handicapped. Not even the US post offices give the total rules out and HKNC as well as Ho’opono put unnecessary postage on all correspondence with us, the deaf blind and physically handicapped. A map of New York and long Island could also be included. All those web pages could also be printed and used as handouts. As you can see, a free government sponsored High Speed Internet access is so essential to break down the awful isolation one feels in any handicapped situation. Please help us and lobby for it.
We need an open mind in teaching arithmetic and math. It was my life long ambition to simplify in teaching these subjects. At HKNC I have taught many individuals the multiplication tables within less than 10 minutes with my finger calculator method. I wanted the experience to teach it to the deaf blind with an interpreter. I had 3 appointments but your teacher cancelled all of them. I still wonder why???
On Health.
Our nurses Ms. Herzberg and Ms. Peggy could introduce a NO SMOKING RULE to extend the no smoking to at least 25 feet beyond any entrance and any roofed area.
Comparative cost information of health insurance between Medicare, AARP and other insurers with coverage for dental care, prescription drugs vision and hearing care is also needed. Any information on free and subsidized programs would also be very desirable.
You can put that info also on your web site. Maybe you do not realize how unaffordable those services are for the needy handicapped. So lobby, lobby and lobby.
Social Security could easily be fixed by discontinuing private pension deals and put all our politicians and all our “PUBLIC SERVANTS” on Social Security, the same as their MASTERS, their clientele.
We must collect and publish statistics on all handicapped. Let us start with the next upcoming census. Every handicapped must get a voter registration with an absentee ballot and help to fill out those forms. Only UNITED we stand. Then we will have the power to get the ear from our so overpaid and plentiful politicians. Please give me a syndicated Newspaper Column and I will find the handicapped. Remember that the Blind can find!
Now you can see the results of your education, vocational rehab and what JB has taught me about Jaws and Zoom text. Now I can’t stop writing!
Thank you for lending me your ears. Thank you for your great program, great education, wonderful care as well as food and shelter.
Sincerely yours with Aloha Kea Kua
Heinz-Guenther Pink
410 Magellan Avenue, Apt. 1002
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Tel: 808 537-1875 pink@hawaii.edu
These are blind impressions from a very hard of hearing participant. You may pass it on or publish.
The Helen Keller National Center in New York.
The overall impression of the Helen Keller National Center is great. It is well organized and well run. The care, accommodation, food, organization, management, education and special care are very good.
Our CEO, Mr. Joseph P. McNulty keeps everything running by delegating important responsibilities. I enjoyed his explanations and hoped that he took my article “blind needs” with him to Washington. His great leadership makes a great Helen Keller National Center.
The blind Dr. Smithdas, the friend of my mentor Rod McDonald, also has impressed me very much with his interpreted talk. Unfortunately, I did not get his e-mail address.
Herr Dr. Epstein and his assistant, Melida Johnson,
Explained the myths about vision and modern vision technology very well.
Very slender attractive Carol Hammer, is a very capable audiologist. She can really give you an extensive ear exam, as I had never experienced before.
Definitely in charge of our program as Supreme Organizer is Ms. Page Berry. She did an outstanding job with a tremendous knowledge base. If she did not have the answer, she went far out of her way to get it for us from the Internet and other sources. She worked unselfishly long hours late in the night to get the needed results. Her entertainment qualities, playing the guitar and blasting out those famous songs, easily supersede Dolly Parton and Loretta Lyn. I would be proud if she would record any of my prizewinning songs and gladly share the income 1/3 for her, 1/3 for the handicapped and 1/3 to me, the same ratios, as I would split with all my other copyrights in easy simplified math and music. Professor Page Berry is tops in the nation when it comes to hard work, compassion and caring.
I only met Cathy Kirscher one time for lunch in Honolulu. Likewise I was very impressed with her caring personality and tremendous knowledge she has shared with me on the Internet before and after her visit. She strictly refused to let me pay for the lunch and even served my food to me on a platter. No wonder that her reputation precedes her where ever I go. My mentor Rod McDonald had introduced me to her by Internet. Even the lovely New York representative said that she is the CATHY KIRSCHER of New York. I thank Ms. Kirscher profoundly for selecting me for this great experience. Under the new 9/11 rules I was very apprehensive to fly such a long distance with all my handicaps, but I had to prove my independence to my self at age 72. I also thank Ms. Naomi Imai at Ho’opono Honolulu for making this trip finally possible.
Admission officer Sandra Carney and her associates did not admit anything to me, but they made an excellent impression of caring about us. Naturally admission or confession is good for the soul but bad for a reputation.
Nurses Herzberg and Peggy were very caring and concerned about our health. Their eyes and ears were everywhere. Miss Peggy called me into her office because she heard that I had used a slightly bent needle for my insulin injection. She also conscientiously counted the hundreds of pills I had in my suitcase. Both are great ladies. Some one read to me the sign about drug control on the third floor. I was very impressed!
Last night I woke up, I heard a lovely voice: ”This is Mia in control, I mean this is Mia speaking!” Ms Mia Kelly-Bock certainly knows how to run the show and bring meetings into shape.
I enjoyed all our outings, the harbor cruise of New York, the elegant buffet at Shish Kebab, the shopping trips and the observation lunch with the staff. Just to be safe, I only ordered a chicken soup. It is hard to make a mistake under the watchful eyes while eating out off a bowl.
Artistic Ms. Sara Masciave found all the materials for me to fulfill my art requirement. She let me paint three pictures in record time. She even helped in cleaning up the mess I made. She has such a pleasant and understanding personality. If I were only 40 years younger!!!
Ms. Peggy Costello has shown me many useful innovative items that will help me living alone. Oh how I like my independence! Thank you Miss Peggy, I shall think about you when I use the things that make my lonely life easier!
Also Natasha Mlotok showed me helpful new ways in mobility training. It certainly will make life better and safer for me wherever I go. However it was my master teacher Page Berry who had to admonish me, the insensitive Heinz-Guenther Pink from Honolulu, not to lay my pupu stick on the table. My guiding stick could have picked up dog pupu on its tip. I took her good advice very seriously even though in Hawaii we have big delicious pupu platters on every party table. I tell you they are delicious!
Evelyn Morales gave me good hints in her very clean Kitchen. The equipment she has shown me will also be helpful to me. Since time was so short she did not let me make my planned dish of birds nests. Long thin slices of beef garnished with mustard, onions, pepper, salt and two thin slices of bacon. Then filled with a quarter pickle and a hard boiled egg, then rolled and fastened with a string and fried in butter and oil to perfection until golden brown and then simmered in the left over ingredients with water for 45 minutes until every one in the house gets crazy, craving for that dish. After removing the string, the roulades are cut in half to show the birds nests with the yellow of the yolk framed in white and brown garnished on a plate of lettuce with butter fried white asparagus spears in bread crumbs. We cannot forget the boiled potatoes and sweet sour red cabbage. Because my dish was turned down, I just wanted to fry an egg. Even that did not get her approval. Therefore I made a cucumber salad, tomato salad, canned asparagus in butter crumbs and asparagus gravy. Even though I was a hobby Television Chef with Napua Stevens, Ms. Kirihara and many others for many years in Honolulu, I still learned to use a spill proof big tray for preparation and to hide the knife under the edge of the tray for safety. I also enjoyed clowning Cindi Molloy, boss lady Maura Platz and Shereen Duplesses who took me on a great shopping tour. I do hope that you girls practice the finger calculator for easy multiplication table learning I have taught you!
I admired the efficiency of Kathy Mezack, our Vocational Service Coordinator. She can do two jobs at the same time, addressing white envelopes and hearing what I said??? I wonder what she will do for me in the future! Maybe she will or will not find me a job in public relations or as a newspaper columnist.
John Baroncelli from adaptive Technology is totally responsible and at fault that you get such long reports from me. He was able to make me functional in Jaws with all the essentials within only 20 minutes of our allocated time. He also introduced me to the keyboard adaptor with double keyboard and Braille adaptor so that we could communicate well without an interpreter. Should I reactivate my Computer College of Hawaii, founded in 1963, I shall do my very best trying to steal him from HKNC. Here I can judge with my computer expertise since 1958, that he is really one of the best in the nation.
His boss, Bapin, is from India, a country with very advanced computer technology. He could negotiate for us in India, high technology programs and devices at a tiny fraction of our very high American costs. India is a country I traveled in extensively. Their people are superb in computer technology and mathematics. See the advanced astronomy structure in Jaipur, the PINK city. I would have loved to communicate with him but the shortage of time and my ignorance in tactile ASL did not permit it.
Suzanna Reeza had a very long conversation with me when she took unruly Roland and me to the Jewish Community Center for a long swim and a public whirlpool bath. Patiently she was guarding my bag with all my belongings, sitting fully dressed next to me, beside the whirlpool. She is a most interesting lady and I also learned a lot from her. Therefore I am grateful that unruly Roland did not let me put my bag into his lockable locker.
I want to thank helpful and friendly Dee Corbett, lovely Gloria and Tom Burke for their support and for opening the computer lab 3 times a day for me. My thanks go also to the helpful tall lady and Tony Gomez who served us the tasty food from behind the counter. Please give my thanks also to my very first contact Sazanne, who picked me up from the airport in good spirits. She also gave me a wonderful first orientation.
To our 7 Interns from Virginia College, my thanks for their helpful caring. Ranking from the very helpful, listening and adapting Chris Stitzer to the two very elegant Francesca Washington and Nicole Lynch, the rhythmic cheerful Wanda/Rhonda Eaton, the quietly observing Hilo Hattie Wiggins, the sleepy but helpful Jane Brinkley and Emilie Worall who marches to her own drummer. They all tried their very best.
My profound thanks to my co participants in the 2005 deaf blind seminar Anna Santos, Ellen W. Scheiber, Rae Schoen and Pearl V. Helmeth who gave the name to our group as “Four Queens and one Joker” They were all very kind, caring and really taught me how to get along with women. Maybe now my search for my very first future ex wife will be successful. Anna touched me the most since she gave all the needed LOVE to so many helpless children, a love I never experienced. Our group also adopted Maggie McVay with all her experiences.
If I forgot to mention any one like the slender one that brought me to the airport with Mia, I beg for your forgiveness. It is due to my rare senior moments and the excitement you have caused.
I love you all with ALOHA.
May God bless you all and give you a happy future.
Aloha kea kua
Heinz-Guenther Pink
410 Magellan Avenue, Apt.1002 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Tel: 808 537-1875 pink@hawaii.edu
