| Words in My Hands: A Teacher, a Deaf-Blind Man, an Unforgettable Journey |  | Author: Diane P. Chambers
Publisher: Ellexa Press
Category: Book
Buy Used: $3.67
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Avg. Customer Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 415002
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 263
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7
ISBN: 0976096706
EAN: 9780976096702
ASIN: 0976096706
Publication Date: January 2005
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Words in My Hands: A Teacher, a Deaf-Blind Man, an Unforgettable Journey. Reviewed by Dan Smerken January 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In this engaging and well written book the author, Diane Chambers, shares with us her six year relationship as a sign language teacher to Burt Riedel, a deaf-blind man who begins his education in the new language at the age of 86. This story about Diane and Burt is merely the vehicle for a much deeper story, one that will resonate with anyone who has ever been misunderstood or worked with those that are challenged in their ability to express themselves.
Diane has cleverly used a touching story to educate and engage readers on multiple levels. She has done this skillfully and it's difficult to place a value on whether one level of the story is more important than any other.
At its base, this is a story about human communication. As in many areas of daily functional ability, it's not until after loss of a function that we realize how critical it is. While this work focuses on the challenges and rewards of ameliorating the consequences of blindness and deafness, it provides valuable and transferable lessons on any type of communications loss, be it aphasia, mental illness or anomie.
Diane Chambers is hired by Bert's family to teach him sign language after a family acquaintance; another sign language instructor suggests that this could open up new avenues of communication. Bert is 86 years old and has Ushers Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects approximately 40,000 individuals in the United States and is characterized by hearing impairment and a degeneration of the retina. In Burt's case, his vision and hearing loss was gradual and he was able to maintain a professional career and raise his family until he lost the use of these senses in his mid-40s. Bert is remarkable for many reasons, his positive attitude, his wisdom to anticipate the future and his cautious and rather prescient planning once he was diagnosed with the syndrome.
When we meet Bert at 86, he is someone who has led a fully engaged life despite his nearly total blindness and deafness for the past 40 years. Sign language is desirable for Bert because it is portable. His only method of communications with others had previously been touch and with a Braille machine, the latter being impractical to carry around. Sign language enabled Bert to communicate with others regardless of his location. At first however was the inevitable question, "can an 86 year old man with these multiple sensory deficits learn a new language?" The answer we discover is "yes!"
One of the most compelling lessons of this book is a basic introduction to deafness, a history of deaf communication, and the field of being an interpreter for the deaf. Diane Chambers is also a teacher and is, in a rather crafty and fun way, promoting her profession. The book is written in story fashion which will engage readers of all ages. While adult readers and helping professionals will enjoy it and get a lot out of it personally and professionally, I believe middle school and high school readers will also understand and become thoroughly engaged by it, many deciding that learning sign language and becoming a certified sign language interpreter is pretty cool. Its this pedagogical thread in the story that makes me believe that Ms. Chambers is as excellent an educator as she is an interpreter.
While Bert Riedel is an outlier in many ways; educated, personable, highly motivated, with the cognitive and financial resources beyond that of many his age; the author also describes her other deaf and deaf-blind clients, so that a full range of this community and their challenges are known and their challenges felt.
In a surprising twist towards the end of the book, the author shares with the reader an enormous part of herself and her own personal challenges. Throughout she is able to maintain the inspirational message that she is trying to communicate to the reader without becoming cartoon-ish or maudlin. The reader will not become embarrassed as they might become with some authors who transparently tug at the heart strings. This book is too well written for that type of trickery.
Readers may initially find the story telling aspect of the book off-putting, as if it was written for a younger, less sophisticated audience. I assure you that once you get beyond the first few pages this impression will pass and you will be engaged.
I would recommend this book to anyone, but particularly to person's interested in the helping professions. Its primary lesson being that regardless of anything else, the initial goal should always be communication and understanding, and towards attaining this goal, understanding that context is critical.
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