6. TACTILE COMMUNICATION NETWORK

A Journey Through the World of Touch

Activities and Topics:

The Tactile Communication Network has produced a DVD and will present this at the network morning.

The presented DVD will follow the experience of persons -- both deafblind and seeing/hearing -- as they explore, interact and communicate with each other in the tactile mode. A person with sight and hearing needs a radical shift in perspective in order to experience and understand the world from a tactile perspective, which is the way that congenitally deafblind people experience their world.  When tactile experiences become meaningful for both partners in an interaction, this becomes the foundation for exploration of new environments, development of meaningful communication, and the building of friendships.  The DVD offers specific images in order to illustrate this shift in perspective required to enter the rich unique world of tactile experience, inhabited by congenitally deafblind persons. The members of the Tactile Communication Network hope to enhance shared understanding between seeing/hearing persons and deafblind persons, and to increase joyfulness in our mutual exploration of the tactile world in which we all live.  

After showing the movie, the network members will invite the participants for a discussion and thought sharing activity. They will address the following questions:

-- Which experiences are helpful for seeing/hearing persons as they seek to shift to a tactile perspective?

-- Which specific understandings and practices help to make tactile communication and mutual tactile exploration successful?

The Tactile Communication Network also wishes to open up the possibility of extending contact beyond this meeting with members of Deafblind International who are interested  in deepening our understanding of living in a tactile world.

Bernadette Van Den Tillaart

Speakers:

Bernadette Van Den Tillaart

Gunnar Vege (Norway)

Barbara Miles (USA)

Paul Hart (Scotland,UK)