Pre-Conference

Pro-tactile: The DeafBlind Way

October 29, 2014 – 9 am – 4 pm

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Costs will include lunch.
This workshop is in-depth and hands-on and is a new communication revolution taking shape of, by, and for DeafBlind individuals. Deaf allies must continue to increase their cultural competence and increase awareness on this topical development in DeafBlind culture and communication. ‘Pro-tactile’ is:

• a philosophy,
• a method, and
• an attitude.

Pro-Tactile is pro-touch, pro-experience and pro-responsibility. Pro-Tactile supports “hands-on” learning and “hands-on” experience rather than an experience limited to the DeafBlind person’s partial vision/hearing or vicarious information.  Pro-Tactile is for sighted people too.
Pro-Tactile is radical — sighted people listening tactually (as well as with their vision) is a radical thing. It is parallel to hearing people communicating with each other using sign language (and no voice) when in a Deaf environment. Thus, Pro-Tactile is also political. It challenges sighted privilege. Pro-Tactile is a rejection of the pressure from the dominant society to conform to sighted-hearing norms.