Hi there,

I really should be sending out an agenda for an upcoming meeting, but hey, I’m drinking a quad shot americano! Bzz bzz bzz…

Last week I posed a question (which no one answered – wah wah!) about the DeafBlind Thief.

Remember: a DeafBlind person, who is shopping with an intervenor, pockets something, let’s say a bottle of hand lotion, in a fancy, upscale store. This act could be intentional or forgetful thinking. I’m not focusing on the DeafBlind person just yet.

Last week, I posted three ways the intervenor, a DeafBlind person’s eyes & ears & guide, can react to the potential theft.

1. Says loudly, using both Signs and Voice, “… Remember the hand lotion in your pocket…”.

• This method is good for children, persons with Alzheimers and klepto husbands in a candy store.
• To use that way with a DeafBlind person is disempowering. The intervenor is taking away the DeafBlind person’s decision power.
• Teaching right & wrong, pay or steal, is not an intervenor’s job.
• The intervenor is acting like a cop.
• This method, if I am not clear, is unacceptable.

2. Nudging, signing only, the intervenor would say “… remember the thing in your pocket …” or simple as gesturing “hand in pocket.”

• This is method is common for friends, a co-worker with the boss’ hand-crafted coffee cup in their pocket, or youth, teenagers.
• The DeafBlind person can either ignore the gesture or acknowledge it.
• The intervenor would, should, do nothing more.
• There is more empowerment, because the DeafBlind person has a choice.
• I wouldn’t, as an intervenor, do this method.

3. The intervenor does nothing.

• They say and do nothing, no verbal or non-herbal reminders is given to the DeafBlind person.
• With zero reminders of the Olay in their pocket, they are in full command of the situation.
• They are empowered to make a conscious decision to remember the Olay, or they don’t.
• The intervenor plays no part in this theft.
• This is the right way, in my opinion.
• If the DeafBlind person is caught red-handed, the intervenor would facilitate communication between the manager and the DeafBlind person, in a non-judgemental way.

I hope you agree! Let me know what you think!

I’m still buzzing, but I gotta go now, thanks for breeding!