Bill Barkeley

deaf-blind adventurer, advocate, author & storyteller (public speaker)

605 Lovett Avenue Southeast East Grand Rapids, MI, 49506 United States

616-780-9432

Bill is a deaf-blind adventurer, advocate, author & public speaker (storyteller) that speaks and delivers adventure projects to inspire people around the world - disabled or not - on building a pioneering, adventuring spirit and overcoming the challenges in their lives.

Bill's work is about helping others get to a better place in this world and paying it forward in a life that has been rich and fulfilling beyond his wildest imagination.

Bill's groundbreaking climb as the first deaf-blind person to summit Mount Kilimanjaro was covered on Good Morning America.

The story was to share a personal journey about building a life within the context of your abilities and disabilities.

In Bill’s case, the journey is an inexorable march further and further into darkness and silence.

He is a pioneer with assistive technologies for the hearing impaired / deaf, the vision impaired / blind and those with dual sensory challenges -the deaf-blind.

Bill is one of 15,000 in the United States and 100,000 in the world with Usher's Syndrome which progressively robs its victims of both hearing and vision over the course of their lifetime. There are currently no treatments and cures.

See why in many ways he believes that it may be the best thing that ever happened to him.

No Barriers Leading The Way - US and Peru Deaf Exchanges

August 19, 2015  /  bill barkeley

 

The Lost Children of Peru

In 2008, Peru made a very progressive and bold decision. It has destroyed lives and shattered dreams.

The Ministry of Education took all deaf children out of special education programs and put them in mandatory mainstream school programs overnight.

Bold, yes.  The challenge was they offered no Sign language interpreters, lip reading or any assistance of any kind in the classroom.  Teachers could not even communicate with these new students. That, combined with no government or insurance for hearing aids led to the children dropping out and falling behind. They kept raising the age for attending first grade to 13! Deaf children all over Peru have given up on any meaningful education or hearing technology.

The young man here made it to Lima to a deaf program.  He had never communicated in any way with his parents for 16 years. He is now 17. Imagine never communicating with parents and family that many years :(.

We played the cajon today, an ancient Inca musical instrument that is like the drum and the vibrations for deaf people are a powerful connection to music and culture in Peru.

It was beautiful to have 30 deaf people playing and feeling of vibrations from this ancient instrument.

Bill Barkeley

www.billbarkeley.com

No Barriers Youth Leading The Way Program

Sacred Valley

No Barriers Youth Leading The Way Program

Copyright © 2015 Bill Barkeley, All rights reserved. 
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