Christine 'Coco' Roschaert is planning a trip around Asia to advocate for deafblind people and see the world before losing her sight completely to Usher Syndrome. She will travel through New Zealand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, and India over 10 months, giving presentations and documenting the lives of deafblind people. Her trip budget is $9,570 to cover flights, accommodations, meals, insurance, and guides to support her as a deafblind traveler. She is seeking donations from individuals to make her dream trip a reality.

1. Tactile The World: Pac-Asia The Adventures of a Deafblind Woman Spring 2010

2. Prepare to be Tactiled…

3. <--------Who is She? Christine ‘Coco Roschaert and I am 29 years old tone Deaf & Sorta Blind who loves travelling the world And helping others To give and find inspiration..

4. What’s Up, Coco? I need your eyes See what I have to say You’re going to see a big dream And you’re in it, too. Come with me Spin the world, too. Jump aboard.

5. Tell Me More! What I have for you… *getting to know me biography *purpose *where in the world? *the price tag *how you can be part of it *conclusion

6. How To Fingerspell My Name

7. Just Call Me Coco I was born Deaf in the ’80s in cold January to hearing parents in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. I grew up at a residential Deaf school, Sir James Whitney, in Belleville, Ontario and was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome Type I in 1988 when I was 8. I still had a teenagehood with most of my sight, even traveled to Paris at 12 and lived for a year abroad in Germany at 18 with Rotary Club. My sight started to change drastically in 1999 when I became a student at Gallaudet University, the only liberal arts college for the Deaf. In 2006, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with a great loss of sight. From 2006 to now, I have given more than 30 lectures on Deafblind topics, educating and empowering thousands through my blogs and vlogs as well.

8. In Nigeria, I was placed in three different job settings by Voluntary Services Overseas Canada. I worked with schools for the Deaf (providing awareness to educators on education for Deafblind children), an HIV/AIDS organization (strategizing on education about the disease to people who are disabled); and with an international blind missionary (to develop support services and information on Deafblindness in Nigeria). I completed my placement in June of 2009. Now, after my time in West Africa as a volunteer, I am determined to go to graduate school and complete a Masters in International Development… in braille. I have a few months before I go to school in the Fall of 2010… And when I’m done with school, I’ll be completely blind. So, that’s why I decided to travel some more and grasp the last images of the vast, mysterious world while I still can see.

9. What Is Usher Syndrome? Usher syndrome is a relatively rare genetic disorder that is a leading cause of deafblindness. associated with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degeneration of the retinal cells. Characterized by deafness and a gradual vision loss. Gradual loss of peripheral and night vision. Complete blindness will be eventual, but progress and age vary with Usher’s, but onset is usually in children in their first decade of life. Described as “doughnut vision” with central intact but with time, the walls close in Balance problems in some people. Growing difficulty reading small print, gradually into large print then Braille. Usher syndrome is incurable at present. Lots of website information on Usher Syndrome. Google it up.

10. Snapshots: My Volunteer Work in Nigeria Clockwise from top left: Visit to Zoo in Jos; VSO volunteer retreat ‘08; supplies I donated to the Blind Mission; Me and Hassan (Deafblind Nigerian); Deaf school where I worked; VSO office in Nigeria

11. Snapshots: Lectures (a few out of many) Wash, DC ‘08 Gallaudet, ‘08 Ottawa, ‘08 Seattle, ‘08 San Diego Hospital, ‘08

12. Snapshots: Various CISV 1992, Paris France The pictures document my adventurous life, in short.

13. Want to see more? www.youtube.com/tactiletheworld Plenty of vlogs I made around the world! And of course… Plenty to come… If my trip happens!

14. Where in the world? New Zealand Cambodia Laos Vietnam Thailand China Hong Kong Macau Japan India

16. Use this time before I start graduate studies to travel

17. Advocate for services, aid, rehabilitation & education for the Deafblind with lectures, workshops and projects

18. Meet Deafblind people in these countries and document their lives

19. Collect information on Deafblind

20. Communication

21. Aid, education and services

23. Island Life

24. CAMBODIA Phnom Penh, Kampot January 23 – March 1 Hosts: RoniseBarreras (Epic Arts Center for the Deaf), Tashi Bradford Nadaluti

25. Khmer Life

26. Epic Arts Center, Kampot My dear American friend, RoniseBarreras, moved to Cambodia from Seattle, WA in 2008 in search for life fulfillment. She started working with Deaf Development Center in Phnom Penh, then to Epic Arts Center for the Deaf in Kampot. Ronise is a Deaf sighted woman who worked with Deafblind people in Seattle for more than 7 years. Ronise has asked me to volunteer with Epic Arts for a month to develop resources for the Deafblind in Cambodia and I gladly accepted the offer.

27. LAOS, VIETNAM & THAILAND Vientiane, Ho Chi Minh City & Chiang Mai Alternating weekends in February Guides: RoniseBarreras & Various

28. Laos, Vietnam and Thailand Life

29. CHINA Beijing, The Great Wall of China & Shanghai March 1 – 7 Road Trip from Beijing – Shanghai – Hong Kong

30. Life in China

31. HONG KONG & MACAU Hong Kong & Macau March 7 – 20 Hosts: Jenny Lam

32. HK & Macau Life

33. JAPAN Tokyo, Nara, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Mt. Fuji March 20 – April 10 Hosts: Mihoko Yamamoto

34. Life in Japan

35. INDIA Mumbai, New Delhi, Punjabi, Darjeeling Region, Kolkatta, Goa April 10 – May 10

36. Life in India

37. Most of the images used in the previous slides were from the Lonely Planet website (www.lonelyplanet.com) and through Google Images (images.google.com) Pictures of hosts and specific areas were used with their permission. With China and India, I have not found a host yet but their visits are in March and April, so I am confident I will find a guide/host for this time.

38. Guide/Intervenor Costs In these countries, there will be places I’d love to see, especially historical landmarks. I will want to bring my own guide for my safety and visual /environmental support. The guide, also known as a ‘support service provider’ or ‘intervenor’ will fill me in on the sights that I might not notice, or guide me around uneven terrain. Admission fees and meals will need to be covered, so your donation will also go to providing the guides with financial ease. $100 a month will cover the costs of intervenors.

39. The Price Tag Without a penny in my pocket My dream cannot come true Directly or indirectly This is where you come in.

40. Budget Overview Flights Meals Ground Transportation Expenses Health Insurance Visas Guided Help

42. Auckland, NZ to Phnom Penh, Cambodia $770

43. Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Beijing, China $300

44. Hong Kong to Tokyo, Japan $600

45. Tokyo, Japan to Mumbai, India $600

46. Mumbai, India to Ottawa, Canada $500

47. Subtital: $4,270 USD(flight prices can increase anytime. Figures from www.vayama.com) (All estimates in United States Dollars)

48. Meals, Accomodations, Ground Transport & Expenses HONG KONG & MACAU $300 JAPAN $500 INDIA $800 Subtotal: $4,000 USD NEW ZEALAND $1000 CAMBODIA $500 LAOS, VIETNAM & THAILAND $300 CHINA $600

49. Health Insurance & Visa Fees The Lalonde Insurance Group of Cornwall, Ontario, charges $100 per month for global health insurance coverage. FIVE months plus one month back-up = 6 months 6 months x $100 = $600 Some countries require that entry visas be purchased before landing in-country, some countries don’t. Cambodia $30 Laos $57 China $50 India $62 (figures from www.visahq.com under Canadian citizenship)

50. Are you ready… … for the gross total of this trip? I cannot afford to pay my way around Because after my 1 ½ years working in Africa I am, by choice, unemployed So that I could see the world But my monthly disability payments won’t let me. Will you help?

51. The Tally The total is…. $9,570 Flights ………. $4,270 Meals, Accomodation, Ground Transportation & Expenses ……… $4,000 Health Insurance & Visa Fees …… $799 Guided Help …… $500

52. Want to Help? My hosts in each country are helping me secure lecture, workshop and trip itinerary dates. Most of them live in developing countries, so it is expected that they have very limited funding to support my endeavor. You can open your pocket and donate, or send this request forward to people you think would be interested Sorry, I don’t have a charitable tax number for write offs I can provide reciepts of a purchase I make with your funds as you may specifically wish to donate

53. More on How to Help You could host a personal party specifically to raise funds for my endeavor For my gratitude to your generous donation, I will put your name or organization in any published works that might come out of this If you donate more than $250, we can talk about me doing a presentation for you or your organization upon terms of agreement Donations can be accepted anytime from now to May 2010 Any amount of donations – big or small – are greatly appreciated

54. Methods Of Payment Paypal account: tactiletheworld@gmail.com at www.paypal.com (I accept funds in USD or CAD $) I will send you an email to confirm payment has been received Purchase a flight ticket with prior agreement Money Order or Cheques: Make it out to: Christine Roschaert 140 Belmont Street Cornwall, Ontario K6H 4Z3 Canada

55. Wait, Coco! How Do We Reach You? Email: tactiletheworld@gmail.com Facebook Group: Where In The World Is Miss Roschaert? Blogsite: http://tactiletheworld.wordpress.com

56. But What If…? If this trip doesn’t happen…. There are a few options. We can discuss these options over email, live chat, videophone, webcam chat. A) Full refund B) Donate the monies to your charity of choice Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to this!

57. Want To Tag Along? You are more than welcome To join me on my travels As a friend, companion, interpreter or intervenor Email me and we’ll talk. But… You cover most of your own expenses.

58. Thank you in advance… Once you become an official sponsor, look out for your name on my blog http://tactiletheworld.wordpress.com Under “Pac-Asia Sponsors”

59. Least but not least… Tactile love!