Photo 1: (L-R) Danny Castelow, Practical Support Program Manager, Daron Nance, directory of St. Benedict’s AIDS Center, and Jana Rickerson, Shanti Project Outreach Coordinator
Photo 2: (L-R) Danny Castelow, Facilitator and Deaf Activist Dan Rosenkjar, Jana Rickerson, and Catholic Charities Coordinator Millie Stanfield
Photo 3: Darol Nance, Deaf activist and PWA Don Silver, Millie Stanfield
Photo 4: Don Silver
Photo 5: Deaf activist,translator Dan Veltri, Darol Nance, Jana Rickerson, Don Silver, Millie Stanfield
Photo 6: Darol Nance, Jana Rickerson, and Don Silver.
Shanti Project joined forces with Catholic Charities and the St. Benedict’s Deaf AIDS Information Center in the first ever deaf/hard of hearing collaborative Shanti training. The training followed the format of a Shanti Practical Support Volunteer training but featured the heavy involvement of deaf/hard of hearing presenters, people with AIDS, and ASL interpreters. They called the training “Breaking the Silence: Helping Deaf and Hearing-Impaired People with HIV Disease.” It was attended by 27 participants and 15 trainers and facilitators who worked in collaboration with one another.
Jana Rickerson, Darroll Nance, and Millie Stanfield described the experience as a “fabulous success” due to this dynamic group of activists and volunteers. Some of the participants became practical support volunteers specifically for Shanti to further assist the deaf community in San Francisco, while others integrated their skills in their own organizations.
Danny Castelow, then the manager of the Practical Support Program, told a reporter “I wish we had more time, because they [the Deaf and hard of hearing participants] had so much to express…They had ten years worth of stuff because we [Shanti and the hearing] were ten years behind in dealing with them. I thought the reaction was really positive, and I was impressed with their level of emotion…[I] learned how lazy I am as a hearing person. We take so much for granted.” James Ledford, who represented the organization Deaf CAP as a participant in the training found the training worthwhile. But, Ledford also expressed some disappointment expressing that the training initially felt like it was mostly a “hearing-run” training. It would be several years before a completely all deaf training like this would take place. Ledford also told the same reporter, “Shanti taught me how to be courageous emotionally…Sometimes when I am very depressed and I can’t confront the problem-I might make a mistake, I might be technically wrong or have the wrong ideas. Shanti taught me to be able to breathe, relax, calm down, think and how to help other deaf people to understand how to live with AIDS.”
Don Silver, a gay activist and PWA who was on the informational panel, shared his experiences of losing his lover to AIDS in the previous year. The emotional support portion of the training was helpful to him, “I thought it was wonderful…My lover died from AIDS a year ago. I was holding tight, but I wouldn’t admit it. The best part [of the training] was that I finally opened up.” Don Silvers would die six months after the training took place, as would fellow Deaf PWA activist and training participant Angelo Rosardo-Marquez. Throughout the 1990s this joint training would occur though under different names or themes.
