and learn to drive. well, the doctor told me my vision wasn't good enough. it was close, borderline, but i was legallblblind. i was told absolutely no. i couldn't get my license. i was so hurt because, from my perspective, i could see well enough to drive, at least during the daytime, but after that test and that definite no, i was devastated. it broke my heart. narrator: kadie is a second-year college student studying accounting. like lauren, kadie received a cochlear implant as a child and developed the ability to speak. it was not until she was preparing to drive that she even learned that she has usher syndrome.

you know, first, they told me i had ushers, and the doctor said, "ok. you're turning 16 years old. you can't go for your license," and i was like, "that's not fair." you know, being 16 years old should the day that you're looking forward to, like, getting your license and everything, so i was very upset. i was mad. i had all these emotions running through my body. i just didn't know what to do. narrator: mansur is currently studying applied computer technology. growing up in georgia, his father taught him the fundamentals of driving. translator: i must admit that i drove when i was about 16 years old. i got my license and drove on country roads without a problem...

but when i was driving on this road one time where there was road construction, it was very awkward. i wasn't really sure about the speed limit, so i was going really slowly. i should have been going faster. that's when my dad changed his mind and decided i couldn't drive any more. narrator: mansur took up wrestling in high school but now wrestles in college, where all of his teammates are hearing. with an interpreter present, his coach provides complex instruction, and teammates find alternative ways to work together. i do the move in 2 or 3 parts, so i make sure that he understands what i'm doing, and then he does the same... [whistle blows] and then next time, he does it better th m me. as the peripheral vision continues to close in,

individuals start bumping into things, tripping, and even hurting themselves. this leads to our next hit-- using a cane. when i see people with cane, i think they are blind. that's my first reaction. translator: while i was using the cane, i saw how people would move away from me, and i noticed their exaggerated responses, moving totally out of my way while staring at me. i feel like i'm in a fishbowl. if i use a cane, i'm basically telling myself, "you're blind. you can't see," and i don't feel that way at all yet. translator: deep down inside, i feel silly, embarrassed... because i feel like i've done something wrong or missed something, like i've messed up and everybody noticed. i can see it on their faces, and i don't like that.

i wish they would just ignore me and let me walk right along. i'd like that better. as your vision continues to decline, how you communicate with people becomes an important issue. for myself, i use visual sign language, but in places that are dark or difficult to see, i need to use tactile sign language. tactile signing is when the person puts their hand on you and sign and you feel the sign instead of seeing it. for myself, i don't know if i'm 100% comfortable with that yet because i'm not sure if i'm ready to give up my visual language. narrator: up until now, we have seen young adults struggling with adaptations required by their decreasing vision.

jelica is an adult who has reached a high level of adaptation. born in oaoatia, she immigrated to the united states with her parents when she was 4 years old. jelica was diagnosed with ushers when she was 19. she graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology and later received a master's degree in public health. she moved to seattle and is now the executive director of the deaf-blind service center. she manages an office and conducts business meetings using tactile communication. translator: i run the everyday operation and make sure the staff are doing their jobs. i am responsible for making budget decisions. also, i coordinate with executive directors of other organizations. because we are small and specialized, we can't do everything, so we divide the responsibilities and avoid duplication of services.

narrator: using her cane and public transportation, jelica travels independently to a meeting across town. she uses a vibrotactile crossing signal to make her way across the street. she signals the bus driver about her special needs with color-coded cards. the driver knows to stop and traces the route number on her hand, indicating she is boarding the correct bus. translator: i know people are shocked at seeing a cane, and they're shocked at seeing tactile communication,

and it's true--it is shocking-- but it's so much better than pretense or denial because then you end up looking really stupid. narrator: at her destination, jelica meets her scheduled support service provider, or ssp. the ssp provides visual information and guidance. today she meets with a representative from seattle's aging and disability services division to discuss the annual walkathon fundraiser. the walkathon is an activity that brings hearing, deaf, and blind residents together to learn more about each other. part of jelica's job is to raise money to keep the agency functional. each year, this fundraiser promotes awareness and support for the deaf-blind service center and its programs. "hey, everybody! you guys ready?

"this is the second group. "we're going to take off at 11:00, "but first, i wanted to thank everybody "for all of your wonderful support and spirit for dbsc. thank you. thank you. thank you." yeah! translator: this is the kind of work i do every day-- reaching out to others, encouraging them to believe in themselves, urging them to use their own skills and their own minds, especially their minds, which will help them overcome any barriers they encounter. narrator: jelica shares her life out of the office with her husband vince. they met while attending college. although he was born profoundly deaf, vince does not have usher syndrome. translator: we've been married for 17 years and have grown a lot over that time. vince has a disability, as well. he depends on me for many things,

and i rely on him in different ways. we support each other. there's equality in the relationship. of course, vince and i both get comments about how sweet he is and how lucky i am to have him. my first response is, "no. he's lucky to have me, too." translator: many people don't really recognize the power of love... and don't realize the meaning of true friendship. we've let go of people who are not there for both of us and find friends who benefit us both. translator: technology is changing so rapidly, everything soon will be running on braille. the large-print format we have now is not practical for small portable devices, which, in turn, means i realize

i'll need to transition to braille because everything is so small. handheld gps systems are just one example. gps would be wonderful while i'm traveling, but the printout would be in braille, and i would have to learn how to use braille. with changing technology, smaller devices like that don't have the capacity for large print. they can only show one letter at a time. it would take forever to read one word. i know that won't work, so when you project out 5 to 10 years, the new technologies will challenge me to become fluent in braille, as well. narrator: technology is rapidly changing the way we all live our lives. so, too, medical research is changing the way we view and treat disease. with all this progress, what does the future hold for those who have usher syndrome? this is going to be a very gradual process. we're going to be able to slow it first

because that's the easiest thing to do. ultimately, we'll be able to stop the progression of the rp, and finally, we're going to be able to reverse it and give back some of the vision that people have lost. now, this isn't going to happen tomorrow, and it will come in short, little spurts. there'll be a this, that will maybe help a little bit, then something else that will help a little bit. it's going to be just like cancer research, just little pieces, and little parts of the therapy come at different times, and each one has a small effect, but ultimately, ultimately, we're going to be able to fix this disorder. now you understand the personal challenges that we are faced with living with usher syndrome, but it's important to understand that living with usher syndrome is not a one-time event, but it's a lifelong process.

each change in life can cause challenges that must be dealt with, but more importantly, we've already witnessed that with appropriate support, adaptation, and attitude, people with ushers can and do live meaningful and productive lives. narrator: it would be erroneous to say that people with ushers accept the disease, but they do manage to adapt. in fact, learning to adapt over and over and over is what is required to live with usher syndrome. and to see her now, you know, this young lady in, you know, adolescence, you know, changing and becoming so sure of herself and so bright d d so interested in so many things, it makes me feel that that's what i am supposed to do,

is help kids communicate, and it was successful. you have a long road ahead of you. you have a lot of work to do, but i think that if you do the work, you'll see great results and that your child can do whatever he or she wants to do. i know she's going to have a good future because i know she's strong and brave and kind and will learn whatever she wants to learn. i know she's going to have a good future.

>> here we are at the embarcadero. we are standing at one of locations for the street artists. can you tell me about this particular location, the program? >> this location is very significant. this was the very first and only location granted by the board of supervisors for the street artist when the program began in 1972. how does a person become a street artist? there are two major tenants. you must make the work yourself and you must sell the work yourself.

a street artist, the license, then submitting the work to a committee of artists. this committee actually watches them make the work in front of them so that we can verify that it is all their own work. >> what happened during the holiday to make this an exciting location? >> this would be a magic time of year. you would probably see this place is jammed with street artists. as the no, there is a lottery held at 6 in the morning. that is how sought after the spaces are. you might get as many as 150 street artists to show up for 50 spaces. >> what other areas can a licensed street artist go to? >> they can go to the fisherman's wharf area. they can go in and around union square. we have space is now up in the

castro, in fact. >> how many are there? >> we have about 420. >> are they here all year round? >> out of the 420, i know 150 to sell all year round. i mean like five-seven days a week. >> are they making their living of of this? >> this is their sole source of income for many. >> how long have you been with this program. how much has it changed? >> i have been with the program since it began 37 and a half years ago but i have seen changes in the trend. fashion comes and goes. >> i think that you can still find plenty of titis perhaps. >> this is because the 60's is retro for a lot of people. i have seen that come back, yes.

>> people still think of this city as the birth of that movement. great, thank you for talking about the background of the program. i'm excited to go shopping. >> i would like you to meet two street artists. this is linda and jeremy. >> night said to me to print them -- nice to meet you. >> can you talk to me about a variety of products that use cell? >> we have these lovely constructed platters. we make these wonderful powder bowls. they can have a lot of color. >> york also using your license.

-- you are also using your license. >> this means that i can register with the city. this makes sure that our family participated in making all of these. >> this comes by licensed artists. the person selling it is the person that made it. there is nothing better than the people that made it. >> i would like you to meet michael johnson. he has been in the program for over 8 years. >> nice to me you. what inspired your photography? >> i am inspired everything that i see. the greatest thing about being a photographer is being able to show other people what i see.

i have mostly worked in cuba and work that i shot here in san francisco. >> what is it about being a street artist that you particularly like? >> i liked it to the first day that i did it. i like talking to mentum people. talking about art or anything that comes to our minds. there is more visibility than i would see in any store front. this would cost us relatively very little. >> i am so happy to meet you. i wish you all of the best. >> you are the wonderful artist that makes these color coding. >> nice to me to. >> i have been a street artist since 1976.

>> how did you decide to be a street artist? >> i was working on union square. on lunch hours, i would be there visiting the artist. it was interesting, exciting, and i have a creative streak in me. it ranges from t-shirts, jackets, hats. what is the day of the life of a street artist? >> they have their 2536 in the morning. by the end of the day, the last people to pack the vehicle probably get on their own at 7:30 at night. >> nice to me to condemn the -- nice to meet you. >> it was a pleasure to share this with you. i hope that the bay area will

descend upon the plaza and go through these arts and crafts and by some holiday gifts. >> that would be amazing. thank you so much for the hard work that you do. >> the question when i started 11 years ago when i started doing resolution work is can anything be presented on a really low resolution device where it is potentially a digital image? can anything be presented that way? or will it feel cold and electronic?

>> the imagery will change. there will be four different sets. it is a two dimensional image. it is stretched out into three dimensions. the device is part of the experience. you cannot experience the image without the device as being part of what you are seeing. whereas with the tv you end up ignoring it. i make gallery work more self and budget and public art work where i have to drop this of indulgence and think about how people will respond. and one of the things i was interested in the work and also a little fearful of, it is not

until you get to the first and second floor were the work is recognizable as an image. it is an exploration and perception is what it is. what are you seeing when you look at this image? one of the things that happens with really low resolution images like this one is you never get the details, so it is always kind of pulling you in kind of thing. you can keep watching it. i think this work is kind of experience in a more analytical way. in other words, we look at an image and there is an alice going on. -- and there is an analysis

going on.

>> welcome to town. it is nice to have you here. >> good to be here. i want to start right in about this book, um by having you read us, this letter that your brother wrote to you when he was at the university of pennsylvania and you were the younger sister that starts right down there. remind us roughly what the year was. >> the year was 1965. the moral of this story is never have a younger sister who never throws away a piece of

paper. i discovered this letter 4 or 5 months before i finished this book oh my god, a paper trail sets us straight. >> read it to us. >> only people from brooklyn uses the word geez. your letter doesn't have a single worthwhile sentence in it. i will not buy you any notebooks. i repeat no notebooks. but i will send you decals that are not to be placed in my room, around my room or on the window of my car. >> okay. who was this guy? and why did you set out to tell this story? >> this guy