A celebration at the newly renovated Walters-Smithdas Legacy Atrium at the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) in mid-November was dedicated not only to the modernized space that would greet new guests, but also to the life, accomplishments, and personality of the late Dr. Robert J. Smithdas.
Speakers and guests were invited from around the country to the HKNC’s campus in Sands Point for the highly anticipated ribbon-cutting. In her remarks, Sue Ruzenski, CEO of Helen Keller Services, said of Dr. Smithdas, “his vision helped establish Helen Keller National Center as a place of hope and empowerment for thousands of individuals who are DeafBlind.”
Smithdas, a DeafBlind teacher, was an advocate and author who shone as a guiding light to the DeafBlind community. The former leader at the HKNC reinforced the work and accomplishments of Helen Keller, showing the world that with the proper services and rehabilitation, DeafBlind people could contribute massively to society as creatives, advocates and scholars.
The renovated atrium is also dedicated to the late Barbara Walters, an award-winning journalist who famously befriended Dr. Smithdas during a Today show interview in 1967. The $1 million contribution from her estate continues to help HKNC provide its services to the DeafBlind.
The Walters-Smithdas Legacy Atrium was designed with the DeafBlind in mind. The room is tactile and textured, making use of paneling and smoother surfaces. The open space is accessible for DeafBlind individuals, with accessories to the atrium made to assist with movement. Its reception area features bronze recreations of various words in ASL, alongside historical relics to the DeafBlind community.
In addition to Ruzenski, the ceremony featured speeches from Sands Point Mayor Peter Forman, former HKNC participant Elizabeth Schmaltz, and Dr. Francis Casale, a preacher and former HKNC participant.
Schmaltz, a member of the DeafBlind community, praised the center for its work on community building. She called the HKNC a “light” in the darkness and said, “meeting other DeafBlind individuals here felt like finding a family.”
Dr. Casale, another DeafBlind individual, recalled his memories of Dr. Smithdas in his speech. He called him “so smart, so warm and so encouraging.”
The speakers and guests at the ceremony seemed to share one united sentiment: the HKNC continues to offer the rehabilitation and vocational training needed to ensure independence for DeafBlind individuals. “This center is where DeafBlind people come to reclaim their independence,” Dr. Casale said, “to work, to grow, and to live full lives outside the dark.”
Helen Keller National Center offers training to the DeafBlind across the country through its 11 regional offices, according to Joseph Melillo, national employment and business relations specialist at HKNC. It’s the country’s only national program that offers vocational rehabilitation to DeafBlind individuals of all ages.
For its national recognition and accomplishments, Mayor Forman gave the HKNC an official proclamation. In his statement, Forman backed the center’s goal of “empowering people through training, support, and opportunity,” and “promoting acceptance, understanding, and shared experiences.”
Matthew Figueroa is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.