Reading Braille to Children
Santa Clause does Braille!
Author: Malia Bender Sudbury ON
Twenty years ago, I was a recently divorced single mom with 2 lovely daughters, ages 3 and 6.We were on our own for the first time at Christmas, and it wasn't an easy time for any of us. The tradition in my family was always to leave the plate with milk or cocoa, and cookies, and of course, carrots for Rudolf in the kitchen for Santa. He would then write a little thank you note and include a few funny remarks or personal things for everyone to read after the gifts were opened.
Now, the big Dilemma, something I never even thought of, even after labeling all the gifts in Braille so we'd all get the right ones... What about the note!
I have been visually impaired all my life, and totally blind since age 16. I started learning Braille in grade 1 at the same time I learned to read and write in print. My hand writing though is not very good, to say the least. I didn't have a typewriter, and I knew my 6 year old wouldn't be able to decipher my hen scratches. So, what to do...
In desperation, I got out the Perkins again, wrote a short note thanking them for the treats, and left it by the empty plate.
In the morning, the excitement has died down. The gifts are opened, and the girls remember the cookies and milk.
I will never forget this as long as I live. My older daughter looked at the note, and with an absolutely astonished voice said...
"Mom, did you know Santa does Braille!!!"
I then read them the letter, just like my own parents always did. I think that little bit of being able to provide what was normal for them really made
their Christmas great. I know it sure made mine a whole lot better.
I Love Knowing Braille
Author: Carm Powers, Moncton NB
I love knowing Braille! Having Braille makes it not so scary, knowing that I may someday lose all of my vision. In the late 1970’s I tried to learn Braille while working on a Canada Works project. I was around thirty years old at the time. I had begun to lose my vision in 1970. At that time I tried to learn it with my eyes instead of my fingers. I guess I just wasn’t ready.
I was told I would eventually lose my vision completely because of macular degeneration. So I started again a few years ago.
I thought it would be hard, seeing as how I was older, and things don’t get easier as you get older. But it was the opposite with me. I found it quite easy and I progressed quickly. I have one story about learning to write Braille with a slate and stylus. You sort of have to think of Braille backwards when you write that way. This other lady and I were learning together from Lynn at the CNIB I turned my head backwards and tried to see in my mind how the Braille would look if I looked at it from that position. Everyone laughed so hard at me. We still laugh about it all the time.
I want to read well enough so that I can read books to my grandchildren. Right now I can’t read quite fast enough to keep their attention, so I have to practice more. They have a French Braille teacher at the CNIB and I am going to start learning French Braille so I can read French to the grandchildren as well.
I can still read print—large, large print using magnifiers. The print gets larger as my vision gets worse. There is something I have done to make it easy for me to learn. I like to make the dots on paper so I can see them. To help myself learn the contractions I have set up my lessons in WordPerfect. I use Control W and go into the section where they give you the symbols for different languages. Then I construct the Braille cell on the screen and make the dots for the contraction beside it. Then I write the contraction in forty-point type beside that. Lynn suggested this to another student, but it was all Greek to him. But to me it was so easy!
I think a lot of public buildings should have more Braille on elevators and on signs. When I go to see the doctor, there’s no Braille on the elevator, and that’s a medical clinic. I always hope there will be somebody else in the elevator. One day I got on with my white cane and another man got on and asked me to press 4. So I asked him to press 4 for me. I tell my doctor that my blood pressure wouldn’t be so high if he would get Braille on his elevator. I wouldn’t have so much stress. I tell him that if he gets braille on his elevator, he should check with the CNIB to make sure it’s done right.
Out Of Despair
Author: Edna L. Perry Winnipeg, MB
Nearly 20 years ago, I became blind. The news that I would not be able to read the printed word again was traumatic for me. I was lost. At every turn in life I ran into the blank world of not being able to understand what was going on around me. What should I do?
My life up to this moment had been crowded with the visual. I was a Priest in the Anglican Church of Canada with the responsibility of a rural parish. How could I possibly keep up my obligations?
I had also been a School Principal, teaching Speed Reading to a separate group. I thought my life was shattered! What could I possibly do? I was offered braille by the Winnipeg CNIB. A wonderful teacher came out to my house every Friday. At last I had something to wrap my brain around. I was so thankful!
I was so fortunate in the fact that my husband supported me in all my ups and downs. We have three supportive sons and daughters-in-laws.
Braille became my waking and nighttime thoughts. My 5 year old Grandson spent Sunday afternoons with me. He was very quick to pick up on the fundamentals of the dot system. He was always one step ahead of me. When we came to the story of Louis Braille, he was as impressed as I was to learn how that very courageous young man not only overcame his handicap, but made the lives of others more meaningful and productive.
Braille saved my sanity! It also gave me a purpose in life. I have tried to keep Louis Braille's wonderful example of courage and creativeness at the forefront of my vision.
I broke my right wrist and three years later broke my left one. This affected the sensitivity of my fingers. So my grasp of the braille reading, was slowly lost. I was blessed with the gift of another great teacher, who came out faithfully each week, this time to teach me the use of the computer. Braille, however, has been the true tool that saved my sanity when I needed that light to pull me out of despair.
Thank you Louis Braille! Looking at the future, I can not see that my use of braille will be prominent in my life. The electronic age offers so many other shortcuts. The impact of braille however for so many of us will not be lost. The support of that fine organization, CNIB, has been a beacon of light to so many.
Not So Fulfilling Without It
Author: Vicky Stacknick, Kingston ON
I am totally blind and have been using braille since grade 1 at the W. Ross MacDonald school, in Brantford. I have a cousin, Cathy, the same age as myself. One summer we were on the beach, and playing like kids do, in the sand. She was curious about braille, so I taught her the alphabet, in the sand. She picked it up very quickly, and we had fun all summer, practicing braille.
Fast forward to adulthood. She was my maid of honour, at my Wedding, and became interested in the best man, who happened to be blind. She married him and they have a Visually impaired son. I am sure braille came in handy, when her son was small. I also have a visually impaired son, who learned all about braille because I used it in all the board games when he was small. I also read him lots of the print braille books. When my son grew up and got married, he tried to send me an anniversary card, in braille, but each letter was backwards. The thought was there, though.
I learned about karaoke, from a blind friend and began to collect my own tapes of songs. I painstakingly brailled all the lyrics out on thermoform paper, so that the copy would last. I would practice and practice, even recording some of my songs. Then I would go to the bar, and sing in front of the crowd. I won several prizes, and also sang at some old folks homes. I use the plastic rings to bind the songs together and now have several books of lyrics.
Now that computers and technology of all kinds are so popular, I have a
braille note, and the refreshable braille is very helpful, in meetings, when
the voice would be a distraction.
That's only a few of the uses I have for braille, but life would not be as
fulfilling without it.
