I wish I would have had a BN when I was in school. It would have made my life so much easier.
Frank M. Hernandez. 'It's my birthday all over again' * Vision-impaired teen receives a special computer By:Stephanie Lipcius Palko, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cecil Whig, Maryland. 08/25/2004 His fingers raced along the edges of the machine, telling him what his eyes cannot. Jonathan Smith, 13, of North East, had just received the Corvette of braille machines, a BrailleNote. North East Middle School's media center was filled with well-wishers on Tuesday morning as Jonathan received his new $6,000 computer. The equipment was purchased with help from the North East Lions Club, VFW Post 6027, and organizations within North East Middle School, including the PTSO, School Store, Yearbook Club, and the National Junior Honor Society, as well as faculty and staff members. Jonathan was reportedly a little grumpy when he was told he would have to show up at his school for a meeting a couple of days before the official start of school. Advertisement His reluctance was quickly turned around when well-wishers surprised him with the presentation. Jonathan knows all about this state-of-the-art piece of equipment. A friend of his at a summer camp had a model. "I know everything I need to know," he said as he tore open the box, eagerly exploring the features of the computer. He was happy to find that his model is even better than the one his friend had at camp. It is also much better than his old equipment which he described as "old, obsolete, and no good." "Wow, it's my birthday all over again," he said, bringing a smile to everyone in the room. "God bless everyone who had a hand in this," said Lelonda Smith, Jonathan's mother. Tim Smith, Jonathan's father, said the family has been assisted with previous educational equipment for their son. Even though both parents work, the BrailleNote is something they would not have been able to afford. Jonathan, who has been blind since birth, was enthusiastic about his new computer, asking about its features. Small in size, the BrailleNote is big on power and will allow him to do his homework and hook up to a computer for printing. It has the capability to eventually hook into the Internet. It can also accommodate a GPS feature that will someday help Jonathan determine how many steps he is away from a hamburger joint or other vital location. "It's almost like a laptop for braille," explained school braillist, Claire Whitehurst. It is Windows-based. For Jonathan, it is like moving from a typewriter to a computer. Among those helping with the effort to give Jonathan the computer are: Barb Soltow, PTSO; Fil Kohler, School Store; Yearbook Club; Linda Still, National Junior Honor Society; Lions Club, Bill Dallas, John Lovell, Bill Dallas; VFW Post 6027, Bob Patterson, Tim Hamilton and David Roten; Sharon Kirk, guidance counselor; Nedra Hardy, counselor; Patricia Warner, building coordinator for special education. The effort to get the equipment was spearheaded by Terri Wyatt, general assistant. While the BrailleNote is Jonathan's to keep for as long as he needs it, the Lion's Club will officially maintain ownership so they can continue to pay the service contracts. Wyatt encouraged those present to support the Lions Club in their fundraising efforts including their September 11 Chicken Barbecue and their annual Christmas tree sale. Jonathan enjoyed his special moment, hamming it up for the crowd by pretending the braille messages in his card were a little too personal to read out loud. Cecil County schools have 23 students with vision impairments. Three use braille. ©Cecil Whig 2004 http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12774482&BRD=1973&PAG=461&dept_id=214849&rfi=6
