Hi, Richard and List! I have taught various people how to read braille, even sighted people, over the years. Braille is not difficult to learn, it's the attitude that the person has who is learning it. I have found that a willing mind makes a fast learner. If there is the slightest idea that the learning will be hard, then it will be!
I know a lady that deals with the Elder Blind program here in Oklahoma, and she said that it comes down to the fact that people don't want to change what they already know, and have known for years when it comes to learning braille, as well as, other things in the blindness community. They build a wall around themselves when they lose their sight to protect them from having to learn something new that might make their lives easier to deal with. It's too bad people think that way. Diane Garrett/Leader Daisy Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: (918) 664-5731 > ----- Original Message ----- >From: "Richard Ring" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "Braillenote List" <[email protected] >Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 13:02:04 -0600 >Subject: RE: [Braillenote] The article: >Here is what I think. They never asked the blind woman how she feels >about Braille. All that they did was stick with a sighted misconception >that Braille is something ancient Egyptian or cuneiform or something >equally as out of this world. >This is unfortunately what I encounter all of the time. >Those of us who love to read will tell you that Braille is the reason we >have that love of reading. No, I don't read a lot of hard copy Braille >these days, but when I do, I truly appreciate it. >Braille is not that difficult, it is not impossible to learn. >People have painted that picture, and I don't understand it. >Anyone who has a Braillenote can tell you how much the ability to edit, >and read Braille is making their lives a richer one to live. >Braille is finger food for the mind! >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mary Ellen >Earls >Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 10:42 AM >To: Braillenote List >Subject: [Braillenote] The article: >You know, I don't know what to make of this article. >Yes the reporter was an idiot there is no doubt about it and the article >was >as badly written as any nineteenth century novel about the blind I have >ever >seen but think about this. Not a single one of us on this list would >have >ever heard of oneanother unless we belonged to ACB or NFB or went to >school >or a guide dog center or a rehab center were it not for this truly >marvelous >equipment. >You young people have no clue about what how us old goats got our >education >and what we did not have. >I wake up every morning and thank my Heavenly Father that I can now >download >a book into the Braille Note. >I can remember when the only thing we had to use as first graderswere >Haul >Braillers and then one day Mr. Eugeen Stephens head of special Education >for >our schools came in and presented Miss Mergentheimer with one Brand New >Perkins Brailler. Miss Mergentheimer treated that machine like gold. >There >was a part of the classroom where we were not allowed to go as she said >this >was the shelf for her "pretties." On that shelf was a spice wrack with >spices to develop sense of smell and various objects for >conceptualization >and on the very end sat that perkins Braille Writer and if we got an A. >on >that spelling test we got to do our next lesson on the Perkins. >My point is, yes 99% of the sighted world are idiots and have this >archaic >idea that if they lost their sight they wouldn't be able to cope and >some >wouldn't. So yes indeed these machines are most definitely miracles and >the >more sophistocated they become the more miraculous they will continue to >be. >Mary Ellen Earls >Remember! Today is the Tomorrow you thought about yesterday. >___ >To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote >___ >To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
