[blindkid] Braille note

Merry-Noel Chamberlain owinm at yahoo.com
Mon Mar 12 11:44:28 UTC 2012 

Hello all,
My daughter, Ashleah, had a BrailleNote before we moved here one and a half years ago.  Her new TVI wanted her to use the Mobile Manager available through APH  via quota funds but by December of last year, the TVI still couldn't get the Mobile Manager to work with the printer so Ashleah didn't get to use it at all.  She was doing all her homework on the Perkins and I was transcribing it into print for the classroom teacher.... after awhile I quit doing that.  Finally, I decided enough was enough so I sent Ashleah to school with my old BrailleNote and told the TVI they needed to find a printer for it as I didn't have one any more.  I look at it as if I (a parent) was sending my child to school with a new box of coloring pencils, crayons, pencils, pens, etc..  Ashleah, used my old BrailleNote for note taking but still had to do most of her homework on the Perkins because there was no printer (since the BrailleNote was so
 old.)  She could do some of her homework on it and then had to read it aloud to the classroom teacher.  The school (aka: TVI) saw how well Ashleah did with the BrailleNote and started working with the school to get a BrailleNote for her.  I was then requested to seek funding from outside souces to get a BrailleNote for Ashleah but was officially refused with a note saying the school was responsible for getting the equipment for my daughter then *poof* a new BrailleNote was supplied for her.  Still having trouble with getting the printer up and running, though, and yet the school year is almost over!!!  
 
We as parents of blind children need to keep fighting for the rights of our children!  
 
Now, as a TVI, sometimes my hands are tied.  Most times, my hands are tied with double knots when it comes to expensive equipment especially with smaller school districts.  I'm fighting for the rights of my students just like their parents are (or should be) and sometimes I'm fighting a brick wall.  School districts are looking at funding and well... frankly....  will the child still be in their district next year and the year after?  They don't want to pay for such an expensive piece of equipment only to have the student move way the next year ~ regardless if the child has light perception or no vision at all.  The best thing to do is to get it written in the IEP.  Better yet, have it state the specific piece of equipment "BRAILLENOTE" and not "electronic notetaking device" or else the student may end up with less than the quality of equipment he/she truly needs.  
 
Merry-Noel Chamberlain
  

________________________________
 From: Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org>
To: "Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org> 
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 12:34 AM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Braille note
  
Wow, that certainly shortens the list of excuses that I would anticipate from them.

What about technology provided for the sighted students? (Or any other blind students in the system for that matter.)  If other kids have computer access at school, for example, that probably would justify at least a screen reader on a computer. If there are any issues with books not being provided in braille, generally they are supposed to be available in an electronic format. To access that, an appropriate solution (like a braillenote) could possibly an answer. Same thing for required literature to read which may be hard (or nearly impossible) to get in an actual braille book. Is internet access required for any of the kids' work by chance? Are there delays caused by waiting for braille translation of homework, etc., which could be removed to deal with certain delays on their part with assignments?

Another thought-- in Georgia, there is a lending service for certain equipment tied to the school for the blind. This service can loan at least some pieces to school systems as needed. I wonder if you have anything like that where you're located. 

You might also contact private sources for funding--perhaps a local Lions Club to see what they might be able to do to help.

I wish I had an answer for you as opposed to random stabs at this, but please feel free to contact me on or off list if I can possibly help with any further discussion.




On Mar 12, 2012, at 12:36 AM, Janice wrote:

> Thanks for the response, Richard. Ari has no light perception either. She is mentally intact and appropriate for age. Currently we have a Perkins (school owned) brailler. Homework takes us forever and consists of doing the work and then brailling it after. We are so frustrated. 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Mar 11, 2012, at 9:16 PM, Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org> wrote:
> 
>> This may have nothing to do with your situation, but is your daughter exclusively a braille reader? These machines are expensive and all too often, low vision kids aren't pushed towards braille when it may be more appropriate for them than large print, etc., in the long run. This may be largely because schools feel the expense is not justified. Not just the expense of the BrailleNote, but all the associated expenses of making braille work in general. Braille seems to be a last resort in far too many systems planning and approach.
>> 
>> If I might ask, what are they providing for her at this time? Large Print? An adapted computer? Just a Perkins Brailler? Sounds like it may be time to start gearing up for a push in a different direction at your daughter's next IEP.
>> 
>> At first, I was amazed that they bought some of the expensive equipment they did for our daughter's needs (she has no light perception so there is no question about braille for her) then I realized that things like a braillenote with a braille embosser that has a print attachment actually saves them money as compared to paying someone to convert manually brailled homework into print for her classroom teacher.
>> 
>> Kendra does her homework on the braillenote in many cases and then they just print it at school either in print only for the teachers to review, or in print and braille if she will need feedback. Same thing for school work, quizzes and tests much of the time. Her embossing equipment should last for many more years at school, but I expect it has already paid for itself many times over in the past three years just in man hours saved for the school.
>> 
>> If the argument cannot be made for this equipment to be bought simply because it is appropriate by itself, that cost savings might prove a useful "back door" approach. Perhaps something to think about? There may be other approaches as well. Does she have the same computer access at school as the other children, for example?
>> 
>> I know this must be terribly frustrating, but I'll bet there is an approach to get your daughter a more appropriate solution!
>> 
>> Richard
>> 
>> On Mar 11, 2012, at 11:30 PM, Janice wrote:
>> 
>>> Geez-- my daughter is 11 and in 4th grade and has not even been introduced to a BrailleNote. It is SO frustrating knowing the technology is out there but it is not accessible to her. We moved from Idaho to Washington because the education was better here. Sounds like we are still behind the times. I am at a loss. Janice
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>> On Mar 7, 2012, at 3:48 PM, DrV <icdx at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> My 4th grade son has been taking his BrailleNote to & back from school
>>>> since Kindergarden.
>>>> For us it was never even a question - He needs the tool to do his
>>>> homework. 
>>>> It is a vital part of his educational experience.
>>>> How is a child expected to keep up or excel if they are not allowed to
>>>> appropriate access & tools?
>>>> I would argue that the BrailleNote is needed to access the mandatory
>>>> general ed curriculum at home & school.
>>>> My 2 cents.
>>>> Eric 
>>>> 
>>>> On 3/7/12 2:53 PM, "Dr. S. Merchant" <smerchant at vetmed.lsu.edu> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> I really think the maturity of the individual student needs to be taken
>>>>> into
>>>>> account, so to deny access to this piece of equipment at home until a
>>>>> certain age doesn't make sense.  However, the Braille notetakers can be
>>>>> somewhat fragile as concerns their pin movements to create the Braille and
>>>>> the functioning Braille display sometimes doesn't survive intact when
>>>>> dropped, but on the other hand it isn't thin glass either.  My son and a
>>>>> few
>>>>> of the students that were in his self contained VI class were taking their
>>>>> Braille note takers (school bought/owned) home in the first and second
>>>>> grade. It then never left his side through high school.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Sandy Merchant Taboada
>>>>> 
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>>> Behalf Of Penny Duffy
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 3:49 PM
>>>>> To: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
>>>>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Braille note
>>>>> 
>>>>> I know in our district the students bring their braille notes and or
>>>>> laptops
>>>>> home. Many kids use them for their homework. They are provided by the
>>>>> district.  I am pretty sure IDEA mentions home use. I don't have the
>>>>> wording.  I am just dragging it out of my memory. Which could be wrong.
>>>>> On Mar 7, 2012 4:44 PM, "Carly B" <barnesraiser at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> IEP season... oh, yay!! :) I am going to be making a request for my
>>>>>> son having a Braille notetaker (MPower or other) to bring home. I'm
>>>>>> convinced that having it at home will support his Braille acquisition
>>>>> considerably.
>>>>>> He's in 3rd grade now and this would be for his 4th grade year. I'm
>>>>>> wondering at what age/grade kids have gotten Braille notetakers for
>>>>>> home and school use, and whether it was provided by the school or from
>>>>>> some other agency (or from you), and what have been benefits of having
>>>>>> it at home?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Thank you so much for any input on this question.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> :) Carolynn Barnes
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>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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