[BlindTlk] handwriting idea

[Jude DaShiell]

I was thinking about the handwriting system I had been taught at what was
then Arkansas Enterprises For The blind now named Lions World
International.  The system I learned was not cursive and this system has
proved beneficial to this day.  One mistake I made was not writing down
the braille directions to produce the letters and preserving those
directions for future use.  I may be able to reproduce those directions
anyway since those use the braille system to create the handwritten
letters.  The letters resemble the Futura  Italic Font.  One of the
problems I had at that time when learning that system was how to document
writing that went below the base line.  I think I figured that out now.
First, use the 8 dot cell with 7 below the 3 and 8 below the 6.  The 3 and
6 are on the base line.  So for a capital j, I would use straight lines
with no curves and would start at 3 and go 3,4,6,3,6 at this point we have
to go below the base line so bb8,bb7,6 and the letter is finished.  If
drawn correctly, it is a large right triangle with right angle on dot 6
side attached to a smaller right triangle below the base line.  I used bb
followed by a number to tell any reader go below base line and the number
immediately after the bb is your next destination.  For those that never
learned this system of handwriting none of this will make sense.  I
unlearned cursive since all I could do after much practice was sloppy
cursive.  This new system is easily legible for others that see it for the
first time and handwriting does not usually improve with age.  Now I think
of it I'll put Sculpey on my shopping list and practice letters in that
clay.  When I learned this system of handwriting, I didn't just learn my
signature either.



Jude <jdashiel at panix dot com> "There are four boxes to be used in
defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author, 1940)

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