[Community-service] Blindness, braille, community service

[Nella Foster]

Many moons ago when I was in college an employee from facility management asked me to please check out the Braille signage in a recently renovated building.  I went to the building and looked everywhere for the signs.  I looked on the door, to the right of the door and to the left, but could not find them anywhere.  I contacted this gentleman and told him I was unable to locate any Braille signage.  He said they are over the doors, beside the print number.  I asked how did he expect me to reach them. Lol

He was very embarrassed and they did fix the problem.

Another time I was staying in a hotel and realized they had mixed up the 4th and 6th floor signs.  All the room numbers were correct, but the floor numbers were wrong.  I nicely pointed out the issue to management and they sent a supervisor around with me, so I could show them what was wrong.  I never got to go back to that hotel to see if they fixed the problem.

I've also volunteered to teach Braille to several people over the years.  I love seeing people learning and figuring out how to read again.

Nella



-----Original Message-----
From: Community-Service [mailto:community-service-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jonathan Franks via Community-Service
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2017 11:31 AM
To: Community Service Discussion List
Cc: Jonathan Franks
Subject: Re: [Community-service] Blindness, braille, community service

Hello Darian and all,
A couple of examples of how I and or my chapter have utilized Braille to benefit the community is as follows:

1.  I have worked with my Alma Matter, The University of Texas at Austin in locating classrooms that do not have  placards with the room number in braille on them. UT Austin is an old University and the older buildings fall into a Grandfather clause and many do not have Braille signs. Other rooms do have signs that are only the number of the classroom and stand on top of the door frame. So, I have worked with my University in putting Placards according to ADA standards.

2. I have worked with others in creating Braille menus for Austin area restaurants. Occasionally, the restaurants want to give a donation for our work, so this is a mini fundraising task if the restaurants choose to donate.

I look forward to hearing from everyone else

Jonathan Franks BSW
Treasurer
National Federation of the Blind Community Service Division

On 1/4/17, Darian via Community-Service <community-service at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hello all,
> As today is Louis Brielle's birthday, and we in the national 
> Federation of the blind believe so strongly in the profound impact on 
> braille on the lives of blind people, I wanted to know how you use 
> braille in giving back to your community?
> Understand that it might sound odd, I mean… Using braille to give back 
> to the community?
> Well… We use braille in many different parts of our life, seems 
> reasonable that we would probably use it to give back?
> So, how do you, your friends, your chapter members, your division, 
> your family, use braille to help you raise the expectations of blind 
> people by serving in your community and living the life you want?
> Thanks,
> Darian
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
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--
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people  and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

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