[humanser] Tips on Presentations & Braille

[Kaiti Shelton]

Hi all,

I did learn braille as a child, but here are a few tips I have.

First, I saw someone on the thread mention that it has taken them a
long time to get fluent with grade 1 braille.  While it is important
to know your letters, very few materials are written in grade 1, so
the time learning braille is best spent working on grade 2 and
contractions.  Those grade 1 letters are a part of grade 2, but
contractions make all the difference.

I like the suggestion of checking around your state.  See if someone
from the NFB will teach you.  If not, I know a woman in my affiliate
who does it as a TVI and as a tutoring type service, and even does
distance learning/teaching through Skype.

Read braille every day, even if it's just a little.  Don't not use the
skills you're working to learn and use them.

The audible teleprompter has a couple of issues.  First, it is a way
of bypassing braille and discourages people from learning it.  Giving
presentations with braille is a great way to work on fluency, even if
you're just reading an outline and verbally expanding upon it.  It
also doesn't look the most professional to have a wire trailing from
your ear every time you get up to speak.

Just some thoughts.  Hope they help.

On 10/30/13, Shannon Cook <SCook at sccb.sc.gov> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have learned Braille through Hadley later into adulthood also.  I was not
> taught as a child, but it surely would have been handy then.  It has taken
> me several years to learn, but I have been working during that time and have
> not pushed to learn quickly.  I pick up materials in Braille along the way
> and test what I can read versus what I still need to learn.  I work at an
> agency for the blind, so there are some materials around quite often.  It
> has been a really fun venture.  I label all of my files in Braille, make
> notes that way, and I have also used it to make notes for presentations.  It
> has totally improved my level of confidence as, with a lot of us, my vision
> loss has progressed to the point that big print is not feasible anymore.  I
> joke that at home, if something does not move quickly enough, it gets a
> Braille label slapped on it.  I've tried using my Stream for presentations,
> but that did not work as well for me.  The flow was not good.
>
> Thanks,
> Shannon
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Alyssa
> Munsell
> Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 4:28 PM
> To: humanser at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [humanser] Tips on Presentations & Braille
>
> Hi everyone!
>
>
>
> I have a question about handling presentation notes. Since I lost my vision
> (about 8 years ago), I haven't had to give presentations often, but it's
> been challenging when I have. I don't have an easily accessible way of
> creating and reading presentation notes. I don't know braille because I
> didn't understand the importance of learning it until about a year ago. I
> really wish I had realized how that skill could help me, especially in doing
> any task that requires reading materials to someone or presenting a topic.
> In the past, I've written large  presentation notes with sharpie markers on
> pieces of paper and memorized most of the material. This has always ended up
> working for me, but the process is exhausting and definitely not an ideal
> way of giving presentations!
>
>
>
> I have 2 questions. First, does anyone have any tips about how to do
> presentation notes, aside from braille? I saw an e-mail from an NFB member
> who stated that using the Victor Reader Stream to make audible notes has
> worked well for him. Does anyone have experience with that?
>
> Second, for anyone who has learned braille later in life- any advice about
> techniques for learning braille would be immensely helpful. How long did it
> take for you to learn it and be able to effectively utilize it?
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Alyssa
>
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> October is Home Eye Safety Month. Over half of all eye injuries occur while
> doing everyday household chores. The South Carolina Commission for the Blind
> offer the following tips if you get a chemical in your eye: flush you eye
> with water for 20 minutes, wash your hands with soap and warm water, seek
> emergency medical assistance. For more information about how the SC
> Commission for the Blind can help you or a loved one, please visit us at
> www.sccb.state.sc.us or give us a call at 803-898-8731.
>
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-- 
Kaiti