[humanser] Tips on Presentations & Braille

Thu Oct 31 14:01:12 UTC 2013

Hi,

Only based on my experience as a latecomer to learning Braille, I would say to begin using it and learning it at a regular pace, but not necessarily in a speedy pace.  The more you realize and learn how you can intertwine it into your daily life, the more you will be encouraged to learn.  As I said in an earlier post, I have found it to be invaluable and wish I had not waited to learn.  Besides, you will have breaks between semesters, sometime between summer sessions, etc. that you can work in a more dedicated way.  Pick up materials and practice reading it as well as writing it.  This will help you continue to improve.  There are boucoups of resources to help you along.  If one doesn't work for you, try another.

In the meantime, for coursework, note taking, and other tasks, you can use a laptop to do all of that.  That would probably be an efficient option and make life easier.

Just my two cents.

Shannon

-----Original Message-----
From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Alyssa Munsell
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 4:42 PM
To: 'Human Services Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [humanser] Tips on Presentations & Braille

Wow, thank you so much everyone for sharing your thoughts and stories. It really means a lot to me. So here's my situation...
I used to be completely sighted until I unexpectedly lost a lot of my sight from a brain tumor when I was 17; thus, I grew up reading and writing visually. At the last NFB convention I was at a couple years ago, I bought a training book on reading Grade 1 Braille. I would say that I know most of Grade 1, but am definitely far from proficient in it. I am thinking that I might want to learn Grade 2 Braille because it would be quicker to read notes and such. However, just learning Grade 1 is very challenging for me. I feel a little discouraged because I am starting my internship tomorrow, which I'll have 3 days a week 9 to 5, and then classes all day Wednesdays, so my time is very limited, unfortunately. I'm not confident that I will be able to learn Braille and use it proficiently in time for when I will need it. But I'm thinking it's better to at least start and take it a step at a time.

I greatly appreciate this list and having this type of support during this critical time in my life. I'm starting to enter into the professional world in a more significant way than I have previously, and being able to consult with others in the same field who are also blind/visually impaired is invaluable.

Best,
Alyssa

-----Original Message-----
From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sandy
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 4:28 PM
To: Human Services Mailing List
Subject: Re: [humanser] Tips on Presentations & Braille

Hi all,

I was fortunate to begin learning Braille in first grade.  Since no other blind kids were in the school system, I kept some of the early Dick and Jane readers.  There is one I still have and my teacher put tactile stick on stars on parts of pages that were harder, but I mastered eventually.  This goes back to the late 1950's.  My mom learned Braille in order to transcribe some of my books, doing parts of them on a board slate before she got me up for school.

For presentations, I used to take note on Perkins brailler, and now use my pac mate with its Braille display,  Any way I wrote them, a new idea I wanted to mention would be prefaced by a few Braille dashes, which made it easier for me to scroll through lines if I somehow lost my place.  When I did this for participation in church, people debated as to how I so smoothly got through my parts of the service.  Does she memorize all this?  No, I think she can read.  Actually, my hands and equipment were not visible to the congregation.  I got material a head of time, prepared it in Pac Mate, and enjoyed my contributions -- glad I have kept up my Braille.

Sandy

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Shannon Cook" <SCook at sccb.sc.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 8:58 AM
To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [humanser] Tips on Presentations & Braille

> P. S. I have learned Grade 2 Braille.  I also used Braille notes to do
> my Treasurer's report at my local chapter meetings.  Such a big help.
> I am kicking myself for not seeing the value in learning earlier, even
> when I had more usable vision.  It would have proven to be helpful all
> along the way.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti
> Shelton
> Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 8:33 AM
> To: Human Services Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [humanser] Tips on Presentations & Braille
>
> 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
>
> _______________________________________________
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> humanser:
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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.
>
> _______________________________________________
> humanser mailing list
> humanser at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/humanser_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> humanser:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/humanser_nfbnet.org/sandraburgess%40
> msn.com
>

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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.