[il-talk] Braille Monitor Story.

[Jenny Keller]

I was not given the option of learning Braille in school, and by the sixth grade I was falling further and further behind.

In high school, I had to cheat and the teachers had pity on me because they saw how hard I was trying and passed me anyway.

I know, it's not a great thing to admit, but I begged for Braille instruction from the beginning, kindergarden, up until high school, and no dice.

they expected me, at the high school level, to be able to listen to books on tape and know how to study that way.  the closest I ever got to learning how to do that was in elementary school, where they would let me listen to a five line paragraph and answer simple questions.  So I never got to learn even how to learn by listening either.  

I guess that's why talking books frustrate me as well, it seems to go in one ear and out the other, and I couldn't even tell you the name of the book I was reading, so I just stopped reading them altogether.  

I taught myself Braille in 1999, at the age of 26, but I don't read it that well because of coordination issues in my hands.

I do my best when I comes to the hymnal at church and such as that, but if the song is too fast, I can forget it.

Anyway, I would love to tell my story to teachers of the visually impaired, and parents of the visually impaired, because I can't get the proper education to do anything now because I basically, at maximum, have a sixth grade education.

Anyway, that's all I have to say.

Jenny
On May 19, 2012, at 7:53 AM, Linda Handle wrote:

> Hi all! I read one of the stories on Newsline, in the Braille Monitor titled “Braille or no Braille'”.  A couple of people mentioned that hey went to sight saving class, when they were in Grade school.  I also went to a Sight Saving class.  Was it in Chicago.  I think one of the people was Debbie P.  Interesting story.    They did not teach me braille then either.  But like you said, if you saw,, they let you read the large print.  I don’t think they even had any Braille at my school, or I mean class.  The sight Saving Class was the home room, and then I would go to other classes with the kids that saw normally.  The kids in the other weren’t always very nice either.  Got made fun of, cause of my very thick glasses.  Thank God that part is a distant memory.  Glad I finally did learn Braille!
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