[il-talk] Braille Monitor Story.

[Linda Hendle]

Sorry to hear about your Braille problems.  I only just lost my sight 8 
years ago, due to glaucoma.  I was blind in my right eye since age 11, but 
my left eye was pretty good, with 20/60 vision til 2003.  then had problems 
with left eye, and now I'm here.  Trying to learn to adjust to my blindnes. 
I'm getting better at coping.  Was very dependant on others to help me 
travel.  Didn't start walking with cane alone til 2 or so months ago.  Good 
luck Jenny.  Maybe write me off list, if you want to:)

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jenny Keller
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 8:30 AM
To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List
Subject: Re: [il-talk] Braille Monitor Story.

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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