[il-talk] FW: In touch with braille (An Incredible Story)

[David Meyer]

  _____  

From: dick & Mary scholl [mailto:thewibears at sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 8:23 PM
To: dick & Mary scholl
Subject: FW: In touch with braille (An Incredible Story)



 

 

From: Tom Kaufman [mailto:tomcat53 at comcast.net] 
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 2:49 PM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: Fw: In touch with braille (An Incredible Story)

 

Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 1:15 AM

Subject: Fw: In touch with braille (An Incredible Story)

 

This is a very inspirational story.

 

Carol

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Alan Dicey <mailto:adicey at bellsouth.net>  

To: NFB Florida List  <mailto:nfbf-l at nfbnet.org> Group 

Sent: Monday, January 07, 2013 8:41 PM

Subject: In touch with braille (An Incredible Story)

 

Dear Friends,
A really inspiring story I think you will agree with me!
With Best Regards,
Alan

Miami, Florida
-----Original Message-----
Sent: 06 January 2013 09:20 PM
Blurb: As a timid scribe, I dared to enter an international level writing
contest. With great shock, I discovered I won first prize in the USA region
of the Onkyo Braille Writing contest. What does braille do to enhance my
life?
In Touch With Braille
There was no warning nor time to prepare. I knew nothing of the horrendous
disease embedded in my DNA, or what it would do to my body. At the beginning
of the month, I was free and happy, enjoying life with my six-month-old son.
By the end of that month, the genetic time bomb had exploded. I was left as
a mind trapped in a useless body. I struggled to keep my sanity, despite the
great losses I suffered. At this lowest point, I was totally blind,
completely deaf and paralyzed in my feet, legs and hands.

I couldn't walk. I couldn't feel anything. I was unable to take care of
myself, much less my baby. The worst part was the lack of access to
information. I didn't know what was going on around me or out in the world.
Sports, culture, business, politics and wars continued. As they say, "Life
goes on." I knew nothing about it. I existed in a state in which I only knew
what people deemed to tell me. Since communication involved printing letters
on my face with a fingertip, that was very little. It was too much work for
my family to keep me informed. 

I spent endless hours, days and months trying to entertain myself with my
own thoughts. I imagined I was watching my favorite movies, tried to
remember the lyrics to old songs and recited books back to myself.  I was so
isolated, lonely and miserable. I lost all contact with the outside world
and so desperately wanted to get back in touch.
After eight long months, I realized my hands were beginning to heal. It took
another three months before I regained normal sensitivity in my fingers. I
knew at once what I needed to do. I had to learn braille.
I was another lost one who fell through the cracks in the vocational
rehabilitation system. They claimed I was too disabled and therefore beyond
their help. I received no services and had no trainer. If I wanted to learn
braille, I would have to do it myself.
My husband bought a braille learning book online. I didn't have much support
at home, so I was literally teaching myself. I carefully followed the
lessons in the book. After I studied each new letter, I worked on practice
words and sentences. After one month, I could  read uncontracted braille. It
was time to move onto the next level.      The training series for
contracted braille was longer and harder. There were so many rules and so
much to remember. I struggled with short-form words, abbreviations and
beginning and ending contractions. I worked every day on reviewing
information and learning new skills. After three months, I could read
contracted braille, although my pace was quite slow.
I've been told it's impossible to learn braille that fast.  Yet, that's
exactly what I did. I was so determined to return to the real world. Braille
was the only means to do so.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was the first book I read in braille.
As I diligently felt the dots, I became so excited. Letters turned into
words. Words became sentences. I recognized the story. I was reading!
My next step was to find sources to news. I signed up for "Hotline to
Deaf-Blind," which sent weekly braille briefings about headline news
stories. From the national library, I ordered "The New York Times Weekly"
and "Parenting Magazine." Other sources gave me access to "The Reader's
Digest" and "Syndicated Columnist Weekly." Hope returned to my life as I
read these magazines. I was proud to talk politics with my husband or
discuss a story he hadn't heard about. I was back in touch, thanks to those
beautiful dots we call braille.
Now, 10 years later, I've had some training to refine my braille skills. I
read much faster now. That's essential, because there's so much I want to
know about. I spend most of my day reading news and books. I could live
forever and still never finish everything I want to read.  

The purchase of my first Braille Note device provided even more access to
information and social networking. I could email my family, join deaf-blind
mailing lists and meet new people who faced similar challenges. I began
surfing the web for the first time in my life. I had never imagined so much
information in one tiny place. There was so much knowledge to be had, and it
was all at my fingertips.
I now have a Deaf-Blind Communicatory. This machine allows me to talk with
people who do not know sign language. They type on my cell phone, and I read
the message on my Braille Note. The device also gave me access to a TTY. I'm
finally able to make phone calls by myself. My son and I celebrated the
night I first ordered a pizza for our dinner. Once again, I owe it to
braille.
I'm connected to people through text messages, Instant Messages and
Facebook. It is amazing what technology can offer these days. I love reading
on a refreshable braille display. The dots are like magic. At a push of a
button, they change to say something new. The possibilities are endless.


I'm still deaf-blind and physically impaired. However, I'm no longer a
prisoner in my own body. It was braille that allowed me to escape. Now I'm a
student, a writer, a leader and friend. 
My online nick-name is "Dot." I'm an actual part of society again. This
never would have happened without braille.
I've been asked, "What does braille do to enhance your life?" My answer is
simple.  "Everything." Braille keeps me in touch.
http://www.jp.onkyo.com/braille_essay/2012/

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