[nabs-l] Public Speaking

[lizzy]

Hi Shickeytha,
You've gotten some great tips thus far.  Here are a few more 
tricks to add to the list.
First, let me just say that my tips for a blind public speaker do 
not differ greatly from those I would give to a sighted speaker.
- Always look at your audience to keep their attention.  You 
mentioned sighted people looking down at notes or a teleprompter, 
I personally dislike when people do this (especially when reading 
from a powerpoint located behind the presenter) because it is 
pretty distracting to the audience.  No matter how you choose to 
read your notes, you will always have the advantage of being able 
to look at your audience while speaking to them (which is a plus 
if you ask me).
- If you do decide to use braille, one tip you could use is not 
necessarily memorizing your speech ahead of time, but knowing 
your stance on a topic and perhaps just writing that subject down 
(or even shortening the word to just a few letters), and 
explaining your view to the class.  Since no one else is reading 
your notes, they can literally say anything as long as you 
remember what the letters/words mean.  There are benefits and 
drawbacks to memorizing your speech ahead of time, let me know if 
you'd like for me to elaborate.
- Be sure to not only speak clearly, but also use inflection.  I 
can't stress this enough, speaking in a monotone voice is a sure 
way to get people to fall asleep or think about things totally 
unrelated to your presentation.
- Know your audience and your subject matter.  You speak to 
college students in a different manner than you would third 
graders which differs from how you would speak to parents.  
Likewise, you'd talk about genocide with an expression that 
contrasts the one you'd have when talking about something 
positive.  Be sure to maintain appropriate tone of voice, 
posture, movement etc.  You'll know your audience is engaged when 
they react appropriately to something you've said.  For example, 
when you tell an anecdote, they respond with ooos and ahs, awws, 
laughs/chuckles- whatever's appropriate.  If you hear a lot of 
movement (stretching, looking for a clock, checking phones, 
etc.), or excessive coughing (when it's not flu season), you know 
you've lost your audience and it's time to take a more upbeat 
approach.
- Finally, and this is the most important tip of all in my 
opinion.  Be yourself.  If you're not a funny person, don't force 
it.  If you're not comfortable moving around, just maintain good 
posture in one area.  As Joe said, these things need to look 
natural, so do whatever you feel most comfortable with.  If you 
would like to learn about gestures, movement etc.  then by all 
means, do so! It makes for a great presentation, but don't force 
anything.
Please let me know if you'd like for me to elaborate on specific 
topics! I would be more than happy to do so.
Hope this helps,
Lizzy