[Nfb-history] FW: Posts from Fred's Head from APH for 10/25/2018

Fri Oct 26 19:39:08 UTC 2018

Hello Friends:

     I thought this would be of interest.

Regards,

Robert

From: Fred's Head from APH [mailto:fredshead at aph.org] 
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2018 7:06 AM
To: =?utf-8?Q??=
Subject: Posts from Fred's Head from APH for 10/25/2018

The latest blog posts from Fred's Head from APH, a Blindness Blog. 

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Updates from http://www.fredshead.info/ 

Fred’s Head from APH, a Blindness Blog

In the 10/25/2018 edition:

*	Throwback Thursday: Frank Hall's Greatest Invention
*	My Guide Dog Story

 <https://aph.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0d9bb2b66f092e599244d8765&id=921d04cf9f&e=60d5a56a21> Throwback Thursday: Frank Hall's Greatest Invention

By APH Blogger on Oct 25, 2018 08:29 am

A few weeks ago, the  <https://aph.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0d9bb2b66f092e599244d8765&id=f88a38d03c&e=60d5a56a21> Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field inducted  <https://aph.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0d9bb2b66f092e599244d8765&id=a65b0f7879&e=60d5a56a21> Frank Hall at a ceremony included in our annual meeting agenda.  In the aftermath, I was invited up to the  <https://aph.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0d9bb2b66f092e599244d8765&id=1fdb117f14&e=60d5a56a21> Illinois School for the Visually Impaired in Jacksonville, Illinois—where Frank worked—to present the plaque to the school and speak in the community on Frank’s life and work.  And this morning I realized that despite mentioning Frank in almost every post on the braillewriter that I have written for the last six years, we have not featured his machine.  Since it was the first successful mechanical braillewriter, and influenced almost every writer designed since, that seems a bit remiss, don’t you think?

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A Hall Braillewriter, about fifteen inches wide, with its
 metal base enameled black, a bright nickel and aluminum 
paper carriage on top, and two sets of three keys flanking 
a central space key.

The first prototype for the Hall Braille Writer was conceived by Frank Hall in 1892.  It was created by a local gunsmith and machinist, Gustave Seiber.  Hall took the prototype to the Munson Typewriter Company in Chicago, where Superintendent T.B. Harrison and designer Samuel J. Seifreid created six pilot models, delivering them to Hall on May 27th, 1892.  Munson Typewriter also made an additional lot of 94 machines for Hall that were sold all over the country.  The Hall Braille Writer significantly influenced the national debate over tactile codes that was raging at the time in favor of the braille system.

One of the happy stories told by Hall’s daughters (and recounted by  <https://aph.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0d9bb2b66f092e599244d8765&id=b194f91dc7&e=60d5a56a21> Walter Hendrickson in his book about the Illinois School) was an encounter he had with a young girl at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago.  Millions visited the great white way and one of the marvels of the show was Frank Hall’s braillewriter and stereograph machine.  Meeting Frank, and being told that he “was responsible for the writer that she used so often, she put her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.  Hall’s daughter said that he could never tell of this incident without tears in his eyes.”  That young girl, from Alabama, was a thirteen-year-old Helen Keller.  She would grow up to become one of the most effective spokespersons for women’s rights, civil rights, disability rights and human rights.  She would write books read by millions and that would be translated into countless languages that would inspire people all over the world.  And most would be composed originally in braille on a braillewriter whose design was inspired by the work of Frank Hall.  And her hands would again and again return to her bookshelves loaded with books in braille, books whose publication would have been impossible without the work of Hall, Gus Seiber, T.B. Harrison, and C.J. Seifreid.

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 <https://aph.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0d9bb2b66f092e599244d8765&id=7e8ba3de39&e=60d5a56a21> share on Twitter <https://aph.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0d9bb2b66f092e599244d8765&id=97c6ac12cd&e=60d5a56a21> Like Throwback Thursday: Frank Hall's Greatest Invention on Facebook

 <https://aph.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0d9bb2b66f092e599244d8765&id=9bbe8ed10a&e=60d5a56a21> My Guide Dog Story

By APH Blogger on Oct 24, 2018 03:26 pm

Why Receiving a Guide Dog in College was Right for Me

by Jessica Minneci

     Without fail, every morning around 7 AM, my guide dog Joyce's paws can be felt at the edge of my bed. Joyce loves waking up every morning, wagging her tail, and getting her kibble. Her enthusiasm and her ability to wake me up every morning allows me to face the day with a smile while being on-time for morning classes. These are just two of the many reasons why I am grateful that I decided to get a guide dog while I was in college.

   When I applied to get a dog from Guide Dogs for the Blind, I hoped that whatever dog I received would give me the confidence to travel and step outside of my comfort zone. Joyce has been that dog for me. She loves to work. More than that, Joyce is always by my side, watching my back and giving me a hand (or paw) in unfamiliar environments. With Joyce, I am bolder, more willing to travel home to Kentucky by myself or even go grocery shopping, something that I wasn't often willing to do with just my long white cane.

  <https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3jFZrcEGDT4/W8DhUvMdyWI/AAAAAAAAANQ/NvL8ovbHjgkbG4qpWzCLmPI2qDewg_edACLcBGAs/s400/Close%2Bup%2Bof%2BJoyce%2Bsitting%2Bnext%2Bto%2BJessica.jpg> 

Guide dog Joyce sitting at Jess' feet outside

     In addition, traveling with Joyce is much smoother than using a cane. A cane hits obstacles when you pass them whereas a dog can just guide you around them. Joyce's guide work is fluid, causing me not to miss a beat while walking, trusting that she'll get us safely to where we need to go. This holds true as she assists me past sewer grates, around parked cars, and away from oncoming cars. She also leads me away from people that she doesn't like or assumes to be a threat. Since I graduated from GDB with Joyce, we have gone around campus, to the airport, to Illinois with my family, and even to a conference in St. Louis with American Printing House for the Blind. At this juncture in my life, I am traveling quite a bit, which is great for Joyce as it gives her more work to do and exposes her to new places.

    On a typical day in college, Joyce and I go to class, to club meetings, and play together. I taught her new commands such as, "Go home." Upon hearing the command, Joyce guides me to my dorm room door. On top of that, I taught her to find my friends in the cafeteria, find professors' offices and my friends' dorm room doors, and helped her memorize certain routes around campus. In fact, a while back, I got lost in a building and couldn't find the elevator. Without giving her any directions aside from, "Forward," Joyce led me to the elevator and got three pieces of kibble.

     When we are out and about, Joyce's happy tail and smiling face has caused me to converse with a lot of new people, some with whom I became really good friends. Others simply ask me about my dog: how we were matched and what work she does for me. Through talking with these people, I have found that others are fascinated by Joyce and excited to learn how they can best interact or assist a guide dog and its handler. Still, others that I encounter just smile as they see Joyce or laugh when she dream-barks during classes.

     At the end of the day, Joyce will always be my best friend. She comforts me when I'm sick, calms me down when I have test anxiety, and makes me smile even when I am in an awful mood. When none of my friends are around to eat dinner with me, I'm glad that I have Joyce laying down at my feet, keeping them warm. Likewise, when I am bogged down with work, Joyce will come by and present me with a toy. In doing this, she not only causes me to pay attention to her but also reminds me that college may contain a lot of work, but life isn't worth it without having a little fun. For this reason, I dress Joyce up for Halloween every year.  I am thankful that I have a friend like Joyce. We continue each day to grow up, have fun, and learn together.

     If you are blind or visually impaired and have enjoyed my story, I highly encourage you to consider doing some research and deciding if a guide dog is a good fit for you. The confidence, independence, and friendship that I have gained is unlike any other.

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 <https://aph.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0d9bb2b66f092e599244d8765&id=2ef6acf4e9&e=60d5a56a21> share on Twitter <https://aph.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0d9bb2b66f092e599244d8765&id=02ddf07eda&e=60d5a56a21> Like My Guide Dog Story on Facebook