[NFB-Krafters-Korner] Introduction

[Tanya VanHouten]

Whwhat  an amazing journey… Thank you for sharing and we are so glad to have you.

Tanya VanHouten

> On Jul 9, 2021, at 10:40 PM, Ray Wright via NFB-Krafters-Korner <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello Fellow Crafters,
> Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ray Wright and I am new to
> this list. I have no light perception and am  totally blind. I became
> blind 20 years ago from Retinitis Pigmentosa after 17 years of
> deteriorating vision. I am originally from Southern California and
> currently live in Sandy, UTah, just south of Salt Lake City.
> 
> My hobby/craft is woodworking. It is also my profession. I am the
> Woodshop Instructor at the Utah Division of Services for the Blind and
> visually Impaired. Except for taking woodshop in Junior  High School,
> I never had done any woodworking since then until I went totally
> blind.  When I went blind I attended a training center in Northern
> California to learn my blindness skills . At that time I was
> reintroduced to woodworking. I fell in love with it.  I enjoy the
> artistic process  of creating something from   a board or two. When I
> was sighted, my hobby/profession was photography.   I find that making
> something tactilly with my hands fills that void I felt when I lost my
> sight and now I can create an image of a different kind.  I also love
> teaching woodworking to students who have lost their sight. It's a
> great way for me to pay it forward and instill in my students that
> just because you can't see, doesn't mean you can't use your vision to
> make beautiful keepsakes.
> 
> I have 2 favorite tools in my shop. The first one is the click-rule.
> It is a specialized measuring tool for the blind. Basically, its a
> tactile ruler. My other favorite tool is my lathe. I love to do
> woodturning and make writing pens, bowls, vases, candlesticks,
> backscratchers , tops,  ice cream scoops, bottle stoppers, pizza
> cutters, seam rippers, crochet hooks, and whatever else I can think
> of.
> 
> Anyway, that's my basic story. I look forward to being on this list
> and expanding my crafting horizons. Thanks for being so welcoming
> during the  convention.
> 
> All my best,
> 
> Ray
> 
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