[Nfbaz-talk] Peoria Times Article About NFB & Braille!
Allison (NFBA)
nfbarizona at gmail.com
Fri Dec 4 17:41:41 UTC 2009
Hi everyone,
Attached is the text of an article about the NFB and Braille that appeared in Arizona's Peoria Times newspaper last month. Marc Schmidt and I went to speak at the Peoria Rotary club about the Louis Braille coin, and the editor of the local paper just happened to be in attendance. She came up to us after the presentation and asked if she could write an article about us. We were pleasantly surprised because we hadn't intended for the Rotary presentation to turn into a press event.
The Peoria Times doesn't allow free online access to its archives so I copied and pasted the article into the bottom of this message. I also attached an html file that contains the text as well as its accompanying graphics. You can also find the story by searching Google News.
Hope you enjoy the article!
Best,
Allison Hilliker
=======
Blind Seek Understanding and Awareness
by Carolyn Dryer
November 13, 2009.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Blind seek understanding and awareness
Marcus Schmidt carries a Braille laptop wherever he goes. Schmidt is the president of the West Valley Chapter, National Federation of the Blind.
By Carolyn Dryer
An organization that mentors, trains, advocates and provides support for the blind in research and technology development. Sounds like a lot of work, and it is.
Marcus Schmidt, West Valley Chapter president of National Federation of the Blind of Arizona, and Allison Hilliker, vice president of the chapter, opened a few eyes when they spoke to Peoria Rotary Club members last month. Both are college graduates who have turned what some may describe as a handicap into an asset that helps them reach out to others and assist them in living successful lives.
The NFB is a consumer advocacy organization, "whose ultimate purpose is to assist blind and visually impaired people to become productive, independent citizens who participate fully in their community."
It is the largest organization of blind in the world, numbering 50,000 members. Started in 1940, it has four chapters in Arizona.
Schmidt said there are 1.5 million blind people in the United States, of which 150,000 are totally blind. Among the elderly, macro-glaucoma is the major cause. He said 85 percent of blind children are integrated into the public school system.
Schmidt said he and other blind people are working toward widespread acceptance and understanding that the real problem is not loss of eyesight, but misconceptions and lack of information.
NFB, Schmidt said, "brings blind together for imaginative solutions."
"Our purpose is to help blind be successful," Schmidt said, "and enable them to live lives normally, independently and freely, achieve self-confidence and respect and act as a vehicle for self-expression.
"And last, but not least, educate the public."
Blind people run into problems not because of their loss of eyesight, Schmidt said, but because of "attitudinal barriers."
Braille is what he wanted to focus on when he spoke, Schmidt said, because it is an important tool for the blind. He carries a Braille laptop, but said there is a "horrible illiteracy rate," and 90 percent of the blind in U.S. schools do not learn Braille.
Hilliker, who works as a collection development associate for Benetech, had some sight when she first started attending kindergarten. She was taught with large print instead of Braille.
"The overall attitude was Braille would be used as a last resort," she said.
Further into school, it became more and more difficult for her to read even the large print. In third and fourth grade, she could no longer keep up with reading. Her family lived in Michigan at the time and her parents got involved in a parents group of NFB.
They went back to school, told the teachers they wanted Allison to be taught in Braille.
"There was so much about literacy I wasn't getting," she said.
NFB officials helped get Braille for her, but by the time middle school rolled around, she was still behind. She said blind people have fairly equal literary skills if they learn Braille at age 4 or 5.
By the end of high school, Hilliker's vision was much worse and she could no longer use print. So, she took an extended Braille class.
She now has a degree from Arizona State University and works for an online library for the blind accessible. This past summer, she gave a presentation of her undergraduate research at a National Organization for Women conference.
"Aside from the stigma about Braille, there are not enough teachers or funding," Hilliker said.
Schmidt uses Braille extensively. When his wife died recently, his aunt helped him with labeling items around the house.
The NFB has four main goals for the future, Schmidt said.
1) Increase the number of school-age children reading Braille by 2015.
2) All 50 states pass legislation requiring special education teachers learn and maintain efficiency in Braille by 2015.
3) Braille resources are made available to children.
4) American public will learn blind people have a right to Braille literacy.
There are ways people with sight can help.
Spread the word, join the NFB in encouraging legislation for teaching Braille, and financially contribute.
Schmidt was raised in Germany and Austria, where he did all of the normal physical activities with his family; hiking, skiing. He attended high school in Vienna, and then moved to the U.S. because the country integrates the blind so well.
He graduated from Northern Arizona University, where he met his wife, and holds a degree in electrical engineering.
The West Valley Chapter NFB meets the fourth Saturday of every odd-numbered month. The next meeting is 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 28 at Faith Presbyterian Church, 16000 N. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City.
In even-numbered months, the chapter gets together for an activity. Schmidt can be reached at 602-942-0181 602-942-0181 . More information about the NFB can be obtained by visiting the national Web site, www.nfb.org.
Reach the reporter at 623-847-4604 623-847-4604 .
Copyright © 2009 Peoria Times.
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Blind seek understanding and awareness
Marcus Schmidt carries a Braille laptop wherever he goes. Schmidt is the president of the West Valley Chapter, National Federation of the Blind.
By Carolyn Dryer
An organization that mentors, trains, advocates and provides support for the blind in research and technology development. Sounds like a lot of work, and it is.
Marcus Schmidt, West Valley Chapter president of National Federation of the Blind of Arizona, and Allison Hilliker, vice president of the chapter, opened a few eyes when they spoke to Peoria Rotary Club members last month. Both are college graduates who have turned what some may describe as a handicap into an asset that helps them reach out to others and assist them in living successful lives.
The NFB is a consumer advocacy organization, "whose ultimate purpose is to assist blind and visually impaired people to become productive, independent citizens who participate fully in their community."
It is the largest organization of blind in the world, numbering 50,000 members. Started in 1940, it has four chapters in Arizona.
Schmidt said there are 1.5 million blind people in the United States, of which 150,000 are totally blind. Among the elderly, macro-glaucoma is the major cause. He said 85 percent of blind children are integrated into the public school system.
Schmidt said he and other blind people are working toward widespread acceptance and understanding that the real problem is not loss of eyesight, but misconceptions and lack of information.
NFB, Schmidt said, "brings blind together for imaginative solutions."
"Our purpose is to help blind be successful," Schmidt said, "and enable them to live lives normally, independently and freely, achieve self-confidence and respect and act as a vehicle for self-expression.
"And last, but not least, educate the public."
Blind people run into problems not because of their loss of eyesight, Schmidt said, but because of "attitudinal barriers."
Braille is what he wanted to focus on when he spoke, Schmidt said, because it is an important tool for the blind. He carries a Braille laptop, but said there is a "horrible illiteracy rate," and 90 percent of the blind in U.S. schools do not learn Braille.
Hilliker, who works as a collection development associate for Benetech, had some sight when she first started attending kindergarten. She was taught with large print instead of Braille.
"The overall attitude was Braille would be used as a last resort," she said.
Further into school, it became more and more difficult for her to read even the large print. In third and fourth grade, she could no longer keep up with reading. Her family lived in Michigan at the time and her parents got involved in a parents group of NFB.
They went back to school, told the teachers they wanted Allison to be taught in Braille.
"There was so much about literacy I wasn't getting," she said.
NFB officials helped get Braille for her, but by the time middle school rolled around, she was still behind. She said blind people have fairly equal literary skills if they learn Braille at age 4 or 5.
By the end of high school, Hilliker's vision was much worse and she could no longer use print. So, she took an extended Braille class.
She now has a degree from Arizona State University and works for an online library for the blind accessible. This past summer, she gave a presentation of her undergraduate research at a National Organization for Women conference.
"Aside from the stigma about Braille, there are not enough teachers or funding," Hilliker said.
Schmidt uses Braille extensively. When his wife died recently, his aunt helped him with labeling items around the house.
The NFB has four main goals for the future, Schmidt said.
1) Increase the number of school-age children reading Braille by 2015.
2) All 50 states pass legislation requiring special education teachers learn and maintain efficiency in Braille by 2015.
3) Braille resources are made available to children.
4) American public will learn blind people have a right to Braille literacy.
There are ways people with sight can help.
Spread the word, join the NFB in encouraging legislation for teaching Braille, and financially contribute.
Schmidt was raised in Germany and Austria, where he did all of the normal physical activities with his family; hiking, skiing. He attended high school in Vienna, and then moved to the U.S. because the country integrates the blind so well.
He graduated from Northern Arizona University, where he met his wife, and holds a degree in electrical engineering.
The West Valley Chapter NFB meets the fourth Saturday of every odd-numbered month. The next meeting is 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 28 at Faith Presbyterian Church, 16000 N. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City.
In even-numbered months, the chapter gets together for an activity. Schmidt can be reached at 602-942-0181 602-942-0181 . More information about the NFB can be obtained by visiting the national Web site, www.nfb.org.
Reach the reporter at 623-847-4604 623-847-4604 .
Copyright © 2009 Peoria Times.
Home :: News :: Sports :: Features :: Classifieds :: Yellow Pages :: Letters to the Editor :: Subscribe :: Place an Ad
Archives :: About Us :: Guestbook :: Entertainment :: Finance :: Health :: National News
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