[NFBofSC] Braille Literacy Committee Agenda & Notes

[Steve Cook]

NFB of SC

Braille Literacy Committee

2021-2022

Shelley Coppel and Jamie Allison, Co-Chairs

Introduction Meeting, October 11th, 2021

Meetings to be held on the second Monday of every other month, starting in
November 2021

 

The goals of the Braille Literacy are:

*	To support Braille readers of all ages and at all levels of
proficiency within the state, whether part of the affiliate or prospective
members
*	To support others within the affiliate who wish to learn Braille
with information, resources, and when and where possible, direct instruction
in learning the Braille code
*	To encourage and emphasize the use of Braille as a nonvisual
equivalent to print within the affiliate and in the state

 

Current Initiatives

*	The committee held sessions via zoom on transitioning from EBAE
(English Braille American Edition) to UEB (Unified English Braille) on
Saturday mornings during the summer and early fall of 2021. Approximately a
handful of participants attended regularly, and the sessions were recorded
and hopefully will be archived and made available later on the state web
site. 
*	The committee sponsored and held beginner Braille classes via zoom
for four readers during the fall of 2021. These classes will continue until
completed for the current group. 
*	The committee announced the national Braille Readers are Leaders
contest in 2021 and tried to garner support for members within the state
reading for the contest. However, only a very few people participated. 

 

Moving Forward'

*	The co-chairs would like to make participating in the National
Braille Readers are Leaders contest a bigger focus this year. Specific
strategies will be discussed to let more people know about the contest and
come up with some incentives, either tangible or otherwise, to encourage
more people to read. 
*	The co-chairs would like to assist strong Braille readers within
individual chapters across the state with teaching Braille to other members.
Since chapters can more readily facilitate in-person small group
instruction, we feel this would be a better way to teach Braille to
beginners than trying to use zoom. Strategies need to be devised to help
facilitate this and be sure that those doing the instruction have the
support they need to carry it out with quality results. 
*	The co-chairs would like to continue to have instructional events,
such as classes and workshops either on zoom and when applicable and
preferably in-person if/when/as gathering in slightly larger groups can be
permitted. It was found that while zoom worked sufficiently for some events,
such as the transition to UEB sessions, it did not work as well for others
such as the Beginner Braille classes because of the challenges faced because
a tactile medium was being learned through an auditory medium. Some other
suggestions have been given, such as immersion weeks/weekends at more
central locations within the state, such as the Federation Center or the
RBCCB. The committee would need to decide which types of events are needed,
the maximum number of participants, and locations within the state for them
to be held. 

 

Agenda for October

*	Personal introductions - All participants will be asked to share
your name, home county or chapter, your general level of Braille proficiency
and a bit about why you want to participate
*	Brief overview of goals and initiatives
*	Preliminary idea-sharing about initiatives or any new ideas that
might have come to mind during the beginning of the meeting
*	November meeting time and date announcement

 

Steve Cook

District 2 State Board Member of the National Federation of the Blind of SC

President of the Columbia chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of
SC

President of the Computer Science & Technology Division of the National
Federation of the Blind of SC

The National Federation of the Blind of SC owns and operates Rocky Bottom
Retreat & Conference Center.  Below is a link to read more about Rocky
Bottom and to make a reservation for a mountain retreat!

 <http://rockybottomofsc.com/> Rocky Bottom Retreat & Conference Center

Please join the National Federation of the Blind of SC on Face Book at any
of the below links!

 <https://m.facebook.com/NatFedofSouthCarolina/> National Federation of the
Blind of SC on Face Book

 
<https://m.facebook.com/Computer-Science-Technology-Division-of-the-NFB-of-S
C-343263089815304/> Computer Science & Technology Division of the National
Federation of the Blind of SC

 <https://m.facebook.com/RockyBottomofSC/> Rocky Bottom Retreat & Conference
Center 

South Carolina Association of Blind Students

 <https://m.facebook.com/groups/375092969314880?_rdr> South Carolina Parents
of Blind Children

 

You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

 

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams.

 

 

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