[NFBOH-Cleveland] Is Braille in Your Toolbox?

[ali benmerzouga]

Message from President Mark Riccobono

 

Dear Friend,

 

This month we celebrated World Braille Day on January 4 in honor of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille. I had occasion to reflect on some questions

about Braille and I share some of those thoughts with you here.

I was asked, “How does Braille help you as President of the National Federation of the Blind. And what advice would you have for someone who is learning

Braille?”

In part I shared, “I use Braille all of the time. My Braille display is connected to my iPhone, and I use it to take notes and read documents. And I especially

use Braille when I want to have information and give presentations, it's invaluable. I have my trusty slate right here that I write notes on, jot little

things down so I don't forget them. I can't imagine doing the variety of things that the Federation expects me to do without having a whole variety of

tools available, and Braille is one of those very important tools.”

Members of the Federation encouraged me to learn Braille. I had been told when I was a senior in high school that they could teach me Braille if I wanted

to learn it. Now, I was a teenager and did not see any reason to learn Braille. I did not learn Braille until I met members of the Federation who explained

why I might want Braille. Members challenged me to think about how I was going to do the things I said I wanted to do without really being able to read

and write effectively on the go.

So, what do you need to do if you want to learn Braille? Well, there are two things I would encourage. Number one is to find a mentor. Find a Braille buddy,

someone who can encourage you, inspire you, read with you, and share notes with you. Don't go on the journey alone. I know that was a motivator for me

when I learned Braille. I had a friend who was working on Braille at the same time. The other thing that I would say is put Braille under your fingers

every day, and even if it's just carrying around some index cards with Braille on it, make sure you are reading Braille every day.

I didn't start learning Braille until I was in my twenties, even though there is a myth that at some point it's too late to learn Braille. Even learning

the alphabet is useful for notetaking and for things like labeling household items, buttons, medications, etc.

In the National Federation of the Blind, we foster independence. In honor of World Braille Day, I urge you to learn about Braille, to commit to learning

to read Braille yourself, or to improve your Braille reading skills. The more tools we possess, the more likely we are to live the lives we want and raise

expectations for all.

 

Sincerely,

Mark A. Riccobono, President

National Federation of the Blind

 

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