[Nfbwv-talk] Herald Dispatch Article

[C. Smyth]

Way to go Huntington Area Chapter.  Keep up the good work!!



Charlene Smyth

NFBWV President



January 25, 2009 @ 12:00 AM

BILL ROSENBERGER

The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON - 

 

Members of the Huntington chapter of the National Federation of 

the Blind spent a few hours Saturday afternoon talking to folks about the 

Braille system and encouraging those who are blind or know someone who is blind 

to learn the print-conversion.

"Braille is not a language," said Joyce Porter, recording secretary for the 

chapter. "Braille is to a blind person what print is to a sighted person; you 

read Braille with your fingers and you read print with your eyes. Not every 

blind person knows Braille. It's around 10 percent. If 10 percent of sighted 

people in school knew print, people wouldn't have jobs."

The group hopes that the bicentennial of the birth of Braille founder Louis 

Braille will help raise awareness to the importance of blind people to learn how 

to read and write. It is a series of six dots, the combinations of which make 

the letters and numbers.

In addition to offering information about the local chapter, member Brad Hodges, 

along with Porter and chapter president Mary Ann Saunders, demonstrated 

equipment while stationed at Empire Books and News at Pullman Square.

Hodges used a Perkins Brailler, similar to a typewriter, while Porter and 

Saunders used a Braille n' Speak and a Braille Note. Both are designed to take 

notes, as well as a few other features, and hook up to printers.

They also gave out free Braille calendars, typed people's names in Braille and 

gave out brochures on the Braille alphabet.

Hodges hopes that someday, Braille will become so commonplace amongst the 

visually impaired and seeing alike that blind becomes just another 

characteristic.

The chapter meets from 6 to 8 p.m. on the third Monday of the month at the 

Junior League Community Center, 617 9th Ave., Huntington.

For more information, call 304-697-1434 or visit www.nfbwv.org.