[Ohio-talk] BELL article

[Cheryl Fields]

Thanks this is good!
Onward! Let's Go Build the Federation! Cheryl Fields


On 7/5/17, Deanna Lewis via Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Thanks for sending along this article! Sounds like Bell was a huge success
> again this year. I love Kendon's quote at the end of the article, very
> cute.
> Thank you to everyone who helps with the Bell Academy in one way or another.
> You all rock!
> Deanna
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ohio-Talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Shelbi
> Hindel via Ohio-Talk
> Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2017 8:35 AM
> To: ohio talk
> Cc: Shelbi Hindel
> Subject: [Ohio-talk] BELL article
>
> Academy gets kids in touch with Braille early
>
> http://www.thisweeknews.com/storyimage/OH/20170703/NEWS/306309948/AR/0/AR-30
> 6309948.jpg&MaxH=225&MaxW=225
>
> Monday
>
> Jul 3, 2017 at 9:00 AM
>
> KEVIN PARKS THISWEEKNEWS.COM @KevinParksTW1
>
> When Heather Leiterman was a student at the Ohio State School for the Blind,
> her mother pushed for her to be taught Braille, the system of raised dots
> that can be read with the fingertips.
>
> "It is just as useful as a pen and paper to a sighted person," she said.
>
> However, school officials felt that little Heather, who had low vision due
> to glaucoma, still had sufficient sight to read magnified text, so she never
> learned Braille as a child.
>
> By the time Leiterman, a former longtime resident of Clintonville who now
> lives in downtown Columbus, lost her vision completely at age 29, it was a
> little late in life to pick up the subtle skill needed to master Braille.
> Leiterman, now in her 40s, said her fingertips lack the sensitivity the
> language requires.
>
> "Technically, I guess I'm functionally illiterate," Leiterman said.
>
> To help prevent others from falling into the same category, Leiterman served
> last week as coordinator of the fifth annual Ohio Braille Enrichment for
> Literacy and Learning Academy, held at her alma mater in Clintonville for
> blind and low-vision students ages 5-12 from throughout the state. It is a
> program of the National Federation of the Blind.
>
> The Ohio BELL Academy targets blind and low-vision children who may not
> receive enough Braille and nonvisual skill instruction in school or who
> could benefit from summertime Braille enrichment, according to the
> federation's website.
>
> The academy features crafts, games and other projects that emphasize the use
> of Braille and teach independent-living skills, as well as mentoring from
> blind adults and field trips.
>
> As important as the intense Braille instruction and the introduction to
> technology are for the youngsters in the Ohio BELL program, Leiterman said,
> is the interaction they have with one another.
>
> "Some of these kids are in public schools, and they never meet another blind
> kid," she said.
>
> "The success is getting them here to participate in the program," added
> Michael Leiterman, Heather's husband, who helped to coordinate the academy.
> "The kids get, I hope, inspiration to hear that Heather and I have handled
> the world."
>
> Michael Leiterman, an attorney, also is blind.
>
> "What we want the students to get from it is we as blind adults live full
> lives," said Marianne Denning, a volunteer for the past four summers. "We
> try to do it in a fun way. We mix some fun with it."
>
> "This population is so underserved in school," said Debbie Baker, a
> volunteer teacher from the Ohio BELL Academy's inception. "It's nice to see
> them interact with each other and give them social time because they're all
> on a level playing field."
>
> Some of the half-dozen or so students, including one who traveled from
> Virginia, arrived already fairly proficient in Braille, while others hadn't
> been exposed to it much, Denning said.
>
> "This opportunity is especially important for those students," she added.
>
> "It was fun and exciting," said 9-year-old Kendon Sears, a Fayetteville
> resident. "We got to get ice cream. We got to see a fire truck, but it
> started raining.
>
> "Sad face," he said, adding a verbal emoji.
>
> kparks at thisweeknews.com
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Wishing You All the Best,

Cheryl E. Fields


A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human
life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will
never sit.
--D. Elton Trueblood