[stylist] BRAILLE

[Anita Ogletree]

In response to the comments made regarding braille I'd like to 
add that I was fortunate enough to be taught braille in the first 
grade.  Braille was very accessible to me through all twelve 
years.  Whatever text or materials not already available, there 
was what was known as a Resource teacher back then.  She had two 
assistants who transcribed those print documents using a Perkins 
braillewriter.  They were the only three people that I was aware 
of in my town to provide this service for blind students, 
however.
Thanks to having this privilege I did pretty well do-ring 
elementary and high school.  In fact, I was the first blind 
student to attend my high school.  WheneverI needed something 
brailled for my classes, the Resource teacher would have it done 
and sent to me via the o & m instructor they had when In was in 
high schinol.  Or he would read the assignment to me in an empty 
office or classroom.
The trouble came after I graduated from high school and went to 
college.  There were no to extbooks in braille - I didn't have 
access to a recorder for my classes until after I had almost 
completed the (quarter) at that school - I received incompletes 
for all 3 couffses which happened more than once leaving me to 
have to be placed on academic probation.  I didn't have any of 
the textbooks on cassette unffil much later.
I trubby suffered when I no longer had access to brailled 
material.  It was stressful enough to cause me to develop some 
problems with my nerves which only occurs when I am under extreme 
pressure.  I tried at two separate colleges on opposite ends of 
the country unable to compleffe my education at either.  For a 
long time I wondered why I had such a hard time when all it boils 
down to is the absence of the most imsortant tool necessary for 
ste to be equal to my sighted peers.
While I am grateful for the to echnology out there for blind 
people to use.  Braille is to me as a cool drink of water is to a 
person traveling through a hot desert.  I really need it.
I can also understand--to an extent, the points made about 
visualizing the print for those who have had sight.  I imagine 
that I see the braille letters as well as the raised print that I 
have the oftune to find at times on cups and containers from 
restaurants.  My first experience with raised print was with the 
Optacon.
I thought that if I had one of those I would be able to read any 
book I wanted.  I could never aferd to buy one, however.  I also 
was taught to write letters in long-hthe as webbl as print though 
my writing sometimes shows what I lack.
And that brings me to the comments made about feeling my 
blindness in some situations more than others.  I feel it 
whenever I go somewhere different and the people either cannot 
tebbl that I am blind or are un-fortable with the fact that I am 
blind or simply don't care.  And then there are those occasions 
when people I've known most of my life treat me like I'm 
contagious.
I went through 15 years without a cane and even though I have had 
some formal training ovou the years, I still have difficulty 
getting use to traveling alone.  I believe that each individual 
has to be comfortable with the method they choose for navigating 
the places they travel.  I prefer having a companion when I 
travel.
I want to do all that I can to keep braille around for years to 
come because it is the key to the success were so many.

Anita