[blindkid] Braille note

Mon Mar 12 15:31:43 UTC 2012

Janice
Many times technology is NOT introduced because the TVI cannot teach
it--she or he is not going to suggest something that is going to make them
look inept and cannot teach.

The funding is there (speaking as a TVI and ADMIN in the position to know
how to move money where districts need it)....now you just need a teacher
to teach it
Denise

On Sun, Mar 11, 2012 at 9:36 PM, Janice <jjordan_pa at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Thanks for the response, Richard. Ari has no light perception either. She
> is mentally intact and appropriate for age. Currently we have a Perkins
> (school owned) brailler. Homework takes us forever and consists of doing
> the work and then brailling it after. We are so frustrated.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 11, 2012, at 9:16 PM, Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org> wrote:
>
> > This may have nothing to do with your situation, but is your daughter
> exclusively a braille reader? These machines are expensive and all too
> often, low vision kids aren't pushed towards braille when it may be more
> appropriate for them than large print, etc., in the long run. This may be
> largely because schools feel the expense is not justified. Not just the
> expense of the BrailleNote, but all the associated expenses of making
> braille work in general. Braille seems to be a last resort in far too many
> systems planning and approach.
> >
> > If I might ask, what are they providing for her at this time? Large
> Print? An adapted computer? Just a Perkins Brailler? Sounds like it may be
> time to start gearing up for a push in a different direction at your
> daughter's next IEP.
> >
> > At first, I was amazed that they bought some of the expensive equipment
> they did for our daughter's needs (she has no light perception so there is
> no question about braille for her) then I realized that things like a
> braillenote with a braille embosser that has a print attachment actually
> saves them money as compared to paying someone to convert manually brailled
> homework into print for her classroom teacher.
> >
> > Kendra does her homework on the braillenote in many cases and then they
> just print it at school either in print only for the teachers to review, or
> in print and braille if she will need feedback. Same thing for school work,
> quizzes and tests much of the time. Her embossing equipment should last for
> many more years at school, but I expect it has already paid for itself many
> times over in the past three years just in man hours saved for the school.
> >
> > If the argument cannot be made for this equipment to be bought simply
> because it is appropriate by itself, that cost savings might prove a useful
> "back door" approach. Perhaps something to think about? There may be other
> approaches as well. Does she have the same computer access at school as the
> other children, for example?
> >
> > I know this must be terribly frustrating, but I'll bet there is an
> approach to get your daughter a more appropriate solution!
> >
> > Richard
> >
> > On Mar 11, 2012, at 11:30 PM, Janice wrote:
> >
> >> Geez-- my daughter is 11 and in 4th grade and has not even been
> introduced to a BrailleNote. It is SO frustrating knowing the technology is
> out there but it is not accessible to her. We moved from Idaho to
> Washington because the education was better here. Sounds like we are still
> behind the times. I am at a loss. Janice
> >>
> >> Sent from my iPhone
> >>
> >> On Mar 7, 2012, at 3:48 PM, DrV <icdx at earthlink.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>> My 4th grade son has been taking his BrailleNote to & back from school
> >>> since Kindergarden.
> >>> For us it was never even a question - He needs the tool to do his
> >>> homework.
> >>> It is a vital part of his educational experience.
> >>> How is a child expected to keep up or excel if they are not allowed to
> >>> appropriate access & tools?
> >>> I would argue that the BrailleNote is needed to access the mandatory
> >>> general ed curriculum at home & school.
> >>> My 2 cents.
> >>> Eric
> >>>
> >>> On 3/7/12 2:53 PM, "Dr. S. Merchant" <smerchant at vetmed.lsu.edu> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> I really think the maturity of the individual student needs to be
> taken
> >>>> into
> >>>> account, so to deny access to this piece of equipment at home until a
> >>>> certain age doesn't make sense.  However, the Braille notetakers can
> be
> >>>> somewhat fragile as concerns their pin movements to create the
> Braille and
> >>>> the functioning Braille display sometimes doesn't survive intact when
> >>>> dropped, but on the other hand it isn't thin glass either.  My son
> and a
> >>>> few
> >>>> of the students that were in his self contained VI class were taking
> their
> >>>> Braille note takers (school bought/owned) home in the first and second
> >>>> grade. It then never left his side through high school.
> >>>>
> >>>> Sandy Merchant Taboada
> >>>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On
> >>>> Behalf Of Penny Duffy
> >>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 3:49 PM
> >>>> To: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
> >>>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Braille note
> >>>>
> >>>> I know in our district the students bring their braille notes and or
> >>>> laptops
> >>>> home. Many kids use them for their homework. They are provided by the
> >>>> district.  I am pretty sure IDEA mentions home use. I don't have the
> >>>> wording.  I am just dragging it out of my memory. Which could be
> wrong.
> >>>> On Mar 7, 2012 4:44 PM, "Carly B" <barnesraiser at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Hi everyone,
> >>>>>
> >>>>> IEP season... oh, yay!! :) I am going to be making a request for my
> >>>>> son having a Braille notetaker (MPower or other) to bring home. I'm
> >>>>> convinced that having it at home will support his Braille acquisition
> >>>> considerably.
> >>>>> He's in 3rd grade now and this would be for his 4th grade year. I'm
> >>>>> wondering at what age/grade kids have gotten Braille notetakers for
> >>>>> home and school use, and whether it was provided by the school or
> from
> >>>>> some other agency (or from you), and what have been benefits of
> having
> >>>>> it at home?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Thank you so much for any input on this question.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> :) Carolynn Barnes
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> >>>>
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> >>>>
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-- 
 Denise

Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
CEO, TechVision, LLC
Specialist in Technology/Training/Teaching for blind/low vision
509-674-1853

Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons all done with
keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com

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