[blindkid] Braille note

Richard Holloway rholloway at gopbc.org
Thu Mar 29 02:21:35 UTC 2012


I would start at least pretending you don't assume they will object, and just politely ask what their plan is for technology. I know we had a BrailleNote in first grade and several others here did too, so clearly this is not unheard of. They are probably aware of that as well.

Is your daughter exclusively a Braille reader? How far along is she with her Braille? There are many great things about BrailleNotes, but they also require more than just a basic knowledge of Braille-- there's a bit of a learning curve, so to speak.

If you learn they are already planning to move in that direction soon, obviously you're all set and there is no need for hard feelings if you're a few weeks ahead of their schedule. This late in the year though, my guess is they may not plan to start this year...

If indeed they say you're many months (or years) away, be prepared with reasons you thnk sooner is better. 

Perhaps you're concerned that...

It is hard for your child to keep up because a brailler is slower.
Your child is unable to transport a brailler because it is so heavy.
Conventional Braille keys are hard for your child to work with.
Your child has limited access to digital books which could be accessed on a BrailleNote.
Your child has need to access multiple documents in a way poorly managed with a perkins.
Your child will end up way behind in a couple of years because it will take her so long to "catch up" on BrailleNote skills, so you feel it is time to move forward.

Perhaps you feel that your child is not getting equal access to other materials because...

Other kids have the capacity to access to computer and the web at school and a BrailleNote may be part of the broader solution to assist your daughter gain access to the web at school.

If they come back and say she already has JAWS on a PC (or something similar) you may argue that she is a Braille writer and you want electronic access witha familiar input mechanism, such as an electronic Braille keyboard.

These are just items from the top of my head. You'll want your own appropriate list, obviously. This may be a casual discussion that solves the entire matter or you may have to have one or more meetings, from semi-official, to formal IEP's.

Off the record, I would point out that ultimately your daughter needs to be able to work with qwerty keyboards on computers as well as electronic Braille, but you need to position all of that carefully at first if you want things to happen in a particular order.

They are going to factor in your child's development and Braille proficiency, which may be reasonable to some degree. They are also going to (at least UN-officially) also factor in budget and what equipment they have available. This technically should not be an issue, but let's be honest, a BrailleNote on a storage room shelf is WAY easier to get assigned as opposed to one that will put the Special Ed department $6,000 further into the red.

If you want access to the equipment at home, be prepared to assume financial responsibility for a $6000 range piece of gear. Some schools want you to sign a document. Others, I have heard, want proof that your insurance will cover the gear which could require a rider added to your insurance.

Again, first things first though... See what they plan to do when before you try to force a situation. Chances are you have 11 more years working with this school system, and probably at least some of the exact same people.


in my experience, the calmer and easier you are to work with up front, the better the chance you can avoid a battle to begin with, and remember that in most cases, as soon as any sort of treat falls out of a parent's mouth, like a casual mention of legal action, there is a huge chance the school will pull back and send in the lawyer. That's a thing to avoid until an absolute last resort!


Sent from my iPad

On Mar 28, 2012, at 8:45 PM, Traci Wilkerson <traci.renee27 at gmail.com> wrote:

> My daughter is at the end of her 1st grade year and does not have a
> braillenote and I want to push for one, but know I'm probably in for a
> fight.  How do I start the discussion? I have brought it up with her TVI
> that I am interested in technology very soon for her.... and made it clear
> that I want it, but how do you go about the "fight".
> 
> Thanks,
> Traci
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