[nfbcs] You are amazing

[Tami Jarvis]

Mike,

Well, I've been declared amazing for any number of reasons over the past 
few years. I can perform such miraculous feats as walking down a wide, 
straight corridor without running into the walls or finding my keys in 
the pocket of my purse or... I forget why else I am amazing. /lol/ I 
think I was amazing for studying braille at work while I was still 
reading somewhat visually. I might also have been brave or something. I 
forget. /lol/

Attitudes towards braille are interesting, going by what people blurt 
out when it comes up. Some take it for granted that of course a blind 
person would read braille and that someone who loses their sight later 
would learn it. Why not? Others are totally shocked that a blind person 
can read in any way at all but will be curious when they learn it can be 
done with either speech or braille. I'm more disturbed by attitudes in 
the folks in education and rehab and sometimes among blind people about 
braille and braille reading. When you hear things like, "Blind people 
can't really learn braille," from your rehab agency, your hair kinda 
stands on end! I have a sneaking suspicion that comes from the cost of 
braille reading equipment or even paper braille or something... I don't 
really get it. It's really sad when the blind people around here spit 
out the same stuff, though. But our agency has seemed almost 
anti-braille, which is weird. Oh, officially, they won't test my reading 
speed now that my hand injuries are healed up because, according to 
them, I refuse to learn braille. That's weird.

Sometimes when people are completely amazed or flummoxed by this reading 
of braille by a blind person -- maybe because I still have some residual 
vision? -- I point out that since I can learn programming languages or 
whole other real languages, braille is not that difficult. It's just a 
different alphabet. That seems to help them over the hurdle. When 
someone says, "But it's really hard!" I say, "So?" /lol/ Learning 
braille as an adult is really hard for sure. But, honestly, so what?

Tami

On 09/10/2013 05:13 AM, Mike Jolls wrote:
> I know this is a forum on computer related topics, but I don't know of a general list where I can post this question, and I wanted to pose this to other braille readers for an opinion.  If you would prefer that this not be discussed here, just let me know and I'll take it somewhere else.
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> I am a visually impaired braille reader.  I had my reasons for learning the skill such as realizing that my vision was terrible and I knew I had to find some alternate method that might give me better reading speed.  I don't consider myself a "hero" or anything like that because I read Braille.  It's just a tool.  I can read print, but I can't read it easily or quickly and I just needed to try and find another method.  It just so happens that Braille is a good alternative.  And even though I read Braille, I'm not the fastest reader.  I'm still working on that one.
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> That stated, I am amazed at the number of normally sighted people that tell me "you're so amazing" when they see a sighted (albeit partially sighted/visually impaired) person reading Braille.  It seems they think that learning Braille is some superhuman impossible feat akin to climbing Mt. Everest that they couldn't possibly accomplish ... like it's a skill that only a select cadre of gurus are capable of learning.  Sometimes I get tired of hearing the comment, but usually I politely say "thank you" and move on.
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> I'm just wondering if any of you have experienced this, and how you handle it?  What's your take on why people are so amazed?  It seems logical to me.  Simply put ... when you have problems doing things the conventional way, you find a method that you can use effectviely.  So what's the big deal?
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> Anybody want to comment?
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