WISCONSIN BRAILLE NEWSLETTER=
Volume 12, Issue 1=
Winter, 2011
__________________=
____________________
The purpose of Wisconsin
Braille Inc. is to advance communication and coordinate the efforts of =
all
persons concerned with the availability, quality, and distribution of brail=
led
materials in the state of Wisconsin thereby encouraging braille literacy.
__________________=
____________________
C=
olleges
Lock Out Blind Students Online
Adapted from The Chronicle of Higher Education,
December 12, 2010
Colleges
that wouldn't dare put up a new building without wheelchair access now
routinely roll out digital services that, for blind people, are the Internet
equivalent of impassable stairs. The
Chronicle, after more than two dozen interviews and a review of federal=
records,
found widespread access problems encountered by blind students. The main
problem is that the software needed to navigate the Web is geared to sighted
persons and is therefore of no use to a blind one. For example, most blind
people control their computers with a keyboard, not a mouse. In most softwa=
re,
however, simple navigational directions, such as a "start" button,
aren't keyboard enabled.
Roughly
75,000 students at colleges and trade schools are visually impaired, accord=
ing
to Education Department figures. Barriers to access could deny them equal
learning opportunities. And colleges are finding that the problems are laws=
uit
bait, generating litigation and complaints. Most colleges that have been su=
ed
by, for example, the National Federation of the Blind, have settled the sui=
ts
by promising that they would strive to use only accessible e-book readers.
Similar agreements have been reached between the Justice Department and oth=
er
colleges that have received complaints. Schools have received additional
federal pressure from the Departments of Justice and Education, which issue=
d a
joint letter stating: "It is unacceptable for universities to use emer=
ging
technology without insisting that this technology be accessible to all
students."
Colleges,
in turn, have discovered that they can wield considerable power over softwa=
re
providers when they make access for the blind a high priority. The Californ=
ia
State University system, for example, has threatened to deny foot-dragging
companies access to its market of 430,000 students. That helped push Apple,
Google, and Blackboard to upgrade their products for the blind. Blackboard =
got
so much better that in March, 2010, the National Federation of the Blind la=
uded
the company for "great improvement" in the latest release of its
course-management software.
The
Justice Department is currently considering amending the ADA's regulations =
to
specify that the Web, like a classroom building, is covered by the law. Ale=
x J.
Hurder, a clinical professor at Vanderbilt University Law School, says the
potential changes are "a big deal," because anyone in the busines=
s of
preparing content for the Internet "would be warned in advance that you
need to take these factors into consideration when you're preparing your
programs. Otherwise the market will dry up for you, and nobody will be allo=
wed
to buy them."
[Editor’s note: See also Wisconsin Braille, Fall 2010,
Blind Have Right to Access E-Books.]
T
_______________=
____________________________________________________________________
members participated in the first ever Vision Midwest Conference held in Madison on October 22-24, 2010.
The
Vision Midwest Conference, a new blind and low vision conference, was held =
at
the Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. According to
organizer Hiram Wurf, the conference finished its over 120 presentations to
rave reviews from consumer and professional attendees calling it “the
best conference we’ve ever attended” and a “unique”
conference that’s a “breath of fresh air.” The conference
featured almost 100 presenters in educational sessions from adaptive cell
phones and sensory gardening to stem cell research and dog guide etiquette =
in
the workplace; sports from blind bowling to yoga with the Visually Impaired
Yoga Mat; and leisure presentations including tactile tours at the Chazen A=
rt
Museum and a presentation on home brewing techniques for the visually impai=
red.
Presenters came from throughout the U.S. (representing 16 states and
Washington, D.C.), from Canada and from New Zealand.
The
conference Exhibitor Hall featured 32 booths with vendors for adaptive spor=
ts
and sports equipment, assistive technology, braille printing/publishing,
diabetes care, dog guides, electronic reading devices, low vision devices,
medical eye care and research, professional associations and more.
WisB=
rl members were invo=
lved
with three presentations: Sandy Adams, Vonna Johnson-Porter, Faith Kelley a=
nd
Mary Ann Damm presented “Make-a-Shape Book”; Mary Ann Damm
presented “Problems with Translating Print into Braille”; and
Marilyn Harmon did a power point presentation about “Blind and Visual=
ly
Impaired Infants and Pre-schoolers.”
In addition, WisBrl
had a booth in the Exhibition Hall. Members who helped to man the booth
included Sandy Adams, Vonna Johnson-Porter, Faith Kelley, Alison McKee, Mar=
ilyn
Harmon, and Mary Ann Damm.
The Vision Midwest Conference was sponsored by =
12 State Inc., a Madison,
Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization that seeks to advance education=
al
opportunities and accessibility in all phases of life for blind and low vis=
ion
individuals, and to provide for greater public awareness of blind and low vision issues.
_______________________________________________=
_________
2011
membership dues are due
please pay now!
Membership
renewal notices will be sent out
next month, but you can help Wisconsin
braille save money by paying your dues now.
simply use the renewal application on the
back of this newsletter.
&=
nbsp; Your support is
greatly
appreciated.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; Thank You
______________________________________________________= __________________
Wisconsin Braille Inc=
.
General Membership Me=
eting
Saturday, March 19
1:00 – 3:00
West Bend Library
630 Poplar Street
West Bend, WI
Directions: East on Hwy 33, right on
several blocks south to
Library is on the left in a new large
building with a tall clock tower.
New officers and members of the
board of directors will be elected.
Slate of Of= ficers and Directors of
Wisconsin B= raille, Inc.
Continuing Officers (2010-2012):
V= onna Johnson-Porter, Vice president
M= ary Ann Damm, Treasurer
New Officers (2011-2013):
S= andy Adams, President
D= awn Soto, Secretary
Continuing Board Members (2010-2012):
K= urt Pamperin
J= udy Turner
M= arilyn Harmon
C= heryl Orgas
K= evin Jones
New Board Members (2011-2013):
F= aith Kelley
B= ecky Williams
C= onstance Risjord
J= ulie Sumwalt
= ;_______________________________________= _________________________________
Good food – good fun!
Students in the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) vision program, their families, and their teachers gathered together on November 3rd f= or the annual Vision Potluck Dinner. The students demonstrated the many tools = they use to improve their braille writing and reading, and they enthusiastically answered questions and shared their varied experiences. A fun evening = was had by all. Elena Smith and Jayquan Jaeger demonstrated ways of producing braille, new and old.
______________________________________________________= __________________
BOO= K REVIEW
Crash= ing Through: The Extraordinary True Story of the Man Who Dared To See
By Robert Kurson. (New York: Random
House, 2007). Pp. 308.
&=
nbsp; Mike
May was rendered blind at the age of three when he found a bottle containing
calcium carbide powder left in the attic of his parent’s home by a
previous owner. The powder reacts violently with water to produce the explo=
sive
gas acetylene. When Mike attempted to wash the powder out of the bottle it
exploded covering his body with shards of glass and chemically scorching his
eyes. He survived after his body was sewn together with 400 stitches, but he
was left blind—permanently so, in the opinion of eye doctors. Mike's
father, an alcoholic, was of little help in coping with his infirmity, but =
his
mother, Ori Jean, was determined to give him an ordinary life, overcoming h=
is
handicap by simply ignoring it. A year later, when Mike had finally recover=
ed
physically, Ori Jean told a social worker that she wanted Mike to attend
kindergarten and to participate in normal activities. When the woman remind=
ed
her that the child was blind and asked her which activities she had in mind,
she replied "All of them."
&=
nbsp; With
his mother's consent and encouragement Mike May learned to live life by tri=
al
and error, what his mother called "crashing through." At the age =
of
six, for example, he decided to learn to ride a bicycle. Instead of asking =
for
instruction, he simply got on the bike of a friend and pedaled away. He alm=
ost
immediately crashed into a tree, but picked himself up and resumed the ride.
After many crashes and upsets resulting in skinned elbows and knees, he lea=
rned
to ride the streets of the village of Silver City, New Mexico, where the fa=
mily
lived, guided through traffic solely by his hearing. When Ori Jean found th=
at
the Silver City schools were closed to blind students, as were most public
schools in the country in the 1950s, she moved the family to Walnut Creek,
California, where the school system admitted blind children and provided
resource teachers to help with the logistics. He learned braille and went
through elementary and high school with a B-plus average. Graduating from
college, he was admitted to the School of Advanced International Studies at
Johns Hopkins University. While there, he was recruited by the CIA and offe=
red
a job as an intelligence analyst. He lasted two years and then quit when
"the company" would not let him become a field agent. The stodgy =
CIA
thought a blind person was too conspicuous to be an agent. May pointed out,=
to
no avail, that a blind person was conspicuous to an observer for only a fle=
eting
moment and was then not given a second thought because he was neither a dan=
ger
nor a source of interest. For the next twenty years he was employed by a se=
ries
of start-up companies interested in developing and marketing instruments, s=
uch
as a GPS guidance system, for the visually handicapped.
&=
nbsp; In
1980, after meeting Ron Salviolo, who operated a downhill skiing program for
the blind at a resort near Lake Tahoe, May decided to learn to ski. After a
single lesson on the "bunny hill," he insisted on tackling the ma=
in
slope with Salviolo to guide him solely by voice. The pair worked so well
together that they eventually began racing competition and qualified for the
1984 handicapped Olympics. May won three gold medals and established a reco=
rd
time that has never been equaled.
&=
nbsp; In
1988 he married Jennifer Smithafter a two-year courtship, and she adapted readily to the
“crashing through” philosophy instilled by his mother. It was a=
bout
ten years later that May underwent the epiphany of learning that he might b=
e enabled
to see, after all. A nationally known ophthalmologist examined him and
discovered that his right eye (the left one had become infected and removed
some years earlier) was healthy, except for the burned cornea. Cornea
transplants from victims of automobile accidents were well known; what had =
been
developed in the previous ten years was a stem-cell transplant. The downsid=
e to
the transplant was that it had only a fifty-fifty chance of success and the
medicine taken to prevent the body from rejecting the transplant had some e=
vil
side effects, including the possibility of cancer.
&=
nbsp; This
life-changing discovery constitutes chapter one of the biography. The major
flaw in this otherwise excellent book, in the view of this reader, is its
idiosyncratic organization. The book leaps from the present to past and bac=
k to
the present in alternate chapters. After Mike May discovers that he might h=
ave
a chance to regain his eyesight, however, the book settles into a
straightforward narrative. Mike took almost a year to decide whether he wan=
ted
the operation. In addition to the horrific side-effects of the chemicals
involved, he was concerned about his sense of self. His entire personage was
built on the pride of being independent despite his handicap. In the end
"crashing through" won out. "I wouldn't really be me" i=
f I
didn't go through with it, he told his two young sons.
&=
nbsp; The
operation was a success, and the best part of the book is the chapter-long
description of what it was like to see after years of darkness. Yet, he had=
one
remaining problem—getting his brain to translate the myriad colors and
shapes he was seeing. Researc=
hers
at the University of California, San Diego, had been exploring the relation=
ship
between prior knowledge and the brain's perception of what the eye
__________________=
____________________
FamilyCon=
nect
A Web Site for Parents of
Children with Visual Impairments
Created by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)= and the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI), this web site gives parents of visually impaired children a place = to support each other, share stories and concerns, and find resources on raisi= ng their children from birth to adulthood. It’s a place where parents ca= n
__________________=
____________________
<= o:p>
T=
he
Braille Corner
Dear
Ms. Perkins,
&=
nbsp; I
really don’t understand why we have to learn so many contraction rules
when the translation programs are so good.
&=
nbsp; Frustrated
Student
Dear
Student,
&=
nbsp; Back-translators
are great and save the transcriber a great deal of time; but are they
foolproof? Following is just one example of why a solid knowledge of the ba=
sic
rules is important.
&=
nbsp; When
working with scanned material we often find that words italicized in print =
are
not emphasized in braille. When the emphasis indicator is inserted into the
braille text it often pushes a hyphenated compound word onto the next brail=
le
line. The transcriber must determine if there is room for the first word of=
the
compound on the first line and fix it. Often a contraction that would not h=
ave
been used if the compound word were all on one line can be used when divided
between lines, e.g., the “in” contraction cannot be used in
“stand-in” when it is on one line, but it should be used if
“in” is pushed to the next line. The computer, however, does not
know this, and it is up to the transcriber to make the proper repair.
&=
nbsp; Test
your knowledge on hyphenated compound words by taking the little quiz below.
Underline the contractions in the words. Then, indicate “yes” if
the same contractions would be used if the word were divided between lines,=
or
“no” if they would not.
&=
nbsp; Answers are on page 7.=
1.
knock-out &nb=
sp; =
7. by-product
2. hair-do =
&nb=
sp; 8. over-blended
3. self-control =
9. step-father
4. in-coming =
10.
shut-in
5. snow-blind =
1=
1.
step-child
6. ex-/commander =
12.
bride-to-/be
[slashes
show division points]
__________________=
____________________
VOLUNTEER BRAILLISTS AND TAPISTS, Inc.
has changed its name to
BRAILLE LIBRARY &
TRANSCRIBING SERVICES, INC.
Volunteer
Braillists and Tapists, Inc. of Madison, a nonprofit group that provides
reading material to blind and visually impaired people announced that it has
changed its name to Braille Library & Transcribing Services, Inc. The B=
oard
of Directors feels that the new name more accurately describes the function=
and
mission of the organization.
Vonna
Johnson-Porter, vice president, says that during the forty years that VBTI,=
now
BLTS, has been in operation, many changes have occurred – particularl=
y in
the computer world. People needing materials transcribed into braille, i.e.,
businesses, doctor’s offices, government agencies, restaurants, etc.,
usually search the Internet for a provider. Having a name that comes at the
beginning of the alphabet instead of the end, and clearly explains its purp=
ose,
will make such a search more fruitful for both them and us.
Another
major issue is the need to advertise our braille lending library that has o=
ver
2,000 titles including children’s books, cooking, crocheting, and sew=
ing
books, classics and current best sellers.
In
addition the VP noted that fundraising is difficult as BLTS competes with o=
ver
4,000 registered nonprofits in Dane County. The problem is how to get the
attention of donors as few people outside of our organization know what a
“braillist” or a ‘tapist” is.
BLTS asks for help=
in
passing the word of this name change to any and all people who might be in =
need
of braille or taped materials.
__________________=
____________________
Jazz up the old Perkins with a =
new
paint job
Want
to display your old Perkins braille writer on the sideboard as a conversati=
on
piece, but it’s scratched and battered? The Volunteers of Vacaville, =
in
Vacaville, California, will paint it and give it a beautiful hammered finish
for only $7.50. Choose your color: dark green, verde green, gold, bronze, r=
ed,
black, or the original gray.
They
will also repair and refurbish your braille writer for $35.00, plus the cos=
t of
any replacement parts. They guarantee satisfaction and give a 180 day warra=
nty
on labor and replacement parts. Their current turnaround time is from 3 to 5
days, excluding shipping time.
Their
highly skilled technicians have repaired hundreds of braille writers since
1965. They will fully disassemble, clean, repair, oil, and reassemble each
braille writer.
If
you have a braille writer that you no longer want and donate it to VOV, they
will clean and repair it and give it to an individual or school that may no=
t be
able to afford one – or they will donate it to your school or the
organization of your choice.
Learn more about t=
his
organization that is part of<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> the California Department of Rehabilitation at www.volunteersofvacaville.or=
g. =
__________________=
____________________
WisBrl Board of Di=
rectors
Meets: Bylaw Change Approved
The
board of directors of Wisconsin Braille Inc., met on November 6, 2010, at t=
he
Sequoya Branch Library in Madison. At that time they approved the following
change to Section 4 of the bylaws.
Change
the statement from
“A director, after serving two
2-year terms, is not eligible to serve again on the Board of Directors for =
one
year”
to “A director, upon unanimous approval by the board of direct=
ors,
may serve another term.”
The change will be=
voted
on at the next general membership meeting on March 19th.
__________________=
____________________
ANSWERS TO MS.
PERKINS’ QUIZ
1.=
knock-out yes
2.=
hair-do yes
3.=
self-control yes
4.=
in-coming no (in-
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; =
com ing)
5.=
snow-blind
yes
6.=
ex-command =
er =
no (ex-
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; =
command =
er
7.=
by-product yes
8.=
over-blended yes
9.=
step-father &nbs=
p;
yes
10. shut-in=
no (shut-
=
in
11. step-
12. bride-to-be
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; be)=
__________________=
____________________
The Wisconsin Brai=
lle
newsletter is published three times a year. Deadlines are: Spring/Summer
– May 15, Fall – September 1, Winter – December 15
__________________=
____________________
The purpose of this
newsletter is to disperse information. Wisconsin
Braille Inc. does not endorse or vouch for the reliability of any of the
persons, organizations, or products appearing in this publication.
__________________=
____________________
Wisconsin Braille Inc. welcomes letters from readers on all subjects
concerning braille and blindness. Publication of letters will be at the
editor’s discretion. Letters must be signed, but names will be withhe=
ld
upon request.
__________________=
____________________
MEMBERSHIP APPLICA=
TION
Use the following form=
to
join or renew your membership to Wi=
sconsin
Braille Inc. Please make checks and money orders payable to: WISCONSIN
BRAILLE INC.
Regular membership=
, annual
dues: $10
Sustaining members=
hip,
annual dues: $30
Lifetime membershi=
p: $200
Please include: th=
e date,
your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. Also advise if you wi=
sh
printed material to be sent to you in regular type, e-mail or braille.
Please answer the
following: What is your affiliation with the braille-reading community? (Li=
st
all that apply.) Teacher, educational assistant, transcriber, proofreader,
administrator, producer, parent, user, other (specify).
Return application=
and
payment to: Wisconsin Braille Inc., Membership Chair, 557 Milky Way, Madiso=
n,
WI 53718
__________________=
____________________
Visit our website:
www.wisbrl.org
__________________=
________________________
This version of the
Wisconsin Braille newsletter was prepared by the members of the OSCI Braille
Program. It has not been proofread. Readers are encouraged to report noted
errors to: Wisconsin Braille Newsletter, Editor, 5263 Anna Lane, Middleton,=
WI
53562.