e-mails from my mom.

My mom has recently learned to send and receive e-mails. She sends them to me regularly. It is so wonderful to open up the inbox and find things like: "Have a good day honey. I love you!" And: "I miss Tulia." Notice she doesn't miss me smile! Or, "Good luck with your workshop." Things like that. It reminds me of the fact that my mom learned braille when I was small. She wrote me lots of notes. Notes on the fridge. Notes in my lunch. Notes from santa and the easter bunny and the tooth fairy. I never quite knew how a rabbit could write braille! Notes when I was away at boarding school and university. Tags on christmas gifts. We haven't exchanged notes for several years. Just talked on the phone but now the notes are back in my inbox and I love it! Can even read them in braille with my braille display.

Happy birthday Louis Braille.

I interrupt my posts on dog boots and winter to say happy birthday to Louis Braille. It is hard to believe that braille is over 200 years old and in some ways has never changed. Yes, there are braille displays and braille printers now but braille itself has not changed. Some say in these days of computer programs that read aloud text on the screen, audio books, etc, that braille is dying. I sure hope it isn't. When given a choice, I will read in braille if I can. I have read studies that blind people who know braille are more likely to be employed. I would urge anyone going blind to try to learn at least a little of braille. I love braille. Happy happy birthday to you Louis Braille you have had a very huge effect on my life.

Great things about being blind. Providing braille.

Last week, someone I know contacted me from their work to ask if I would be able to braille something in appreciation of a blind colleague for their work and contribution. I was thrilled to do this. I was also touched that he thought of asking me to do it. I know how happy I am when someone provides me with accessible materials without having to ask them to do so. It always makes my day. So, if you aren't sure what format to use when communicating with someone who is blind, ask. Then try to remember in future to provide that format to that person. It is so much appreciated. Thanks to those who do this automatically. You make my day.

Great things about being blind. Brailling valentines

Happy Valentine's day to all. One great time to be blind was Valentine's day. I would braille Valentine's cards. I could put whatever messages in them I wanted. People wanted to get them. They were unique. Of course, there was another advantage. Say if I really liked someone and wrote it on the Valentine, then they came and asked me to read it, if I didn't have the courage, I could make up something else. The chances of people finding someone else to read the cards was very low. Of course, at school for the blind, we all brailled cards so my advantage was lessened.

Great things about being blind. The novelty of braille.

I was going to write about something else today. I had it all picked out and everything. But, you'll have to wait for that entry as I saw in my inbox a message from a friend about great things about having friends who are blind. She said, practicing and learning braille. Everyone is fascinated by braille. they want to touch it which is good as that is what you are supposed to do with braille. People always say, "How can you tell the difference between those dots? They are so small?" When I first touched braille in grade one, I was shown my name on a card and told it was my name. I thought, "No way. They all feel the same." But I learned braille quickly as I've always loved to read and to write and that was the way to go about it. I loved and still love braille. These days, although I use a computer with screen reading software (my software reads what is written on my screen and what I type) and although I listen to audio books from the CNIB library
http://www.cnib.ca/
and from
http://www.audible.com/ and although I am adicted to podcasts from
www.cbc.ca/podcasting
http://www.bbcworldservice.com/
selected shorts from PRI
the tobolowsky files,
the newyorker fiction podcasts,
http://www.serotalk.com/
I am especially fond of the Ouch podcast on bbc about people with disabilities
www.bbc.co.uk/ouch
I love to read braille and to write with braille.
When I am creating a story to tell or an article, I like to edit and write using braille when possible.
I have a braille notetaker but would dearly love a braille display for my computer all the time so I can read everything in braille.
They are very expensive though.
But in the beginning, we had huge bulky braille books.
One book could be from six to twenty fat volumes of braille.
When traveling to and from school for the blind, or on vacation, I carried heaps of books.
When finishing highschool in my home community, I didn't have a locker. I had a storage cupboard filled with books.
Many of my friends have wanted to learn braille and some have done so. I am always touched when they hand-braille a card for me.
One time in University, all of my residence floor mates had those little message boards outside their room doors. They used to leave notes for each other. "Are you going to dinner at 5?" Etc. I complained jokingly that I never got any messages. I went off to study and when I returned, found a piece of paper taped to my door. It had bumps on it. But they didn't seem like braille. Not having a brailler to use or even slate and stylus, they had punched holes with a pin and used a ruler or something I don't know.
I couldn't read it. They said, "You'd better figure it out. It took us hours to do." I tried my best.
Another friend once borrowed a brailler and brailled me a short story for christmas.
It took him many hours.
I read it in about five minutes and said, "That was a good story."
"you're done already?"
I appreciated the time consuming effort it took.
My mom learned braille when I did and put notes for me on the fridge, wrote me notes from Santa, the easter bunny (I never figured out how a rabbit could actually hop around on those brailler keys) and even the tooth fairy.
I am touched when I am handed braille business cards.
I hope all young children who are blind will always learn braille.
I hope that braille displays come down in price so everyone who wants one can have one.
I love braille.
Thanks Louis Braille for your wonderful invention.

Great things about being blind. The audeo book experience.

I had a bit of a stressful day yesterday. When I climbed into bed, I took my audeo book with me. I love reading braille but also love listening to books, to people read, and to podcasts now. Audio book players have gotten smaller. Braille displays mean that you can read braille that isn't so bulky too. As I listened to the amazing british reader reading my audio book, I felt almost immediately much more relaxed. Then I thought, no wonder I love storytelling. I've been listening to words, voices, stories all of my life. Both of my parents read to me from a very young age. Before I could read, I told stories. Once I could read, I read everything I could literally get my hands on and still listened to audio books. I can listen to an audio book while exercising (except in the pool) while doing dishes, laundry, brushing the dog, etc. Part of my path to storytelling came through audio books and being read to. And still when I feel wound up, stressed, or upset, those voices of readers, or storytellers, calm me down and put me in a world of words. If anyone wants to find out more about my own storytelling performances and workshops, feel free to contact me.