The ordinary to me is fascinating to others

I use a braille display paired with my phone. I can also use the device as a notetaker. It has a display on the bottom with little pins that pop up and down when I write or when I read and change lines. In a meeting this morning, someone asked about it and was fascinated. This happened a couple of weeks ago too and happens every time I use it. To me, it is a normal device like you might pull out a pen and paper. To others, it is fascinating. I always stop and think when someone finds something I do extraordinary. Because these things are so normal to me. Yes I listen to speech on my phone at 100 percent speed. Crazy I know! Yes I walk with a guide dog. Yes I have a braille display. Yes I have cool apps like light detector, colour identifyer, bar code reader ETC. To me they become part of my life. I am glad to share them with others so that they know that blind people can do everything sighted people can do if they have the right technology and resources and support.

Got a grant thanks to the community foundation of Ottawa.

Yesterday, we got the good news that we got a grant from the community foundation of Ottawa for our program "Get together with technology" in which we will organize training in technology for people who are blind or have low vision. At the moment, we are in the midst of a pilot program in cooperation with the apple store introducing people who are blind to their products. We are very grateful to the community foundation for our grant. Stay tuned for more information.

How technology has changed.

Whenever I think back to the earliest technology I used, I am amazed at how much it has changed. I learned to read braille first. With a huge, heavy, braille machine and enormous books. Each book was several volumes of braille. I learned to type on a regular typewriter but I was always unable to proof read documents. I also never knew when the ribon ran out. Gradually, we began hearing about paperless braille. I couldn't believe something like this would ever happen. Braille that appeared and disappeared and you didn't have to carry it around? But it has happened. tomorrow, descriptions of braille displays.