Braille Reading-A Miracle in Theory
By Riley Wood
My Teddy Bear Mocks Me
The world became darker today
And inch by inch
Meter by meter
Day by day
It will get even darker
I am going blind
And when I think about it
Really think about it
I cry
And when I look at my teddy bear
I cry harder
His perfect, shiny, black eyes
Not even a scratch upon them
He mocks me with his
Perfect
Sight
But today I went to school
And my teacher gave me a paper
It was covered in bumps
She called it braille
Now, three years later
I live in a world of black ink
But the braille
Beautiful along my fingertips
Helps me read
I learned its code of letters
And the inky world
Seems a little brighter
I think of my old bear and laugh
Who's the one to be mocked now?
The Simplistics of Braille...
Dear Mrs.Baker,
When you begin to teach little Kinzie the Braille system, you will find it is actually extremely easy. It is made up of "Braille cells", a three by two grid used to present the different letters, words, phrases, symbols and numbers that can be created. You yourself will begin to learn Braille, too, as Dr.Brian uses simple techniques to slowly teach Kinzie how to read the small bumps.
After going through her tactical training for her fingers, Kinzie will be able to find and feel the Braille with little difficulty.Though she is only nine, I assure you that Kinzie will be able to grasp the concept of Braille. It will make a tremendous difference in her life of no sight. Even with her learning difficulties (ADHD and ADD) she will most certainly be able to learn Braille. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact myself or Dr.Brian for more information.
Sincerely,
Dr.Patrick
Dr.Brian- 817-357-8976
Dr.Patrick- 817-331-9027
Some Braille Fun-facts...
-Braille was created by a blind Frenchman
-Braille for feet exists!
-There is Braille for things such as Scientific characters, music notes, computer notation, and assorted Foreign languages
-Braille was created based on an already existing raised bump system
-There are 3 different "Grades" of Braille
-6-dot Braille cells can create 63 unique combinations!
The Day The Blind Girl Came...
"Don't you DARE ask me about my difficulties in reading! You snotty children think I must be stupid! For your information, I have been reading perfectly fine with my Braille! You know, that machine and those bumps? Yeah, well I read with them and my fingers so BACK OFF!" I took a step back. The aid mouthed a sorry to me and took Kinzie away, gently scolding her.
Tonight, I asked my parents about Braille. They shrugged their shoulders and told me I should look it up. I did. Braille? It's AWESOME. It helps children like Kinzie and other blind people read. Using the bumps, they use their fingers to feel and their brain to understand what each series of dots mean. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll get a nicer response from Kinzie and she can show me the poem she wrote during lunch. I think it hand something to do with her teddy bear..?