Braille and the iPad

You may not be aware but you can read braille  on an iPad.  You did need additional hardware.  You will need a compatible bluetooth refreshable braille display.  Abby uses  Refreshabraille 18 from APH with her iPad.   Its small and has both a braille display and braille input keys.   It can be a bit tricky to learn to pair it with the iPad (once you learn the tricks its not that hard at all). It really is surprising how well it does Grade 2 braille.  There is all kinds of uses. Abby is currently using it as a way for her to read and write email.

Abby using the refreshable braille display with the IPad.

 Abby can use it enough already to read her emails (in braille) and respond back (in braille). Its a great motivator for her. She thinks its a lot of fun.  Since she is still learning I watch on the iPad screen and I can help if she needs help.

Abby loves to write

Abby checking her work.

I think the jury is still out if the iPad will replace a Braille notetaker for Abby down the road but its a great tool for her NOW and its a LOT less expensive solution over a braille note taker.  

We are both still learning the ropes. If you have any links or advice to share that would be great and if you have any questions please feel free to ask. 

help links:

Common braille commands for voice over navigation 

Video : WonderBaby Refreshable Braille Display and the iPad

Video: iPad2 with  Refreshabraille 18 for Regular Ed Parents/Teachers 1-2

Video: iPad2 with  Refreshabraille 18 for Regular Ed Parents/Teachers 2-2

Adventures In Reading: Brave Norman

Abby has been reading a book a week for her reading for homework.  This week she read "Pets to the Rescue: Brave Norman" . Abby loves stories about animals so I ordered it when I was doing a Seedlings order. Its a great story.  Its a beginning reader so it was perfect for Abby. The story line was great and I really recommend the story to everyone.  Its a TRUE story about a dog named Norman that goes blind.  Norman saves a girl who is drowning.

Abby loves adventures.

Abby loved hearing Norman's story. She related to Norman a little too.  She is really seeing how reading can be fun.

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Brave Norman at Seedling in contracted braille http://seedlings.org/details.php?id=608&cat=0&search=brave%20norman

Print version of Brave Norman at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Brave-Norman-Story-Andrew-Clements/dp/0689834381/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_2

The spark of reading has become a flame.

Abby reading. tonight

It was almost a year ago that I announced Abby was reading. Now the level she was reading at was VERY beginner. Every letter was a struggle. The fight through the past year has been very hard. Many times I saw no hope in sight. The past few weeks Abby's spelling has gotten better and her fluency has gotten a lot better. She is reading more complicated books (relatively). She is picking up contractions a lot quicker now.  She reads grade 2 braille (braille with contractions) almost exclusively.

We had great time reading Dr Seuss a few weeks ago and now we are going into more developed stories.  The most important thing is she KNOWS she is getting better and is getting motivated. She is starting to see that reading can be fun and is not just a chore. I am so happy and so proud.

So if you have a child who is struggling to learn to read there is hope. Keep at it and know it will come. Its very important to state Abby has a great team right now that are all rallying around raising Abby's reading skills.  Its a true group effort.  Abby's reading team is her TVI, classroom teacher,her parents, her 2 paras and a special education teacher.  We are all working together to give Abby what she needs.

There are blind children TODAY who are still being denied braille instruction or not getting enough.  If you need an example who rediculous that is just look at Abby's story.

 Abby started learning  her braille letters 14 months ago. 

Abby reading. The picture is fuzzy but look at that smile.

a short documentary about LHON

This is a great short documentary about the disease Abby has.

Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy from Brett Eichenberger on Vimeo.

Miss Abby Can Read! Can you?

First off sorry I am I failed to update my Homework Chronicles so I am going to shelve that idea for while.  Thankfully the math has moved from shapes and line segments to something much more accessible.Though tonight was graphs but we figured it out.  I will update with whats going on with homework front from time to time.  Today we had one of the best homework times we have had for while.  Abby struggles with reading but she has gotten so much better.   We have started reading some Dr Seuss recently  and Abby loves it. Tonight we started Mr Brown can Moo! Can you?  She told me "Don't freak out mom but that was fun!"  Reading should be fun.  I am so glad she is getting to a point she can enjoy it instead of fighting through it.  There is hope at the end of the tunnel.

Here is a video of Abby reading tonight.  We actually went back to a page she had already read because she didn't want to make herself look silly (even though she looked fine) She read tonight better than she has ever read with me.

Reading is so important.  Literacy is the foundation of a person's education.

Homework Chronicles: Day 2

Today was one of those wacky homework days.   Should have been easy and low stress but in the end I think we all left a little frustrated.

Reading:  She read with her father today. Its good for her to get practice to read with other people.  She read a more complicated book than yesterday.  She read a few pages of "I Love Daddy"

Abby dong her writing homework

Writing: Today she had writing homework.  Its generally a few words from the weekly "Word Wall".  She is suppose to write the words out three times and write two sentences. This is actually the first time it has come in braille. Generally she does her responses in braille on another sheet of paper. She was able to do it independently of me which was GREAT.   I do suspect she was a little lazy with her writing work. Which is something we will have to work on.

Math:  It was one of those days that "Everyday Math" tries to be creative with a nontraditional assignment.  The assignment was "find shapes in magazines/newspaper and cut them out"  Not a very accessible assignment. The print version had examples of different shapes as did  her braille worksheet.  I had her feel the different shapes on the sheets and talk to me about them.  There wasn't much more we could  do.  She was upset about not being able to do the assignment like everyone else. All of my solutions were not close enough.   This is one of the things that frustrates me about Everyday Math.  It sometimes has assignments that obviously didn't have a blind child in mine when it was written.

Stress Level: Medium to High

Happy Birthday Louis Braille

Louis Braille was born January 4th 1809.  Louis Braille created the braille code when he was just 15 years old.  

Reading Braille is Fun

I am so grateful to what braille has already given Abby In just her first year of braille instruction.  She is still a begining reader but nothing is more important in a child's education as literacy is.   I can't imagine anyone watching a child learn to read with braille can think its obsolete.   Sit down with a blind child and let them read to you.

Today also ends the NFB Braille Readers are Leaders.  I will have a final page count for Abby soon.  I know I am really proud of my braille reader.