Liebster Award

I was given the "Liebster Award" from Mixed Nuts  What is the Liebster Award?  Its simply a way to honor and recognize other bloggers. Its generally where bloggers with less than a few hundred followers give a lift to others bloggers like them..

alt text: Abby wearing a panda hat and looking cute

The Rules of the Liebster Award is simple.

The rules for the acceptance are:

1) Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you
2) Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back
3) Answer the 10 questions posed by the blogger who nominated you
4 ) Select 3 – 5 bloggers for the award
5) Pose 10 new questions to the new nominees
6) Post the award on your blog

You can find my answers to Mixed Nuts Questions here :  http://visionfora.blogspot.com/2013/01/questions-answers.html

Here are the bloggers I give the award to.

I tried to pick some of my favorite bloggers who haven't already gotten the award before.

Peanut & Phouka's Adventures http://peanutandphouka.wordpress.com/

I love fierce moms.  Phouka is a fierce mom.  I noticed she was given the award from "Thomas Marshall does it all" but didn't post her response yet so I decided it was free to pick her.

My Little Rays of Sunshine http://jennohara-theblindspot.blogspot.com/

A great mommy blogger who is dealing with blindness with one of her chicks.  Oh and she is fierce too.

Without a Classroom http://withoutaclassroom.wordpress.com/

Natalie Shaheen is a wonderful teacher that is helping students across the country every single day. She is director of education at the NFB Jernigan Institute.  I mentioned fierce moms. She is a fierce teacher.

Slate & Stylish http://slateandstylish.blogspot.com/

Did i mention fierce before?  This woman is truly fierce. I will never have the sense of fashion or poise of Deja but a girl can dream right?  I hope with all my heart Abby will look at Deja as a great role model.

  * Honorable Mention  *

Thomas Marshall Does it All http://thomasmarshalldoesitall.blogspot.com/

I love this blog so much but she just got the award.  Check it out and watch Thomas Marshall Do it All

So my questions for the blogs I gave the award to are:

1. Why did you start blogging?

2. What does blind mean to you?

3. What has been a hard experience you (or your child) has faced because of blindness?

4. What is your braille story? 

5. Who is an inspiration in your life?

6. What is your favorite book?

7. How many pairs of shoes do you have?
8. What is your greatest fear?
9. What is something most people don't know about you?
10. Describe your self in one sentence.

Questions & Answers

I was given the Liebster Award and here are my answers.

Here is my Liebster Blog :  http://visionfora.blogspot.com/2013/01/liebster-award.html

1. When you first got your child's diagnosis - what was your immediate reaction?

The process of find out  that Abby was blind and finding out what caused it was some of the darkest days of my life. I think i was in a fog for two months.    Abby was six years old and had just started first grade.  This should be one of the most exciting school years of her life and instead her world was put upside down. Than adding that we were are now aware that we had this rare genetic mitochondrial disease in our family it was really a complex layer to add.  This is hard to explain.  Abby is the one that is affected but LHON happened to my whole family.  My mother, sisters, myself and nephews all are aware we could be affected with LHON and blindness. Some say its like being born with a bomb (and there is even a book ) and I think that works. 

2. Why did you start blogging?

I felt alone.  At the time it was really hard to find any information about LHON and Abby is an outlier since it generally affects those who are male in their late teens and 20s more. There are very few children who are affected (or people who were affected as children).  I hoped to share what we went through to help others.  I also became aware with the complexity of the education of a blind child and wanted to help other parents who had blind / visually impaired children like my daughter.   I started this blog before Abby got diagnosed and you can see the first month of posts here: http://visionfora.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html

3. What is the best thing you have learned since your child was diagnosed?

That blindness wan't as scary as I thought. Our society sees becoming blind as one of the worst tings that can happen to you. That simply not true.  I had two choices when Abby became blind. I could sit around and feel sorry for ourselves or do everything I can to help Abby (and others). 

become that person she would have become regardless of blindness.   I went over a lot of that in my post http://visionfora.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-letter-to-myself-two-years-ago.html

Abby loves ice skating alt text girl wearing a panda hat is ice skating

4. What are you proudest of?

I am proud of both my children.  I am proud that Abby has adapted so well with becoming blind and that her brother has always been the one person who doesn't let her get away with anything because she is blind.  I am proud both my children are growing into such great kids. I am the luckiest Mommy in the world.  

My two kids alt text two kids smiling laying on the floor looking up

5. Do you have any regrets?

I wish I had known sooner that Abby was blind.  I don't know when the process started it very well could have started 6 months before we found out.  

6. What would you say to a new parent that just was told their child was blind/going blind?

This is hard because finding out your child is blind is a tramatic thig regardless when you find out. You are filled wiht all the misconceptions of our society.  I recall thinking my daughter life was over. I simply didn't understand how someone lived blind That its going to be ok.  As strange as it sounds embrace your child.... blindness and all. If you look at your child's blindness with shame and fear than they will to. 

7. How do you balance family life and life with a child with special needs?

The simple  answer is I don't.  I could work a lot harder at balancing my life. I have a hard time saying no. 

8. On a down day - what is your favorite activity?

I love just doing something fun with the kids.  Simple things. Like Shopping with Abby. Taking a walk with Sam.

9. What scares you the most?

I fear how other people will negativly affect my kids life.  A teacher who doesn't provide her with materials, classmates that fear including my daughter & a place that refuses to give her job because she is blind.   These things will happen.  All i can do is making Abby stronger.  

What happened with the musuem and Abby's cane is a good example of that. 

http://visionfora.blogspot.com/2012/08/cane-denied-when-good-policy-fails.html

10. Do you have a favorite motto or saying?

Blindness isn't an end its a start of a great journey for the whole family. 

Accessibility Matters in Schools

Imagine an elementary classroom. The teacher passes out a worksheet. When it gets to the blind student the child can't read the worksheet because its not in Braille. The teacher didn't get the assignment to the TVI (Teacher of Blind & Visually Impaired) in time.  The rest of the classroom starts working on the assignment perhaps together.  The blind student goes to a quiet part of the classroom with a paraprofessional and the para reads the worksheet to the student. The answers are given orally. The students misses out on much the assignment.  The student didn't get reading or writing practice.  They missed out on part of the classroom discussion because they were on the sidelines. The student doesn't feel part of the lesson.  The student didn't get the same education as his/her peers.  

Thankfully I can say this doesn't happen very often for Abby.  She has a great team. and almost all items for her are Braille. (there always seems to be some stray item).  Abby's classroom teacher, TVI, paraprofessional and case manager all know its very important for Abby to have assignment in accessible format. For Abby that is Braille. She simply can't see text at all.  Abby goes to a great school.

Abby reading a book in Braille (alt text: a girl is outside reading a book in braille)

Let me tell you another story.  

Let me take you back to the beginning of this school year.  Abby's class starts to prepare for state-wide testing for the first time.  The class breaks into groups and go over over a practice test. Abby has a practice test and hers in Braille.  She is able to be  an equal part of the group assignment because she could read and access to the the same materials as her classmates.  She comes home EXCITED for the big test to start. This is what happens when accessibly for all in a classroom WORKS.   

There is so many things that can make a blind child feel isolated in a classroom but it should never be because of inaccessible content. 

The National Federation of the Blind protested yesterday at Amazon's headquarters in Seattle WA.Why?  Amazon's Kindle content and hardware is inaccessible to the blind. Maybe you are asking yourself why should it matter? Amazon is private company. Maybe you are even thinking... while accessibly is a great thing and other companies like Apple have made its content and hardware accessible to the blind  Amazon does HAVE to. I completely understand that side of the argument  till you get to one very big point. As soon as you bring its inaccessible content and hardware to schools its just down right wrong.  Amazon has decide to make a big push to get inaccessible Kindle content and hardware into classrooms. These actions are encourage schools to break the law. 

Now imagine the classroom with inaccessible Kindle content and hardware.  Now look back at my first story.  Its the same tale only replacing the inaccessible worksheet with the inaccessible Kindle. No its worse. The blind student will also lose out on the  experience of using the cool gadget.  This isolating the blind student even more than before. Please find out more about the NFB protest and its important issues at https://nfb.org/kindle-books

A blog from the teachers point of view -Without a Classroom : Kindle Books For All : http://withoutaclassroom.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/kindle-books-for-all/

A video on the issue.  

.  

We All Have a Voice.

My speech from the 2012 NOPBC Conference at the NFB National Convention was published in the newest Future Reflections

Check it out at "We all Have a Voice" https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr31/4/fr310409.htm

It reminded me about all the work I still have to do.   

The full issue can be viewed here:

https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr31/4/fr3104tc.htm

To subscribe to Future Reflections  -----> https://nfb.org/future-reflections

Here is the links to my two other stories in Future Reflections 

Braille ... I like it.. https://nfb.org//images/nfb/publications/fr/fr31/3/fr310307.htm

Our Convention Journey  https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr30/4/fr300416.htm 

A Black & White picture of Abby on the beach with her cane. Not really related to this post but cute. 

Braille Letters from Santa

Your child can get a letter in Braille from Santa with the help of the National Federation of the Blind.

-
Between November 19 and December 17, parents can go online at www.nfb.org and fill out a Santa Braille Letter request form. The form can also be printed and faxed to (410) 685-2340. Beginning November 27, the Braille letters from Santa will start going out to blind boys and girls around the country. The Braille letter will also be accompanied by a print copy (for mom and dad to read). Requests for letters must include the writer’s name, the child’s name, birthday, gender, mailing address, a telephone number, and e-mail address in case Santa’s helpers at the National Federation of the Blind have questions.

For more details visit: https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-partners-santa-promote-braille-literacy-0

Braille is not scary.. `

I can still remember the day that I found out Abby was going to need to learn Braille. I was petrified. I didn't understand braille.  How was I going to help her learn? Is there anything more strange and odd than braille a bunch of bump that some how equal letters??  It seemed like I was going to be denied the chance to help my daughter become a reader.  I was so sad.   I love reading. Our son learned to read spontaneously but I was so excited about helping Abby to read.

Abby loves to read. alt text: a girl is reading braille from a book

I think its a common misunderstanding that a parent who doesn't read braille can't help their blind child to learn to read. That they can't help their child with homework.  You would be surprised how much I have picked up though the last two years with out even trying. I do know most of the alphabet.   I also have developed a pretty good understand when a word will have a contraction in it.  I may not know the contraction but I understand there is a contraction(s) in the word. I can write my daughter a small note using letter and contractions guides but Abby calls that cheating.  

In the early days I would work with Abby every night to help her learn the alphabet and work on her tactile sensitivity. (flashback: http://visionfora.blogspot.com/2011/01/adventures-in-braille-good-day.html )

Braille is NOT a different language.  Its just the tactile version of print.

Its wonderful when a parent learns braille but its also very important that the parent doesn't hold a child's reading back because they are behind.  Most kids are going to learn a lot faster then their parents because kids are sponges that soak things up. Just wind the kid up and let them go.

I was so happy when I realize the school was going to send home print versions of homework with the Braille ones.  I have never felt like I was unable to help my daughter with her homework at all.

When we read together and she comes upon a word she struggles with I can tell if its a contraction holding her back or an issue reading the word.
There is lot of print/braille books out there that helps A LOT with beginning readers.  I used to be so scared of the stage when the braille books don't have print at all.  I thought it was an end than I realized I just had to find a print version of the book. It also showed me there would be a time SOON that Abby wasn't going to need my help with reading at all.

Its not scary. Braille is fun.  I love learning more about. Its truly beautiful. I love running my fingers over a page of Braille and I love trying to read it.  I am determined get my Braille skills up but I also know that even as a novice I can still help Abby become a strong reader.

----
Braille I Like It https://nfb.org//images/nfb/publications/fr/fr31/3/fr310307.htm
    

I want some Questions..

Does anyone have any questions?  I have answers.. Ask any questions. About me? Abby? My son Sam? Parenting a blind child? About the condition that runs in our family that caused Abby's blindness?   Ask away.. Do you have ideas for a future blog post? Here is your chance.  I promise I will be posting some more blogs soon I have at least three three half written in my head already.  Ask your questions in the comments if for some reason you have issues leaving a comment please feel to ask them in twitter @penny_nh or email them to me penny @nhpobc.org  . Some of the comment asked I may use in future blog posts.

Abby at the NFB Independence Market,,, because the Independence Market is cool... alt text: cute school age girl with a yellow shirt and blue skirt holding long white cane with shelf of merchandise behind her.