Abby's Blindness Walk "commercial"

To make the video full screen click the X in the lower right. Don't forget to make sure your sound is on.

Abby is walking again this year.  I love this video.

If you want to support Abby click here :  Donation link 
-------------
video description
 Scene 1 Abby does intro
Scene 2 Abby reads braille on a iPad & Refreshabraille18 
 Black Screen and Text reads"Abby is walking in the NH Association for the Blind's Walk for Sight on June 2 2012."
Black Screen and Text reads"She has made a goal to raise $1000 this year. She is walking on  Team NFB NH Wozits and would love for you to join her or donate."
Scene 3 Abby reading braille in a book with text "Many blind children are denied literacy and are not taught to read"
Black Screen and Text reads" Due to the NHAB's generousity NFB NH which includes the NH Parents of Blind Children will get half of we money raise back."
Scene 4 Abby using gym rings on the playground
Black Screen and Text reads "Abby is NOT extraordinary because she reads, plays and gets around." 
Scene 5 Abby climb a climb wall on the playground and waving on the top
Black Screen and Text Reads "The only difference between Abby and her sighted friends is that she needs to learn to do things non-visually"
Picture of Abby going down a esculator with instutor with sleep shades on text reads" Abby learning to use the esculator at the NFB National Convention 2011"
Scene 6 Abby walking towards camera with cane
Scene 7 Abby being silly with her brother Sam
Black Screen and Text reads "Help Abby reach her 
goal. Find infomation on how to join the team or 
to donate from at www. teamabby.net or from this video's notes.:"
Scene 8 Abby typing on a Perkins Brailler outside
Scene 9 Abby back on the playground using the gym rings tshirt reads " Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase" MLK JR

A simple solution.

Abby has has quite a few white canes.  She would put them in a corner by the front door.  There was a hook but it wasn't effective.   They ended up all over the floor and made a mess. They would get stepped on, people tripped over them and canes would get misplaced.   I had been looking for a better way to manage them.  I found an item in a store that was meant for organizing all those long thin handled garden tools. Chris installed the it a few days ago and it was a success.  No more canes on the floor.

Braille, iPad: an Update

Reading is Fun

Abby has been enjoying using her iPad with the RefreshaBraille18 for the past few weeks.  She not only has been reading and writing emails but she also has started reading books from BookShare through the "Read2Go" app and writing short documents.  Her TVI and I are going to try and get her trying to integrates its use for school work.  The school has bought a printer that will print what she writes in print.

Abby and I have learned a few things together.

• For some contractions/symbols that use the same dots you need to type them quickly for it the software to know which one you mean.  (since it translates as you type)  ie  "?" or "his"
• It very easy to turn speech on and off.  This can be good and bad. Many times its important for Abby to get the braille practice and she will want to use voice over instead of braille to read it. Since I do the work with her its less of an issue.  
• There is still lot of apps that could be added to make it better. I would love to find a accessible typing tutor to use with a blue tooth qwerty keyboard. 
• The using a braille display on an iPad doesn't replace the embossed paper page.  There is so many things a child learns by reading paper pages and books.  The technology is a great supplement but is not a replacement  at least in young readers. 
• There is no app I have been able to find to read a .brf file.  There is a way to read it but its complicated and not as simply as it should be.  It would be great to have an app that would open an .brf file and work simply with the braille display.  Its important to remember the braille display will display what ever voice over would say so in most instances this is simply not necessarily if you can get a .txt file or other voice over readable file. 

Abby reading the Cat and the Hat 

Read the previous post on the same subject. 

http://visionfora.blogspot.com/2012/02/braille-and-ipad.html

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.

-----------
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.