Who was Louis Braille?
The Braille system of reading and writing was developed by a Frenchman named
Louis Braille when he was just a boy. He became blind
through an accident, and he discovered that trying to
read raised letters was much too slow.
He wanted a faster way for blind people to read and write.
He modeled Braille after a system of codes used by the
military, and then he expanded his
system. For more information about Louis Braille, please
visit your school or public library.
Who was Helen Keller?
Helen Keller was both deaf and blind. Although she had to fight to get the opportunity,
she graduated from Radcliffe College. She wrote several
books and worked
hard to improve opportunities for the deaf and the blind.
At the time when she lived, people who were both deaf
and blind did not have very many opportunities.
Now there is better education, training, employment,
and other opportunities for the deaf-blind. You can learn
more about Helen Keller from your school
or public library.
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What is Braille?
Braille is a system of making raised dots on paper to form letters and words
that are read by the blind with their fingertips. The
basic Braille "cell" consists
of two columns of three dots. The dots are numbered 1-2-3
from top to bottom on the left side of the cell and 4-5-6
from top to bottom on the right
side of the cell. Each Braille letter, word, punctuation
mark, number, or musical note can be made up using different
combinations of these dots.
Braille can be written with a Braille writing machine
(similar to a typewriter). It can also be written by
using a pointed stylus to punch dots down through
paper using a Braille slate with rows of small "cells" in it as a guide.
This method of writing Braille compares to writing print
with a pen or pencil. For more information about Braille
go to
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Technology_Center.asp?SnID=634675970
What is the White Cane Law?
Each state has a law that says blind people using canes or dogs have the same
rights of public access as the sighted. This means that
blind people can
take their canes and dogs into public buildings, businesses,
offices, restaurants, theaters, roller skating arenas,
bowling alleys, amusement parks, on busses,
trains, planes, and other public places. These laws were
established from the work of the National Federation
of the Blind to make sure that blind
people have the same rights as everyone else.
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What kind of jobs do blind people have?
Just about anything. Here's a list of some occupations in which blind people
are working today, but there are many more. Farmers,
lawyers, secretaries, factory workers, drill press and
lathe operators, nurses, restaurant managers,
child care workers, social workers, computer programmers,
insurance salespeople, chemists, housewives, doctors,
gas station attendants, teachers, professors,
telephone operators, counselors, maintenance workers
and janitors, scientists, engineers, hardware and toy
store managers, librarians, beauty operators
or cosmetologists, car mechanics and repair people, electrical
engineers, stockbrokers, accountants, journalists, and
many, many more. If you believe
you can do the job, and if your employer believes you
can, there are very few jobs blind people cannot do.
It is most important for blind people
to have the chance to choose whatever job they want,
and for the public to give blind people the opportunity.
What causes blindness?
There are many things which cause blindness. Sometimes babies are born blind,
but most blind people become blind later on. Glaucoma,
cataracts, and diabetic
retinopathy are the three most common causes of blindness
today. Many older persons lose their vision from macular
degeneration. Some people become
blind through accidents.
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Where do blind children go to school?
In the past most blind children went away from home to attend residential schools
for the blind. There still are special schools for blind children in most states.
Now, however, most blind children are able to attend school in their home communities.
Most children who now attend the residential schools for the blind have other
disabilities in addition to blindness. Blind children in public schools are in
regular classrooms, and use a cane and read and write Braille. These blind students
might work some of the time with a special teacher who would also help get the
special books needed by blind children. These Braille books would contain the
same things your books would have in print. Blind children take the same classes
that the other kids the same age take. At first, the special teacher would correct
the papers that would be in Braille, until the blind student learned to type
the work on a typewriter. Then, any teacher could correct the papers.
Why do some blind people use dogs and others use canes for travel?
It is simply a matter of personal choice. Some blind people like using canes
better, and some enjoy using dogs. No matter what you choose, the most important
thing is that blind people are able to go wherever they want, whenever they want,
independently.
How does a blind person identify money?
Coins such as nickels, pennies, dimes, and quarters are easy to tell apart. They
all are different sizes, and quarters and dimes have ridges around them, while
pennies and nickels are smooth. There are many ways that paper money-like one,
five, ten, or twenty dollar bills-can be identified. Some blind people like to
keep different bills in separate places in their wallets, especially if it is
a larger bill that they perhaps do not often carry with them. The most common
way to tell paper money apart is to fold the bills in different ways. Each person
will have his or her own way of folding them; there is no standard for everyone.
Maybe a five dollar bill is folded in half the long way, and a ten dollar bill
is folded in half the short way. Or maybe the ten is folded twice. A one dollar
bill might be folded one way or not folded at all. Or maybe a twenty dollar bill
is folded in fourths or not at all. Everyone uses his or her own methods. When
we get money back from someone else, we ask which bill is which and then fold
it.
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How do blind people get around?
There are many ways for the blind to go from one place to another. Using a long
white cane when you walk allows someone who is blind to locate steps, curbs,
streets, driveways, doorways, bicycles, elevators, escalators, people, chairs,
tables, desks, or any other object or place. The cane is long enough to be about
two steps ahead of your feet as you walk, so you find things with your cane before
you get to them. There are canes of all sizes, including very small ones for
children and long ones for tall people. Some blind people like to use a guide
dog to get around. These dogs are especially trained to move around things, go
through doorways, and stop at curbs and stairs. When the blind person hears that
it is safe to cross the street, he or she will tell the dog to go ahead. And
when the blind person gets to the address of the restaurant or business, the
dog will find the door. The blind person using the dog is always in charge and
must tell the dog what to do.
How do blind people identify their clothes?
Most articles of clothing will have at least one distinct way of identifying
them by feel. They will have different buttons or snaps or bows or ties or the
fabric or texture will be different. Some dresses or skirts will have belts or
elastic at the waist or different kinds of pockets. You might know that the red
shirt is the one with the funny-shaped buttons, or the blue pants are the ones
with no pockets. You can tell that the blouse with the fuzzy collar is green
and is the one that matches the green pants with the belt that feels like rope.
In this way, blind people can tell their clothes apart by touch, and they can
tell what clothes match each other. Sometimes, however, there may be more than
one shirt or blouse that feels alike; men's ties can feel alike also. For these
times, some blind people like to mark their clothes in a special way in order
to tell them apart. There are tags that are meant for sewing in Braille labels,
or use a safety pin to identify that this is a black pair of jeans. Some people
sew a button to the tag of a blue suit and cut out a corner of the tag on a gray
suit. Some people make a list of the suits, shirts, ties, and other clothes that
feel alike and match them with each other using Braille numbers and letters attached
to each piece of clothing. When you buy something at the store or when someone
gives you clothes as a gift, ask him or her to describe the item(s) so you can
learn how they look and how they feel.
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How do blind people recognize colors?
Some blind people are able to see some colors. Sometimes a blind person might
have enough vision to see all colors, or maybe he or she can only tell bright
colors. Some blind people can see some colors but not all of them, or they might
have a hard time telling blue or black or brown apart, or pink from white. Some
blind people do not see any colors. It is important to learn about colors even
if you cannot see them. You need to learn what colors look nice together, and
what colors do not match, and about stripes, plaids, and other patterns. This
is important for clothing and decorating. You need to understand that the sky
is mostly blue and grass is mostly green, and the colors of the ocean and the
colors of leaves in the fall are just as important for the blind to know as everyone
else.
How do blind people shop for groceries?
There are many kinds of food that can be identified by touch, such as fruits
and vegetables, hot dogs, chicken, and other items. But things like cans of soup,
cereal boxes, canned vegetables, gallons of milk, ice cream containers, and other
things may be hard to identify. Many blind people like to shop with a friend
who will help to find things and can read the different brands and types. Or
a blind person might use a store employee who can help find the groceries. Some
blind people (especially if they are buying a lot of things) will make a print
list for someone else to read, and they will use a Braille list for themselves.
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How do blind people read Braille?
It takes some practice to become a good reader
of Braille, just as it does with print. We learn Braille by feeling the different
dots in each Braille "cell" and
memorizing what the different combinations of dots stand for. It is best to learn
Braille when you are young, even if you can still read some print. That way,
you have had many years of practice and experience to develop good Braille skills
by the time you are an adult. Blind adults can learn Braille through many different
types of programs or classes. Good Braille readers-like good print readers-can
read much faster than they can talk. Today blind people use Braille to take notes
in high school and college, to write letters, to read books and magazines, to
keep addresses and phone numbers, to keep recipe files, to write books and other
materials, and to do the other things you might do using print. There are special
libraries that provide Braille and recorded books and magazines for the blind
free of charge. Most states have one or more of these libraries where blind people
can borrow these materials.
How do blind people cook?
Blind people can use the same gas or electric ovens, microwaves, grills, mixers,
food processors, blenders, electric knives, skillets, fryers, crock pots, and
other kitchen tools and appliances as the sighted use. We can put Braille labels
on the microwave touch buttons, and some blind people like to use Braille or
a special marking glue to put dots on some of the stove or oven temperature dials.
It is easier to use things like measuring cups and spoons that stack with different
sizes rather than ones with lines drawn on them. We can tell by the smell, sound,
temperature, time of cooking, texture, and consistency how our foods are cooking.
If you are newly blind, there are special training programs to help you learn
to cook without vision. Some blind people, just like some sighted people, will
enjoy cooking more than others.
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How do blind people know what is in the can or package on the shelf?
Many different foods and packages can be identified by the size, shape, or kind
of container they come in. Boxes of spaghetti, ketchup bottles, tuna cans, bags
of rice or beans, flour, sugar, coffee or tea, chocolate syrup, peanut butter
jars, nuts, and other kinds of snacks are some of the packages that are easy
to tell what they are. Other things, like cans of vegetables or fruit, soups,
sauces, cake mixes, and some spices can be labeled in Braille, or a portion of
the wrapper can be torn off to tell the tomato soup from the chicken soup. Some
Braille labels are written on cards, that can be used many times and are attached
to the can or package with a rubber band. Sometimes you can use smell or taste
to tell things apart. Cinnamon is very different from pepper, and grape jelly
is different from strawberry. Some blind people like to label their foods right
at the store as they buy them, and some people like to do this at home with someone
who can read the labels to them. Each blind person will have his or her own way
of identifying or labeling different packages.
How does a blind person tell time?
There are watches that open up so a blind person can feel where the hands are
and can feel Braille dots at the different hour points. There are also talking
watches that speak the time and have an alarm built in. And there are many talking
clocks that have many different types of alarms that people can use in their
home, in their office, or when they travel. For people who can read some print,
there are also clocks and watches with large print faces.
How does a blind man shave or tie a necktie?
Blind men can do each of these things by feel, without looking, just like sighted
men. With practice, shaving and tying ties become habit and routine, and you
can do them without even thinking about it very much. Some men like to shave
in the shower, and some do not. Men can feel where they need to shave, and if
they have beards or mustaches, they can feel where to trim them. Actual shaving
techniques, such as how long to make each stroke or what angle to use, or what
types of shaving products to use, are a matter of personal choice and are the
same for men whether they are blind or sighted. Tying ties can take a bit of
practice if you are sighted, too. Once you have learned the kinds of knots and
what length is correct for you, you can tie a tie easily; you do not have to
look in a mirror or see it. Some men learn how to do these things from their
fathers, older brothers, friends, from seeing it done on television, or from
reading about it.
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How does a blind woman put on make-up and do her hair?
Each of these things can be done without using a mirror or any vision. It can
take some practice in the beginning, but blind women do as good of a job with
their make-up and hair as sighted women. It is often helpful to work with someone
who can show you some techniques when you are first learning. You can feel the
different ways of drying, curling, or styling your hair. You can feel when the
hair is right, or if you have missed a spot. You can apply make-up by touch,
by feeling the different places where you want different kinds of the make-up
to be. You may want to learn the colors that are best for you by asking people
whose opinions you trust until you discover what you like best. As in cooking,
some blind women will like wearing more make-up and styling their hair more than
others, just like sighted women.
How does a blind person know he's in front of his house?
Blind people can use many cues to help them find addresses and places. Learning
to locate specific addresses is an important part of getting around. In addition
to this, we can locate places by looking for perhaps the second driveway on the
right, the third set of stairs on the left, or the house with the wooden fence
along the sidewalk. We can also look for the large tree in the front, the signpost,
or a special kind of door. Blind people help to keep track of where they are
and where they are going by using directions such as north, south, east, or west,
and by using other cues, such as a busy one-way street, an empty lot, or a schoolyard.
Any of these kinds of information can help blind people travel from one place
to another. And if it is someplace where you are a lot (like your home or office)
you become very familiar with it.
How does a blind person know when to cross the street?
A blind person can tell when it's safe to cross the street by listening to the
sounds of the traffic. If there is a light at the intersection, it is easy to
hear when the cars going across in front of you begin to slow down and stop,
and when the cars along the side of you start to move. Then you know the light
has changed and you have the green light to cross. You can even start to listen
for this when you are a half of a block away. If there is no light, you can simply
listen to hear if there are any cars coming.
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How does it feel to be blind?
When you are newly blind, in the beginning, it can feel frustrating or scary.
This is because you have not learned how to do things for yourself as a blind
person. But once you learn the skills that blind people use, you no longer feel
that way. Blind people do the same things as sighted people. We go to school
or work, and we do the things that we need to do. We do this naturally, without
even thinking about being blind. The blindness becomes just another part of who
we are and what we are like. We don't think about being blind every day, just
like you don't think every day about whether or not you have red hair or brown
hair.
Will I learn more about blindness if I close my eyes or wear a blindfold?
No, it is not a good idea to try to pretend to be blind. As a matter of fact,
you could get just the opposite impression about what it is like to be blind.
You might have a hard time finding things, you might bump into things, you might
knock something over, or you might hurt yourself. You might feel frightened,
frustrated or confused; then you might think this is what it is like for blind
people. But it is not like that for us. Blind people (depending on how long they've
been blind) have training and experience that you do not have, and we know how
to do things (sometimes differently) that you do not. It is easier for us than
it would be for you. If you want to learn more about blindness, instead of pretending
to be blind, you might want to ask a blind person to talk with you. Perhaps you
will want to contact a local chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.
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Do blind people play games or cards?
Yes. It is easy to put Braille on decks of cards, including cards for games like
Uno. Some cards are printed with very large numbers and letters for people who
use large print. Many games such as Scrabble can be played with Braille letters
and a board with raised or tactile squares. Backgammon boards can also be tactile
and so can boards for chess or checkers. These pieces can be made of different
textures, shapes, and colors to tell them apart, or a small piece of tape can
be put on one set. Monopoly cards can be Brailled, and the board can also be
Brailled or marked. Yahtzee and other games using dice are easy if you use dice
with dots that you can feel and count. Not all games have to be made especially
for the blind. Many games and toys that you buy at the store are easy and fun
for the blind. Sometimes you can use your imagination to think of ways that a
blind person can use the same things as a sighted person.
Do blind people feel bad about being blind? Do they like to talk about it?
Most blind people are too busy to think about blindness very much. But being
blind is nothing to be ashamed of. Blindness is a perfectly respectable characteristic
of a person. Most blind people would be glad to answer any questions you have
about blindness, just ask them. When someone first loses sight, then he or she
might be unhappy. After receiving special help to learn how to do things as a
blind person and having a more positive attitude about being blind, then a person
can learn to feel okay about blindness.
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Should I help a blind person to cross the street?
If a blind person asks you for help, then you may certainly help. You can ask
if any help is needed, but understand that the answer may be "no." Blind people,
if they have learned to use a cane or dog and travel independently, may not need
help. It is important not to grab someone who is blind. If a blind person wants
help, he or she may take your arm, or simply walk beside you. Some blind persons
may have a harder time hearing the cars and traffic, especially if there is construction
or a lot of noise around the area. Then they might want help that they might
not need other times.
Should I help a blind person to a chair?
The same rules apply here. Some blind people will appreciate help in locating
a chair, but some can find chairs, tables, and desks on their own. Sometimes
a blind person may ask where the chairs or tables are, then go to them on his
or her own.
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