Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Future Reflections Convention 1990, Vol. 9 No. 4
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Hear Ye!
Hear Ye!
IT'S A STEAL!

Editor's Note: As a child I was fascinated with
twins. Many other children must have shared that
feeling, for the Bobbsey Twins books in our school
library were well worn and always hard to get--so
popular were they. If you have a Braille-reading
youngster, and if you remember the Bobbsey Twins
with as much fondness as I, you'll certainly be
interested in the following note and announcement
I recently received from Diane Croft of National
Braille Press, Inc.
Dear Barbara:
I hope you will help us announce the availability
of this Bobbsey Twins title in Braille. It's a steal at
$4.95, thanks to a grant from the Altrusa Club of
Boston. Diane Croft, Marketing Manager
The Bobbsey Twins In A
Braille Paperback!
If you like fun, excitement, and adventure,
you'll love this brand-new story starring the Bobbsey
Twins. The camp ponies are missing, and the
Bobbsey twins think they have a clue. The camp
mascot knows a secret, but how can they get him to
tell? The mascot is a raccoon!
This one-volume intermediate reader (#18 The Secret at Sleepaway Camp) is in Braille only for
$4.95. Send your check to: National Braille Press Inc., 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, Massachusetts
02115, (617) 266-6160.
CHRISTMAS MEMORIES
The following is reprinted from The Oregon
Outlook, the NFB of Oregon newsletter. It was
written by David Hyde, president of the Oregon
affiliate.
When I was about five years old, I started
attending the state school for the blind in Salem.
Christmas was always an exciting time, what with
the lights and the food and the singing and plays.
But the thing that sticks best in my mind were the
animals. While many children made do with
wooden or plaster nativity scenes, ours, you see,
were alive.
There were a sheep, a donkey, a cow, a horse,
rabbits, chickens, and a goat-if my memory serves
me right, all alive and all needing to eat. That, I
think, is the first time I really looked at a horse or at
a sheep when it could not run away into a field or
something. And all these marvels were housed on
the big porch of the school. So, in addition to the
memories of pine and spruce and baking breads and
pies, Christmas has other scent memories for me-- as well as some auditory and kinesthetic ones, too.
I remember what the hoof of a cow feels like, in the
chest, and who says lambs are gentle? Once, I
remember, our little darling had just learned to butt
and was exercising his new skill with great abandon
on all and sundry, perhaps experimenting with new
techniques. Alas, no more. It surprised me a few
years ago when a man my age who had been blind
since birth told me that he'd never looked at a cow
or any farm animal. I would have been pleased had
he seen the part of my friend Bossy that greeted me.
In short, remember that models are not enough.
Plastic and wood give an idea but not the reality. If
you take a blind child to see Santa's reindeer, see if
you can see some live ones. When we talk of lambs
and oxen, totally blind children should have a
referent. That is, they should know that lambs are
smaller, somewhat playful, and, oh yes, sometimes
butt.
POEM

BRAILLE by Adam Emerson (age nine)

Braille is not just a

bunch of dots on a piece

of thick paper. Braille

is not an aid at all.

Braille is an extension

of one's self. Braille

is like touching words

and having them touch

you back. You can

really get to know a

story through Braille.

Braille can be anything.
P.S. Braille readers are
leaders!
[PICTURE] Adam Emerson and mother Sunny are from Michigan.
Sunny is the POBC publicity chairperson.
TECHNIQUES FOR SUCCESS
The Parents Division of the National Federation
of the Blind of Ohio conducted a seminar entitled,
"Techniques for Success" on Friday afternoon, October
19, 1990. The affiliate President Barbara
Pierce welcomed seminar participants and discussed
what we mean by the word "success" and
what is included in the techniques that bring it about.
Competent Braille readers then demonstrated the
speed with which Braille can be read, discussed the
efficiency of the system, and demonstrated various
means of writing it. Each seminar participant was
next paired with a Braille user for discussion and
hands-on work with a slate and stylus.
Ramona Walhof, the National representative to
this year's Ohio convention, then talked about the
importance of the white cane and of early introduction
to it. Participants were then given an opportunity
to try using a cane under sleep shades. Our
intention was to demonstrate to these parents and
teachers how much they could learn about the world
around them by using a cane; and, though they were
uncertain of themselves at first, they came away
enthusiastic about the skills that can be acquired
readily when using sleep shades and a cane.
The afternoon concluded with a panel discussion
among competent blind adults, who discussed
other techniques necessary for living successfully
with blindness. These included a proper understanding
of technology, respect and consideration
for other people, personal grooming and household
skills, and an independent and self-confident attitude.
We believe that this seminar was extremely
successful. All the slates and styluses and handbooks
we had available for sale were purchased, and
several of our children's canes went home with
eager parents.
FIRST SEMINAR

The following report was written by Susan Stanzel,
president of the NFB of Kansas, and published
in Freestate News, the newsletter of the NFB of
Kansas.
On June 2 and 3,1990, the National Federation
of the Blind of Kansas held our first seminar for
parents of blind children at the Downtown Ramada
Inn in Topeka. The families of nine blind children
ranging from two to sixteen years of age had the
opportunity to become acquainted with the positive
philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind
and to learn some of the best ways to insure that their
children would be given their rightful place in
society. Some of the cities represented were Salina,
Wichita, Topeka, and Olathe. One mother, obviously
impressed with what she heard and saw at our
seminar, has already attended her first Johnson
County Chapter meeting.
The president of our National Parents of Blind
Children Division, Mrs. Barbara Cheadle, came
from Baltimore, Maryland. We appreciate her most
helpful and willing support both before and during
the seminar. One of the most informative portions
of the seminar was Barbara's explanation of the
Individualized Education Plan.
We covered almost every aspect of the blind
child's life, from civil rights to leisure activity. We
appreciate all of the help given by our members and
others who joined to make this a successful first
effort. Although many Federationists helped to
make the seminar a success, special thanks goes to
Linda Balek [seminar coordinator] for the hard
work that she put into it. We are discussing taking
our show on the road. We have requests for a
similar seminar in both Wichita and Kansas City.
ON THE BEACH

The following was submitted by Denise Mackinstadt
regarding an activity sponsored by the
Northwest Chapter of Parents of Blind Children
Division, National Federation of the Blind.
Thanks to the efforts of Debbie Day (Bellingham),
Barb Weller (Seattle), and Stephanie Martin
(Edmonds) twenty families with blind children
came together at a beach on Lake Washington for a
day of fun and companionship. Families came from
as far away as British Columbia, Canada, and Eastern
Washington. Members of the Greater Seattle
Chapter of the NFB also attended the picnic.
The children, ranging from infants to adolescents,
had a great time swimming and playing Tball.
Parents spent the day getting to know each
other, sharing ideas, and making plans for future
events. The informal gathering presented an excellent
opportunity for both children and parents to
meet blind adults.
A pizza party was held after the picnic.
Everyone agreed that this was a worthwhile and
successful event. The participants are already planning
for next year's event.
BRAILLE NUMBER FACT CARDS

We have been asked to print the following announcement.
Braille
number fact cards for sale. These Braille
flash cards come in four different sets: 1. Addition
2. Subtraction 3. Multiplication and 4. Division.
Each set is $5.00. To order, send request and $5.00
per set to: Charlene Groves, 1899 Washington Valley
Road, Martinsville, New Jersey 08836.
TAPE MAGAZINE

We have been asked to publish the following
announcement.
Listen & Learn Company announces the
premier issue of Boomerang!, a national biweekly
audiomagazine about "Big Ideas", published and
produced in San Francisco. Targeted at the 7-10 age
group, Boomerang! features segments on current
events, history, geography, science, music and
poetry. These stories are presented from a child's
perspective, written in a child's metaphor, and narrated
in a child's voice. In addition, there are
mysteries, interviews with kids-in-the-news, and
"columns" about everything from grown-ups to the
latest in computer software. Stories are punctuated
with music and the worst jokes a kid will ever want
to hear. Each one-hour cassette issue also includes
the four-page Boomerang Flyer, featuring a board
game, book suggestions, and maps.
Listen & Learn Company has been producing
materials for schools since 1977. As the company's
first entry in the home market, Boomerang! is
designed to erase the line between "education" and
"entertainment." Anyone interested in Boomerang! can write to: Boomerang! Magazine, 123
Townsend, Suite 636, San Francisco, CA 94107
or call (800) 333-7858 to ask about a free copy of our first issue.
FOR KIDS BUGGY RIDDLES
The following are reprinted from the newsletter
of the Maryland Regional Library for the Blind.
Why are frogs so happy?

They eat whatever is bugging them.
How do bees get to school? They take a buzz!
Why is it hard for a ladybug to hide? Because she's always spotted.
HOME TEACHING THROUGH PLAY

Reprinted from the VIPS Newsletter, Kentucky.
The following activities can easily be prepared
at little or no expense by parents. Yet they are
packed with opportunities for fun and learning for
the visually impaired child.

Lid Matchups
You will need: Several containers with removable
lids, such as: tennis ball cans, margarine tubs,
coffee cans, powdered drink mix containers.
Directions: Encourage your child to match a lid
to the proper container.
Benefits: Size discrimination; coordination.
Scent Jar Matchups
You will need: 6 or 8 small jars or containers
(such as film canisters or medicine bottles) and 2
each of 3 or 4 objects with distinctive smells (such
as bubble gum, peppermint candy, dill pickle slice,
or cotton balls saturated with flavor extracts).
Directions: Place the scented objects in the jars.
Ask the child to identify each smell and then find its
twin.
Benefits: Practice in making comparisons; increase
vocabulary.
Ready, Set, Roar!
You will need: Absolutely nothing but your
imagination.
Directions: Name an animal with a distinctive
sound. Ask your child to make its sound. Then show
her how to walk, crawl, slither, or waddle like that
animal.
Benefits: Use of imagination; large motor
skills; increase vocabulary; strengthen vocal skills.
ACCESS TO ART
The following information was taken from the OF Week magazine, a publication of the American
Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
'"Art is a right, not a privilege,' says Irma
Shore. Shore, MA, OTR, is director of Access to
Art, a project designed to bring art to the blind and
visually impaired. For her, the crusade is personal
as well as professional. Shore already had considerable
clinical experience working with blind clients
in New York City when she became legally blind
herself because of diabetes. She was also a lifelong
art lover and didn't stop going to museums when
she began losing her sight. However, she found the
experience increasingly frustrating. This made her
realize the need to make art more accessible to
people who cannot see....Recently, Shore organized
a traveling exhibit, designed specifically to
be touched, taken from the collection of the
Museum of American Folk Art in New York City.
Entitled 'Access to Art: Bringing Folk Art
Closer,'... .Over the next two years, it will travel to
13 other museums around the country and one in
Canada." For more information about the traveling
exhibit and the "Access to Art" program, contact: Irma Shore, 444 Park Ave. South, New York,
New York 10016, (212) 977-7170.
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