Henry.Kasten@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.org (Henry Kasten) (11/14/90)
Index Number: 11708
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Hi warren, I had no idea you were sighted. Funny, you don't look
blind either. The template for a signature guide might work
provided you don't have any loops in your name. If you had the
desire to sign your name on a check, why wouldn't you have the same
desire to fill out the check? To teach children the shapes of
letters, teachers use wooden or plastic letters, blocks with the
letters made out of sandpaper and several other tactile aides.
What I was trying to find out, were these aides affective for a
child who has never seen and has no concept of spatial
relationships a sighted child would. I became interested in the
topic when I realized a friend who is blind could not write. I
first thought that if my friend wanted, I could teach them the
rudiments of handwriting. I did not consider the problem of having
no idea of what things looked like. I just took for granted that
everyone could think of a shape and then picture it in their mind.
I am really not looking for a quick fix, I want to know of a
technique that will assist a totally blind person to write. I also
want to know if that is a worthwhile project. Is it helpful for a
person who is blind to know how to write? Thanks for the signature
guide idea. Henry
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!130!10!Henry.Kasten
Internet: Henry.Kasten@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.orgWalter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.org (Walter Siren) (11/17/90)
Index Number: 11769
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
HK> assist a totally blind person to write. I also want to know if that is a
HK> worthwhile project. Is it helpful for a person who is blind to know how to
HK> write? Thanks for the signature guide idea. Henry
It certainly would be helpful for a totally blind person to learn
to write. I remember once when I was in the hospital, and I was on
a ventalator, and I could not talk, and I could not write either in
print, therefore, I could not communicate with the nurses. Boy
how I wished I could write. I had to make signs trying to get them
to understand what I wanted.
Walter
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!396!5.18!Walter.Siren
Internet: Walter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.orgWarren.King@p0.f429.n275.z1.fidonet.org (Warren King) (11/17/90)
Index Number: 11778 > Hi warren, I had no idea you were sighted. Funny, you don't look > blind either. The template for a signature guide might work > provided you don't have any loops in your name. If you had the > desire to sign your name on a check, why wouldn't you have the same > desire to fill out the check? To teach children the shapes of > letters, teachers use wooden or plastic letters, blocks with the > letters made out of sandpaper and several other tactile aides. > What I was trying to find out, were these aides affective for a > child who has never seen and has no concept of spatial > relationships a sighted child would. I became interested in the > topic when I realized a friend who is blind could not write. I > first thought that if my friend wanted, I could teach them the > rudiments of handwriting. I did not consider the problem of having > no idea of what things looked like. I just took for granted that > everyone could think of a shape and then picture it in their mind. > I am really not looking for a quick fix, I want to know of a > technique that will assist a totally blind person to write. I also > want to know if that is a worthwhile project. Is it helpful for a > person who is blind to know how to write? Thanks for the signature > guide idea. Henry Henry, You have got me thinking on this one! <grin> You are right about the loops causing problems, I would imagine that the teacher would have to select a cursive handwriting style that minimized loops. If I were going to try to teach conceptualization, I think that I would still use the template idea to help initialize the shapes. I would think about placing the template over a clay or plasticine tablet and use a stylus so that the results could be immediately "seen" by the student being able to get a tactile impression of the shape they just created. Possibly a heavy waxed paper might do the same job. I would also think that care would have to be made in cutting the template so that the angles are the same as would be used when writing and not just straight up and down. That also means that consideration could be taken as to whether the student is right handed or left handed, because the angle would be different. -Warren- -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!275!429.0!Warren.King Internet: Warren.King@p0.f429.n275.z1.fidonet.org
Walter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.org (Walter Siren) (11/17/90)
Index Number: 11790 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] > is blind could not write. I first thought that if my friend wanted, I could > teach them the rudiments of handwriting. I did not consider the problem of > having no idea of what things looked like. I just took for granted that > everyone could think of a shape and then picture it in their mind. They could, but the problem is not being able to picture a shape, it is not knowint what shape it is in. Forinstance, I know what a circle looks like, but I might not know what an 8 looks like, that it is two circles on top of one another. > assist a totally blind person to write. I also want to know if that is a > worthwhile project. Is it helpful for a person who is blind to know how to > write? Thanks for the signature guide idea. Henry Don't give it up. > WK> You have got me thinking on this one! <grin> You are right about WK> the loops causing problems, I would imagine that the teacher would have WK> to select a cursive handwriting style that minimized loops. If I were WK> going to try to teach conceptualization, I think that I would still use WK> the template idea to help initialize the shapes. I would think about WK> placing the template over a clay or plasticine tablet and use a stylus WK> so that the results could be immediately "seen" by the student being WK> able to get a tactile impression of the shape they just created. That could be done with a raised line drawing kit that is sold by the AFB. Also in teaching them, try not to use a fancy hand writing. That is a problem, that some people trying to teach one with a fancy hand writing. So keep it simple, and still understandable. Walter -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!396!5.18!Walter.Siren Internet: Walter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.org
Grant.Downey@p0.f9.n381.z1.fidonet.org (Grant Downey) (11/20/90)
Index Number: 11871
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
I have ben blind since birth and when it came time forme to learnmy
signature I had one heck of a time. I had themost success with the
idea or relating the letter to the shape of a braille cel. The result
is that my signature is quite square in nature but legible. It is not
easy for me to understand the conceptofletters being connected and as
hard as I may try, it has never become any easier. Grant
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!381!9.0!Grant.Downey
Internet: Grant.Downey@p0.f9.n381.z1.fidonet.orgdgl292@pallas.athenanet.com (Doug Lee) (11/29/90)
Index Number: 12019 I had a good friend in the fifth and sixth grades (I wish I knew where he was now) who taught me the alphabet and some punctuation marks by drawing raised lines on a braille paper with a pen. Of course, they DO come out on the back and, therefore, upside down; but you only have to work that problem out once. He drew them so they came out correctly on the other side of the page, and the lines were cleaner than anything I've seen done since with a drawing kit. This was VERY helpful for me; I could see for the first 18 months of my life, but I don't remember sight at all. When Optacon training started, I had quite a head start! Doug Lee (dgl292@athenanet.com or uunet!pallas!dgl292) (NOTE: that's "DGL" in lower case--there's no #1)