Dyslexia runs in my family. You can definitely be blind and dyslexic.
(smile) My maternal aunt, uncle, mom, brother, and I all have dyslexia and
auditory processing disorder. Being blind and unable to process verbal
directions correctly presents some interesting challenges, and lots of
blackmail material for my dad. (grin) Dyslexia is rather like having low
vision in that there is a continuum of impairment from mild to severe. My
impairment only shows up when typing or in handwriting, rarely with
Braille.
In my brain scans, Braille seems to activate a separate part of the brain,
a
channel that works very well for me. I am the speller in my family, and
that's because I can read Braille. On the other end, my aunt and uncle
can't
read at all and can only write their names.
To me, the auditory processing disorder is much worse and causes more
frustration. After all, a spellchecker helps me cope nicely with the
dyslexia. Conversations, especially verbal directions, don't come with
rewind buttons or translators. I'm not deaf, so people aren't very
understanding when I need them to repeat things more slowly or write them
down. I've learned to start writing notes the second I even think someone
might be saying something important.
That's why I like Bookshare so much. I can actually read my books, not
listen to them. I don't have to worry about who is narrating a book or
which
books might be chosen for WebBraille. There are some NLS readers I
understand very well. There are others that I can't seem to process at
all.
I can hear normally, but they might as well be speaking in Greek for all I
can understand. I check out the narrator before even bothering to look at
the book's description. So there are some NLS books I cannot read, even
though I could order them right now. If I see a book I want that's read by
someone I can't understand well, I scan it. With Bookshare, I get to
choose
how I read, what voice I use, or whether I want to use Braille for
something
I'm trying to learn.
Monica Willyard
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." -- Peter Drucker
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Cindy
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 2:35 AM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Perceptual Difficulties, WAS: Re: Re: Table
Of
Contents
One thing I learned when I started volunteering in the learning, is that
dyslexics are very often extremely smart. The boy I was asked to help was
in
6th grade. Because he was smart, he'd found ways to do very well in school
working around and hiding his dyslexia. It ws discovered until he was in
6th
grade. I really don't know how one overcomes it. All I did was read with
him
I don't know enough to know how that helped, but apparently it did--or
maybe
he continued getting help in 7th and later grades. It did make me worry,
though, when my 3-year-old daughter would reverse letters. Both my
daughters
were reading early (just the result of our reading books together), but
because I had become aware of the switching of letters in words in
dyslexia, I began to wonder if she had--but then I realiZed, or someone
told
me, it was just her age and was devlopmental--which ewas the truth as it
turned out.
Cindy
Wish List (i.e., books wanted added to the collection) and
books-being-scanned list available at sites below
Wish List: https://wiki.benetech.org/display/BSO/Bookshare+Wish+List
Books Being Scanned List:
https://wiki.benetech.org/display/BSO/Books+Being+Scanned+List
--- On Thu, 11/5/09, Debby Franson <the.bee@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Debby Franson <the.bee@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Perceptual Difficulties, WAS: Re: Re: Table Of
Contents
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009, 3:16 PM
Hi everyone!
Kim, thanks for sharing this rather personal information
with us. I like
your thought about being treated as individuals.
I have a blind e-friend who is dyslexic, so a person
doesn't have to have
sight to have this reading difficulty, since the
information is processed
in the brain the same way whether the input is print
getting in through the
eyes or braille input through the fingers.
It's sad that my friend is somewhat ashamed of her
dyslexia. When she told
me, she said, "I usually don't tell anyone, but I have
dyslexia.". There
is nothing to be ashamed of.
True, Kim, a person is smart with differing perceptual
difficulties, so
it's sad that your dad was thought to be slow. They
didn't know nearly as
much about the brain in your father's generation as they do
now. No one
heard of ADD or ADHD back then either.
Debby
At 02:20 AM 11/5/2009, Kim Friedman wrote
>Hi, Valerie, I have a sister who is slightly aphasic
and slightly dyslexic.
>Also, my father must have had dyslexia because reading
was a slow process
>for him. Unfortunately for his generation, teachers
would think he was slow
>and would have never heard of dyslexia. The way my
mother described my
>sister's condition was to say that it had something to
do with feedback in
>her brain. She has problems with fractions, and she has
a hard time
>pronouncing certain words. She is now getting stuff
from my regional
>library, i.e., Braille Institute of America because, as
she tells me, she
>can comprehend some books better if she hears them
being read to her rather
>than looking at the book in front of her. I look
forward to the time when
>people are taught like they're human beings, rather
than using a
>cookie-cutter approach as if our brains can be crammed
with information any
>old way as if we were like cars made on an assembly
line. Regards, Kim.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Valerie Maples
>Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 4:37 PM
>To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Table Of Contents
>
>Hi, Evan!
>
>Because I work with emerging literacy, and a secondary
focus on learning
>disabilities, visual presentation is important in
building skills. Typically
>speaking in teaching a child how to orient themselves
to a table of contents
>the chapter number is on the left, usually followed by
a couple of spaces or
>a tab, then the title of the chapter, and then usually
some distance away
>from it on the right margin of the page is the actual
page number. By making
>the three elements of a single line distinct, you teach
children how to scan
>in not only a horizontal linear pattern, but a vertical
pattern as well.
>When there is too much information into smaller space
children with learning
>disabilities tend to mangle the information and not be
able to retrieve the
>details. It can make it more difficult for an adult
with dyslexia because
>they can then have a greater chance of confusing the
numbers with letters.
>There are also a number of visual learning disabilities
were spatial
>relationships are important. By controlling how the
information is formatted
>you improve the odds of a child successfully learning
how to not only
>differentiate but digest the information that is
present.
>
>It is incredibly difficult to teach advanced functions
of computer searching
>to kids who have these learning disabilities since they
often have problems
>but spelling correctly or with number order. It is also
an additional skill
>layered on top of another skill at you are trying to
create, which can be
>difficult. I am sure I am not making much sense, but I
can tell you as an
>adult with dyslexia, if the information is too close
together, I take about
>five times as long to sort the information. Ideally
there should be a much
>greater distance and the page numbers should online in
a column, but
>separation of any type is better than the same thing
used to indicate a
>change of words.
>
>I am trying to learn as much as I can about why
presentation matters and how
>it is effected by those who listen as well as those who
read in Braille, and
>I don't want anyone to think that I am being a bully
and constantly
>reshaping arguments about formatting, but because so
much of Bookshare's
>current efforts are directed toward their educational
grant, I think we do
>ourselves well to continue to meet the needs of these
kids as best we can.
>If we strip all of the useful tools of the visual
presentation in effort to
>"standardize", we may remove the ability of some
students to develop
>independent literacy skills outside of software. Until
our society has moved
>to a format where all text is available electronically,
books, newspapers,
>and snail mail remain a reality that we need to teach
students to develop
>techniques to handle. I am all for tools of compromise
as long as meaningful
>information can still be derived for the target
populations. Individuals
>with visual impairments have had alternate formats for
decades, but it
>really is in its infancy for students with more severe
physical disabilities
>or learning disabilities.
>
>In truth, many texts would be better handled if they
could be formatted both
>ways, instead of a unified format that is then
translated. Since that is
>completely unlikely to happen, the next best thing we
can have is
>considerate dialogues trying to find common ground.
Thank you for allowing
>me to participate in these discussions.
>
>I have to get Nichole ready for bed, so please forgive
me if there are any
>speech recognition errors in this long missive. I
promise you it is better
>than anything that I could have pecked out and taken an
hour to correct.
>Wink.
>
>Thanks!
>Valerie
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On
> > Behalf Of EVAN REESE
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 4:33 PM
> > To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Table Of Contents
> >
> > Judy, I can't understand a thing you're saying.
You are completely
> > incoherent. Just kidding.
> >
> > Other than that, I'll take your and Valerie's
word that it is
> > difficult to read a page number in a TOC with
only a space between it
> > and the title, although I will admit that I don't
understand why this
> > should be so. If
>you
> > are reading the title of something, you would
just see the page number
>after
> > it, right? Why is that difficult? I am asking for
information, not for
> > argumentation. If it is difficult to read a
number with only a space
>between
> > it and a word, why is it not equally difficult to
read words with only
> > a single space between them? As I said, I am
looking for insight, not
>doubting
> > the word of those who actually read with sight.
> >
> > Thanks for any help you can give to further my
knowledge on this.
> >
> > Evan
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Judy s." <cherryjam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 4:41 PM
> > Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Table Of Contents
> >
> >
> > >I agree with Valerie. It is a torture
to figure out tables of
> > >contents visually with just the single
space. I'm perfectly happy
> > >with an
>ellipsis
> > >instead of the space, as an idea. I
can't see any way that trying to
> > >figuour out how many periods to put in to
make the right margin on
> > >each line, as is done with a printed book,
will make sense or be
> > >anything but
>a
> > >nightmare to do if you're blind. Having
an ellipsis in makes it
>perfectly
> > >readable for me visually.
> > >
> > > Golly, I hope I'm making sense. I had some
major dental surgery
> > > today
>and
> > > we had to use enough anesthesia to bring an
elephant down. So I'm a
> > > bit loopy! grin.
> > >
> > > Judy s.
> > >
> > > Valerie Maples wrote:
> > >> Ideally you should have enough periods
so the right margin is even
> > >> for visual scanning of page numbers
as a list, but an ellipsis
> > >> would be better than a single
space. that is outright torture to find
>anything.
> > >>
> > >> Valerie
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On 11 04, 2009, at 11:17 AM, Mayrie
ReNae wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Hi Debby,
> > >>>
> > >>> I'd like more commentary from our
sighted print disabled readers
> > >>> to
>know
> > >>> whether this will be helpful before
I change my practises. I'm
> > >>> happy
>to
> > >>> change, as you are, but not willing
to make a permanent change
> > >>> until
>or
> > >>> unless it is commented upon by more
than one person.
> > >>>
> > >>> Vallerie, Doug, Judy, anyone else
who is print disabled, but
> > >>> sighted want to comment on this?
> > >>>
> > >>> Mayrie
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>> From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >>> [mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Debby
>Franson
> > >>> Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009
8:58 AM
> > >>> To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >>> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Table
Of Contents
> > >>>
> > >>> Hi Mayrie!
> > >>>
> > >>> Should I insert elipses in the table
of contents in "Rebel With a
> > >>> Cause"?
> > >>> It wouldn't be a bother.
> > >>>
> > >>> Debby
> > >>>
> > >>> At 07:50 AM 11/3/2009, Mayrie ReNae
wrote
> > >>>> Hi Melissa,
> > >>>>
> > >>>> That's a great idea! Let's
see if it would work for folks like
> > >>>> Valerie's Nichole, since Valerie
was the one requesting a change.
> > >>>> If it would work, I don't see
how it would go against anything
> > >>>> bookshare has
> > >>> ever said.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Mayrie
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>>> From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >>>> [mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Melissa
>Smith
> > >>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009
5:07 AM
> > >>>> To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >>>> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Table
Of Contents
> > >>>>
> > >>>> I've been thinking about
Valerye's concerns about the table of
> > >>>> contents.
> > >>>> I got to thinking about how
Braille books have a series of dots
>between
> > >>>> the chapter title and page
number. So, I was wondering if
> > >>>> inserting
>an
> > >>>> ellipses between the chapter
title and page number would be an
> > >>>> appropriate
> > >>> solution.
> > >>>> An ellipses will be recognized
and kept by bookshare's tools, and
>will
> > >>>> give some separation between
chapter title and page number for
> > >>>> those that need that. It
wouldn't be spoken by most screen
> > >>>> readers, so wouldn't interfere
with anybody's listening pleasure.
> > >>>> Finally, since Braille readers
are used to the series of dots
> > >>>> between chapter title and page
number, it wouldn't seem unusual
> > >>>> to them
>either.
> > >>>> So, do you think this would be
acceptable and not violate any
>bookshare
> > >>>> rules?
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Melissa
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> To unsubscribe from this list
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> > >>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> > >>>> Version: 9.0.698 / Virus
Database: 270.14.48/2479 - Release Date:
> > >>>> 11/03/09 13:38:00
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> --
> > >>> Enjoy what you have rather than
desiring what you don't have. Just
> > >>> dreaming about nice things is
meaningless; it is like chasing the
> > >>> wind.--Ecclesiastes
> > >>> 6:9 NLT
> > >>>
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>
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--
Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't
have. Just dreaming
about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the
wind.--Ecclesiastes 6:9 NLT
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