That old saying about 'flaming June' is a bit off kilter at the moment but it does mean I don't have to worry about watering the garden!
Some brighter, more fun circle blocks, though some hearts are creeping in and a bee hive too.
Hilly puss was laid on the table but seemed to take umbridge when I laid the blocks out lol she's normally purrittier than this lol
This above picture was taken earlier this month when the sun paid us a visit and that's her side of the table I used today : )
I made another simple nursery rhyme storyboard for work, Red Riding Hood this time.
The house and RRH are velcro'd on/off and Granma and the wolf can be slotted into the 'bed', whichever way round.
Its my version of a topsy-turvy doll and the boy figure is
now the Huntsman.
At our last stitchy club meeting, one of our members displayed this little quilt for us to see. I thought it was delightful and you can see the card that inspired her alongside it too.
Now something you might like to read from one of the Visually Impaired students on our caseload.
His name is Lenny and I have his and his tutors permission to publish this.
He has been shortlisted in a competition and his essay is on the RNIB website, along with the others shortlisted too.
Hope you enjoy reading it : )
Dear Candidate
Very many thanks for your recent submission to the Onkyo
Essay Contest. I am very pleased to be
able to inform you that you have been successful and your essay has been
selected as one of five UK entries to be put forward to the European level of
the competition. Your essay will be
posted onto the RNIB website (www.rnib.org.uk/essay
) in the next day or so, along with those from other finalists. Many congratulations for succeeding at this
level of the competition and I wish you the best of luck for the next stage. The European deliberations take quite some
time and we do not expect to hear the final decision until the end of
September. If you have any queries in
the meantime please do not hesitate to get in touch.
With best wishes
Mandy White
Project Manager (Braille)
RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) PO box
173, Peterborough, PE2 6WS
Lenny
Male
Age
15
UK
RNIB
1,101
words
Braille is Brilliant
When
I was 5 years old I started to learn Braille.
I practised using the keys on the Perkins brailler. When I was working with my teaching assistant
she showed me all different letters. She
showed me a line of Braille letters and asked me to find a different one. I learnt all of the Braille alphabet I loved
it because it was fun. I was a bit
nervous because I thought I would get it all wrong. I found the contractions exciting.
Contractions were helpful because they are short-forms, so that I don't have to
do the grade ones. I've got a good
memory because I can remember important things and things from a very long time
ago. Braille is the most important
because it is my reading and writing. I
enjoy Braille books and talking books because the Braille tickles my fingers. It gives me information and I like listening
to Roald Dahl, Harry Potter David Walliams I can ask for books in Braille and
work from my Teaching Assistant and Support Teacher. When I first went on my Braille note I
thought it was just a normal Braille note but I can save files on to memory
sticks and the Braille note reads back my work.
My work comes out of a document so that I can print it off in letters so
that everyone can read it. At home I
have got a Perkins to review the books I’ve read, my home work and write
anything. Also at home I can label CDs and DVDs. I've labelled the washing machine so that I
can do my washing at home. I know how to
do the dryer. At School I have a library with Braille books in. I look at them
when it's reading club.
When
I was at Primary school I fell asleep on my brailler with my spellings on top
of the brailler, when I fell asleep I had my spellings that were on top of the
brailler on my forehead. The Perkins brailler was a bit strange because of the
clanking sounds. It was like playing a drum but I was writing. I can read the same as my class on guided
reading.
At school I have mobility lessons where I can
go out to places. I went to the bus station and I found Braille on the pillars
to tell me what bay I was at. When I went in the lifts they had Braille on the
buttons to tell me what floor I could go to and a voice telling me ‘doors
open’, ‘door closed’. I have noticed
recently that medicines had Braille and other cleaning products like bleach
have Braille on them.
Also
on dust bins they have got Braille to tell you what colours they are and what
you can put in them.
Some of the places I would like to have
Braille are cash machines even though I haven’t used one yet I think it would
be useful for me when I am older. More public places like museums, I would like
Braille in these places so I can get more information, without people having to
tell me what it is I am looking at. When I was practising going up and down in
lifts we went up and down that much that my teaching assistant felt sick that
she had to meet me at the top floor. When I go to the restaurant ‘Whistling
Goose’ I would like Braille menus so that I can read independently without my
Mam and Dad having to read the menu to me. I am growing up and should be able
to order my food.
I
would like Braille on shop signs to tell me what isle I am down or where things
are and how much things cost. I read Braille in double line spaced so that I
can read my Braille with my sausage fingers because my hands are so huge. I love my fingers just because I am blind I
still have my four senses like my hearing, smelling, tasting and touching and
feeling.
When
I was young learning Braille was very difficult and it made me really tired
that I remember once I fell asleep on the cello so my teacher and my TA had to
take the cello and the bow off me before it fell on the floor.
In my school there is only me and my TA who
read and write Braille. We did a Braille awareness day to teach everyone
Braille. We used Perkins braillers,
raised dots and tactile pictures.
Everyone enjoyed it but they said how hard it was and how clever I was
for being able to reading and write Braille.
My memories of learning Braille is that once I
ended up brailling on my sister's homework because I enjoyed brailling so much
I would Braille on every piece of paper, I got into big trouble!
Without
Braille I wouldn't be able to read anything or come to school and learn
anything. Braille allows me to be
included in class. In English lessons we have read Gangster Granny, Mr Stink
and Skellig everyone else had a normal print book but I have them in Braille,
they were 7 volumes long. Braille makes
me part of my class even though they write in pen but I can still write in
Braille. Because of the Braille I feel
like I am a part of the school community I am not mad because I am blind
because I have a fabulous life a wonderful family and nice friends.
When I bought my keyboard I had some music
lessons to help me with the notes I had Braille on the keys.
At school I am a
school councillor I went to meeting to talk to head teachers about what our
school was going to do in the community. I did a presentation to 12 Head
teachers all my notes were in Braille and they were very impressed with my
reading skills. I also met a man who is involved in the City of Culture Hull
2017. He was talking to us about what we will see during the City of Culture
year. I put me hand up and said What about me? I am blind what can you do for
me? I am now involved in the City of Culture. I am telling them what would be
good for Visually Impaired people which will include Braille signs, Braille
information packs, tactile models etc. I wouldn’t have had this opportunity if
I were not Visually Impaired.
Another view of the life of a 15 year old, only this young man has no vision whatsoever.
Makes you think doesn't it .....
Sounds like you have been busy Lyn! What an achievement for your young VI student, I hope his essay goes all the way! Christine x
ReplyDeleteYour circles are coming along nicely and I love your Red Riding Hood storyboard; you are so inventive! Thanks for sharing Lenny's essay - I was interested in his perspective: who knew which household things had braille on the labels. A long time ago I worked part-time for a blind lecturer who needed readers; it was fun work and the ways he had adapted life to work for him were very interesting.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I see some pretty Down Under fabrics there, all your pieces are lovely and bright. My cats give me that 'what are you doing in my space' attitude too. Love the whole RRH scenario. And a beaut essay from young Lenny. Your garden looks really pretty and I'm always left wanting more after one of our posts :)
ReplyDeleteAs always, your creations for work are amazing. The quilt is so clever and should definitely be entered into a competition somewhere. And speaking of competitions, I hope that young student wins! He has written something really thought provoking and something that we all should read so we can understand more about the world of the blind. Good for him!
ReplyDeletelos you have shared today. Loving the Red Riding boo and so interesting reading the Lenny`s article makes you realise how important it is to have braille on bus stops etc had not give it much thought before but Lenny has opened my eyes to the problems no sight has to face best of luck o him with the competition and let us know how he gets on
ReplyDelete