NFB Youth Slam! » Kayla

Getting to Know More About Barbara Pierce

Kayla — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:26:03 +0000

Members of the National Federation of the Blind know Barbara Pierce as the editor of the Braille Monitor. I had the opportunity to interview her while on a bus ride to the Jernigan Institute. As we bounced over bumps, and talked in rather loud voices to hear one another over the clammer, she told me the story of how she survived in college with just a tape player, a cane that reached only to her waste, and a slate and stylus!
Barbara has had retinitis Pigmentosa since age two. She attended a regular public school, and read print. It wasn’t until the summer of her seventh grade year that she learned Braille. However, the only book that she had available to her was a high school physics book. “It definitely was not an ideal situation for someone who had just learned to read Braille. When people are first learning to read they really need something that captures their interests,” she said.
Despite having limited access to Braille she was able to keep up her skills. While in college she changed majors several times and finally decided to pursue English, although she had disliked it in school. Through her college career she had only that Braille which she wrote for her own personal use’ mostly notes for classes. “In college I had the best notes of anyone in the class. I would take notes with my slate and then record them so that they would be coherent.
After graduating from college she married and pursued a career in English. She heard about the NFB while reading a magazine which ironically had been printing some disparaging things about the Federation. . It wasn’t until several years later when someone gave her a voluminous pile of recordings done by the NFB that she became engrossed in the work of the federation. “It was like finding a family that I didn’t know existed!” Barbara remembers. She attended her first convention in 1975 and hasn’t missed one since!
It was a great pleasure meeting Barbara and I hope as the week progresses that I can get to know her better!

An Overview of the Pac-mate Omni

Kayla — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:01:40 +0000

Pac-mates come in two different varieties. One has the Perkins style keyboard, while the other has a computer keyboard. This gives users the opportunity to choose their preference. The machine operates similarly to a computer with jaws.

I have been using the Pac-mate Omni for about two years. I was constantly frustrated because I kept losing my work and the machine kept crashing before I upgraded the software. The battery life wasn’t very long either. I felt like throwing the thing out the window!

After I got the upgrade things changed drastically! Battery life could last me as long as four days before having to be recharged. I know longer had to worry about losing any of my work. The omni also has pocket excel and the ability to read text that is on power points, as well as many other different features.

I use the pac-mate for everything! I use it to take notes, read and complete tests, record notes, read books that are in electronic format, do mathematical equations, listen to music or other mp3 files, brows the web, and print or emboss my school work.

If you are interested in Braille note-takers you should definitely give the pac-mate a try. I encourage any one to try the device before selecting a different brand. I could not survive without mine.

Cooking without Looking with Willie Black

Kayla — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:04:46 +0000

Whether it’s whipping up a delicious recipe, managing his own restaurant, or coaching his children’s soccer team. Willie Black doesn’t take no for an answer if he wants to pursue any of his passions.

Willie Black works at a variety of jobs. He is the manager of several snack bars for the Federal Court, operates his own culinary business, manages a restaurant, and is pursuing a bachelors degree in Culinary management.

Willie has always had an interest in food. “I love the way two people can cook the same thing and it always tastes different,” Willie said. It turns out that Willie was encouraged by his mentors in the National Federation of the Blind to try to pursue his dream of being a chef, and the rest, as they say, is history.

How I Got Hear: Grecia’s Story

Kayla — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:15:12 +0000

After a late night at her cousins wedding, Grecia Ramirez departed from her home in Metro-Atlanta to the airport to catch a flight to Maryland. Although she was tired from her previous nights exploits, she was excited to be on her way.

After several wrong turns, her mom got them to their destination. Everything went smoothly until she had boarded the plane. upon reaching her seat, she encountered a passenger who was rather upset, because Grecia had unknowingly taken the woman’s seat. The woman was rather upset about the whole arrangement, but calmed down after awhile. Despite this ordeal Grecia’s flight went fairly well.

Grecia met up with some friends after disembarking. She and her friends took a bus from the airport to College Park Maryland. She enjoyed talking with her friends on the bus ride, and intends to enjoy herself immensely at this years Youth Slam!

25 Things About Me

Kayla — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:30:42 +0000

1. I love to read.
2. I like Brussels sprouts.
3. I try to be optimistic.
4. When the seventh Harry Potter book came out, I read the whole book in a week and got a blister on my finger.
5. Sports put me to sleep.
6. I have two younger siblings.
7. My parents got divorced when I was seven.
8. I try not to judge people by my first impressions of them.
9. I would like to travel to every continent in my lifetime.
10. I love the color green because even though I can’t see it I associate it with the smell of evergreen trees.
11. My favorite subject in school is English.
12. I try to associate colors with smells or things that I can smell, hear, or touch.
13. The subject I hate is math.
14. One of the things I like about traveling is meeting new people.
15. I have a bad sense of direction.
16. When I am in unfamiliar areas I get lost often and ask for directions.
17. My favorite holiday is Christmas.
18. In middle school I participated in Marching Band.
19. I began using a cane when I was three.
20. My middle name, Britt, is my mom’s maiden name.
21. I want to teach English but I can’t spell.
22. I don’t like tomatoes, but I love ketchup.
23. I love classical music.
24. I want to do something that really matters with my life.
25. I used to be in Chorus before I transferred schools.