Last night I had the opportunity to see several exhibits at the exhibit hall in the National center for the Blind. I tried to examine at least 70% of the exhibits, many of which showcased very interesting products.
One exhibit that stood out was the Louis Braille 2009 Bicentennial Silver Dollar, which was released March 26 in honor of Louis Braille’s 200th birthday. I was present last year during the March for Independence at the convention, where the prototype of the coin was unveiled. However, we did not get the opportunity to touch the coin there.
This exhibit showed the coin several ways– a plaque had both the front and back of the proof and uncirculated versions of the coin mounted on it. Actually, the lady staffing this exhibit told me that the plaque resides in NFB President Maurer’s office. He lent it to the exhibit hall for the afternoon.
The spacing of the letters BRL (which are stamped on the coin) was very interesting. I noticed a small space between the letters b and r; otherwise, the coin looked very well constructed.
There was also a mural behind the coin exhibit. Each time 10000 coins are sold, an additional piece of the mural is added. This, in a sense, creates a jigsaw-puzzle-type painting. As of today, almost 180,000 coins have been sold, and the incomplete drawing shows a rocket ship and a man with his cane. The drawing appears to be very tactile–you can feel the cane and the ship.
For me, the coin exhibit stands out over all the other exhibits. I think it was great finally to find out how the coin feels and through that appreciate the work Louis Braille did for the blind community and beyond.
Author Archive
Change We Can Believe In: Braille Coins
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 08:53 AM By TamasExercise and Fun While Learning
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 07:30 AM By TamasBaltimore, Maryland – During a morning event in the Health and Recreation center of the University of Maryland college park, blind students participated in a sports track through which they learned to exercise in fun and educational ways. The track, which is part of the Youth Slam organized by the National Federation of the Blind, engaged students in many fun sports activities on exercise machines. And some of these machines provided new ways to access sports information nonvisually.
For example, each student was given a talking pedometer, which helped them keep count of how well they are doing. Rachna Kashwani, a mentor at the event, says that this “helps encourage them to exercise in a more interactive way.”. “it makes them feel curious and more motivated to exercise. They could keep track of how much work they have done and maybe store a record of their highest step count.”
As Corina exercised on the elliptical, she could keep track of how many steps she has taken by simply pushing a button on the pedometer. “4125 steps”, the quiet yet understandable voice of the pedometer stated.
“In the end we added all the steps our pod took and then the steps of the entire class in general”, she said, slightly out of breath from the workout. “it’s not a competition at all, it’s simply fun to know how much we all have walked. Although, I am trying to beat Portia – so far she has walked more than i!”
On the opposite side of the room, Ashley is using balls to stretch on. “it’s very fun and relaxing!” She says, laying her back on the ball.
There are plenty of machines in this room. From weight machines and bikes, to arm exercising and muscle building tools, this track truly concentrates on presenting sports in a fun and interactive way, not something many blind students get exposed to.
Education is also a key in the track. After completing their exercising, students came to a classroom to talk about their experiences. Instructors also gave them exercising tips. “after you do your ten minute cardial workout, it’s important to cool down. That will work on your flexibility.”
Before leaving the center and heading back to the bus, a student was heard saying “this is a fun track! I love sports!” excitedly, and we could tell that he was looking forward to the events which are to come in the future.
Meet the Instructors: Barbara Pierce
Thursday, July 30th, 2009, 10:25 PM By TamasBarbara Pierce was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She moved to the outside of Pittsburgh area as a child. Her least favorite school subject was English, and writing was never her forte. She never imagined that she would make writing her career or that she would enjoy it so much.
As a result of her early dislike of writing, it was difficult for her to decide on a major at Oberlin College. At first, Barbara began working towards psychology, but she later switched to studying biology. Finally, in college, she began to see English as “not just about writing.” Ironically, she dated and eventually married a professor from the English department.
Barbara had substantial usable vision during childhood but lost it with time. Growing up, her family encouraged her to view herself as a regular sighted person. College however made her realize that she was blind and had many challenges.
She was not aware of any National Federation of the Blind programs until her children were born. A county-recruit person helped convince her of the organization’s benefits and to give it a try. By October of 1974, Barbara Pierce had founded a new NFB chapter.
Barbara first heard of the 2007 Youth slam during the planning phase. As the long-time editor of the Braille Monitor, her goal was to report on the program.
In 2009, she was called and given the opportunity to work during youth slam as an instructor.
After graciously accepting this offer, Barbara Pierce began working with students from the News crew. Her main objective is to help them create articles for the Braille monitor, providing editing tips and constructive feedback on their writing in the process.
Visit
This link
and stay tuned to the monitor in the next months for more in depth updates about Youth slam!
A Sports Night at the Slam!
Thursday, July 30th, 2009, 08:49 PM By TamasHello to all readers!
Once again, it is Tomi journaling directly from the one and only, extraordinarily slammy Youth Slam! Well, a lot of people do slam into me with their trays during meals, but perhaps that’s a story for future article.
We had a sports night two days ago, and I thought I’d record my experience.
Each of us was assigned to a sport based on our top five choices, which we all selected during registration.
I was assigned to goalball. As a longtime goalball player, I already knew how to play this sport.
Readers who are not familiar with Goalball can watch several YouTube videos like the
U.S. VS. Japan competition
But I will also explain the sport.
We went to the Armory, the loud, echoing building where we had our dance. The goalball field was set up there. Tactile tape on the floor outlines the three wings (Left, center, and right) on each side of the court. Each team consists of three players, so a total of six are required to play.
Our group was divided into two subgroups: Those who already knew how to play goalball and those who didn’t. I was part of the players group, so for us they recapped ball blocking techniques.
Goalball is a special sport because you use your body a lot to block the ball. In addition every player is blindfolded. When you are blocking, you must carefully observe where the ball is rolling. You throw your body to either the left or right, depending on where it is coming from. Protecting vital body parts such as your face is also important, so you can shield your head with your hands. If you do not block the ball, it scores a goal by rolling and staying in the field. Sometimes the ball bounces out of bounds simply by hitting something like your leg, and that is still considered a block.
On the other side of the room those new to the sport learned how to throw the ball because that task is also quite an experience. A highball is one that is thrown too high and flies across the court. When throwing, it’s important to face the field and throw as if you were bowling the ball, sort of rolling and throwing at the same time.
Although we had time to play for only half an hour, Goalball gets very intense, with fast throws and blocks. It’s a fun sport, and I encourage both blind and sighted readers to check it out and play on a team if one is in your area. One future project I’m considering is setting up more teams across my city. I believe that both blind and sighted players would enjoy this sport equally. It’s fun and intense!
Getting to Know the Instructor: Nathanael Wales
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009, 04:58 PM By Tamas
Nathanael Wales was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Around age nine, his family left Wisconsin and moved to California.
Born legally blind, Nathanael went to a public school. Originally, he was able to read large print. In high school, he learned Braille, which became useful in life, since it was less challenging to read.
As a shy person, he always enjoyed playing with legos and building blocks during childhood. “I loved building structures, building things people would live in and use. I was good at Math and Science, and enjoyed both subjects.”
Usually whilst building, he did not follow the instructions, but rather used logic to create his own construction. Creativity was also important in designing a finished lego piece.
During high school, Nathanael participated on a mock trial team, solving complex cases. Some of them involved technical logic – analyzing fibers, and other scientific work. “Mock trial allowed me to strengthen my critical thinking and logic skills. I also tried to take as many science classes I could take – including AP Physics and calculus.”
Nathanael’s family came across the National Federation of the blind while looking for various devices for making reading large print easier. In California, there were many conventions throughout the year. There, they met blind people who participated in the National Federation of the Blind, and became successful role models. “In my area, there wasn’t really a chapter. It was a rural place where I lived, so we stayed involved in state events.”
Upon completion of his high school career in 1996, MR. Wales attended the Louisiana center for the Blind, as well as his first convention in Los Angeles.
In 2001, he Graduated from the University of California Davis, earning a Bachelor’s In engineering. A few years later, Nathanael Wales successfully earned his Professional engineers license.
One government job, which he worked in required logic in figuring out the most economical design for dams or Reservoirs. The problems ranged from questions such as “How much profit will this dam make?” to ones such as “Where should it be built so the least amount of impact in the environment is made?” which required the use of more complex logic.
His current federal job involves solving environmental complaints customers might have with their water supplies. ”The challenge of it is that we’re dealing with real people and their concerns of way of life. What is very rewarding is when you can provide them with a better water supply which doesn’t impact their environment.”
Today, Nathanael is married to a law student who is visually impaired and lives a successful life, enjoying what he loves to do: Engineering and building. He first participated as a mentor in Youth slam in 2007. This year, he is back, instructing the Go green track. “The challenge this year is to make sure that the content is good. That we are doing things that the students are learning from.”
A night at Youth slam: Meeting More People at a Dance Party
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009, 10:23 AM By TamasHello to everyone! This is Tomi, and all of us here at Youth slam are having lots of fun. The entire news crew is very excited to be journaling LIVE from this extraordinary event! I personally couldn’t wait to write on this blog about last night’s happenings, since our original plans had to change.
On the schedule and in the announcements, a slam BBQ was planned for Monday night, with a live band that would play. Weather prevented this from coming to fruition and accordingly our schedule had to be changed. They never did tell us the “mystery band’S” name, however.
Instead of a BBQ, we had sort of a dance. Food was still served at the dance just as though we were at a BBQ ; Yet we were inside an echoy building with very loud music playing. The moment I stepped in that building, I lost my mentor immediately and proceeded off to the food lines. Later, me and the mentor talked and agreed to meet up at a location at the end of the dance.
Losing my mentor gave me new opportunities to explore the area around me and consequently meet new people. After receiving my meal, I stopped and sat down next to a volunteer from India, who came to this nation just this past January. He and I associated very well, since we both were immigrants! Briefly, our discussion centered around this American culture and the stress which comes with living in America.
Unfortunately, I could not find this man again after throwing my trash out and returning to my seat. Ah well. Perhaps we will meet again at some point during youth slam!
The rest of the night ended well. I talked to several others – including a girl from Maryland named Ashley, Dr. Maurer’s brother, and several other guys from the Frederick (Griffindor) dorms. Overall, I had lots of fun meeting new people. I am positive that the spirit of Youth Slam will continue to rise as the week progresses!
Getting to Know me: Interview with Olaedo
Monday, July 27th, 2009, 09:00 PM By TamasQ: What is your name?
A: Olaedo Ajoku
Q: Where were you born?
A: Edison New Jersey
Q: How did you find out about Youth Slam?
A: My mom and vision teacher told me about the program this year.
Q: Were you excited when you were told the details of Youth Slam?
A: A little. I was a bit upset about it being the same week as my band camp. I also do not like flying. My feelings changed however when I heard more about the program.
Q: Which state do you live in now?
A: Georgia
Q: How was your flight to Baltimore? Any layovers?
A: It was an hour and twenty five minutes long. I had a direct flight.
Q: How have you liked Youth slam so far?
A: It’s cool! I really enjoy meeting new people here.
Q: Which dorm are you staying at?
A: prince george, hufflepuff
Q: Is there anything you’re looking forward to in particular?
A: I’m looking forward to more activities including riding the mechanical bull, going to the Jernigan institute and . . . And Rec x night!
25 Random Facts
Monday, July 27th, 2009, 03:35 PM By Tamas1. I was originally born in the country of Hungary, and thus have traveled to nations such as Slovakia, Austria, Poland, and Ukraine.
2. I have a twin sister who is 2 minutes older than I am – but is not visually impaired.
3. When I was 7, I chased my dog and fell down a set of basement stairs. My head got stitched. Two weeks later, the same incident occurred again – but this time, the dent in my skull became permanent.
4. I had my hernia removed around age 3 because I kept jumping back and forth from and to my sister’s crib.
5. I dislike Chinese food, primarily because of what happened the first time I tried eating it – a very upset stomach, for a week.
6. I speak three languages: Hungarian, English, and Spanish.
7. My favorite school subjects are English and History.
8. My beliefs contradict the paradigm, and I have researched philosophical topics such as the New world order, 2012, UFOs, Indigo Children, Auras, past lives, and the Paranormal at least for the past 5 years.
9. My favorite food is meringue cookies.
10. In a meatball stuffing contest, I could stuff 6 meatballs in my mouth (without chewing) and was about to get the 7th in before I couldn’t handle it.
11. The highest distance I have climbed ever on a rockwall is 60 feet – to the top.
12. When I was smaller, I once ate some grass – and dislike vegetables because of it, since they taste just like grass. I usually can only eat onions, lettuce, cucumbers and peas.
13. I am deathly afraid of skeletons (when I say deathly I mean it), walking trees, and avalanches. Therefore, I have a hard time showering in unfamiliar places since my mind keeps making me feel like skeletons are somewhere in the shower.
14. I learned the computer programming language Pascal when I was 8 from my father and still remember parts of it.
15. Currently, I can program moderately in Python, Java, and to a light level, C++.
16. For three years straight, I was part of my school’s robotics team as the programmer.
17. In 2005, I tested Windows longhorn (now Vista) and began writing reviews of it on eurpod.com . Today, I have tested at least 13 pre-release Windows 7 versions and my reviews are there to inform the blind AND sighted on how the product functions.
18. I translated the free screen reader, NVDA, into Hungarian. Although I no longer update the translations, my friends from Hungary still maintain the project. NVDA has now become a very popular screen reading choice in that nation for the blind, since it is free and open source.
19. I have played in a talent show with my sister and her friends. I was on bass guitar, playing Animal I have Become by Three Day’s Grace.
20. I am a licensed Ham operator. I passed the FCC Amateur radio Technician class exam in 2005.
21. Perhaps my favorite hobby is doing my online talkshow, The World’s Perspectives show. To date, I have had over 30 shows, and they are all archived.
22. The numbers 22, 33, and 44 always seem to be everywhere in my life – I wonder why? 22 grams of fat, 33.3 kbps download speeds, it’s 11:22, my Youth Slam registration number is 44…
23. I love peanut butter, mainly MNMs or icecream!
24. I have an interest in timetravel and quantum physics.
25. Recently, I hiked the Grand Canyon 2 weeks with an organization known as Global Explorers. There, I also met Erik Weihenmayer: the blind mountain climber who summeted MT. Everest.