Baltimore, 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.
Archive for the ‘Youth Slam 2009’ Category
Exercise and Fun While Learning
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 07:30 AM By TamasFree To Be Wild with the NFB
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 07:24 AM By greciaLast night, after touring the Jernigan institute, some of the Youth Slam students performed in a talent show. It was full of people with amazing talents, two of them from my home state, Georgia. Even Dr. Maurer got up and sang a song from Gilbert and Sullivan. It was amazing and different to see the head of a huge organization cut loose a little bit and make us all laugh.
The only thing that made this talent show a bit wild was the people I was sitting with. When I came to Youth Slam two years ago , I told myself I wouldn’t sit with the Georgians anymore. You know, you can never take them anywhere and not expect people to know all of them by the end of the event. However, since I’m a natural optimist , I decided to join them at dinner and the talent show was right after.
All of the performers were amazing. We had blind singers, musicians and storytellers from Georgia, Texas, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and so many other states. The host that night was a successful rapper called Braille. A highlight of the evening was when we all were given complementary CDs of his music.
And of course, true to form, at the end of the evening at our table , a mini, yet full flown water war broke out among the Georgians. I didn’t know much about it at first. But then I became a casualty. My right side was soaked. One of our girls got an entire bottle of water poured on her somehow. It was so odd and yet so fun to cut loose a bit after days of classes and projects.
Georgia is known for the loud cheers of support we give each other. We’re a very friendly and close-knit NFB affiliate.So, when Wilkens Eugene’s turn came I don’t believe anyone was surprised by our cheering reaction. However, when it was Garrick’s turn, everyone began to boo us. Well, Georgian pride meant we couldn’t take that sitting down. So, we stood up to cheer. We were so loud, we had to be given an extra minute to all calm down. Sometimes, I wonder to myself if we don’t take it overboard. It’s all in good fun though, and I loved these fun times with my NFB friends.
All too soon, it was time to come back to our dorms and prepare for bed. While the bus ride to the National Center was energetic and fun, the ride back was spent in slumber, dozens of students utterly drained from yet another long 18-hour day. We were all so exhausted. But it was all worth it, hearing the wonderful people who put in the time and effort to make our night special.
An Overview of the Braille Note
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 07:07 AM By greciaThere are many note takers for blind people to choose from. My personal favorite is the BrailleNote, made and produced by HumanWare. Readers are probably wondering why I am beginning this blog entry with this comment. The reason is this: yesterday the youth slam toured the International Braille and Technology Center, (IBTC) at the National Center for the Blind.
We examined all sorts of notetakers, electrical appliances, and even phones and mp3 players–all accessible to the blind. I am here to highlight one of those amazing pieces of equipment, HumanWare’s Braille note.
Available with a Braille or full computer keyboard and with a Braille display built-in, the BrailleNote is a great introduction to notetakers. If you are just beginning to use notetakers and possibly learning Braille, the BrailleNote is simple to learn and easy to remember. If anyone ever gets lost or confused in any of the BrailleNote’s menus, the help feature is always available. If that fails, the BrailleNote is organized in menus, and the main one is the easiest to find and get to. One of the best things about the BrailleNote is that, if anyone has a question about how anything works, the user guide and manual is included in the BrailleNote, and a simple command gets you there. We all now know that BrailleNotes are very simple, easy to manage, and fun to work with.
Interesting Careers: Interview with Ameenah Lippold
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 06:57 AM By OlaedoAmeenah Lippold is a member of the Department of Defense and also works at a Customer Service where soldiers go for help to find jobs if they need them. She is also one of the helpers in the 2009 NFB Youth Slam. To her her career choice was a leap of faith, so she looks forward to the future. But her life’s career didn’t start out that way.
She grew up in a very supportive family. Her mother recently passed away, but, when she was living, she never told her daughter, “I don’t think you can do this.” She always encouraged Ameenah to do well. Her siblings were just as supportive. They never doubted or questioned her, and they were great with support. Ameenah and her stepfather never really saw eye to eye on things, but he never pushed her aside, which some people do when going through difficult times.
Ameenah had a difficult road getting to where she is today. She was a history major, focusing on the business side of technology and also on science. She worked at the Jernigan Institute, going from site to site and understanding other people’s needs. Not only did Ameenah struggle with her majors in college, but she also dealt with depression and anxiety. She looked for jobs, but she was constantly rejected because of her blindness. She had trouble figuring out the right balance between getting accommodations at work and asking people for assistance when she needed it. Ameenah had Vocational Rehabilitation Services in college, but she had to pay for her own equipment and take a test in order to enter the Institute, which was frustrating.
But, like others, she has made it through. Amina never thought she’d be where she is today, and she is happy and satisfied. She advises those who want to pursue her career to get their blindness skills under their belts, the sooner the better, and to work on becoming more social.
In her spare time Ameenah loves to play the piano and is an avid performer. She is also a devoted Christian, so she goes to church every chance she gets. She loves going to concerts, mentoring, and of course doing NFB-related events.
Amina Liepol is a member of the Defense System Agency and is also working at a Customer Self Service, which is where solders go for help to find jobs if they needed it. She is also one of the helpers in the 2009 NFB Youth Slam. To her, this career choice was like a leap of faith, so she looked forward to the future. But her life’s career didn’t start out that way.
She grew up in a very supportive family. Her mother recently passed away, but she has never told her daughter, “I don’t think you can do this.” She has always encouraged Amina to do well in life. Her siblings were just as supportive because they never doubted or questioned her and they were great with support. Amina and her stepfather never really saw eye to eye on things, but he never pushed her aside, which some people tend to do while going through difficult times.
Amina had a difficult road getting to where she is today. She was a history major, focusing on the business side of technology and also on science. She worked at the Jerrigan Institute, going from site to site and understanding other people’s needs. Amina not only struggled with her majors in college, but she also dealt with depression and anxiety. She also looked for jobs, but she was constantly rejected, due to her blindness. She was also having a difficult time figuring out the balance of getting accommodations at work and asking people for assistance when needed. Amina also had Vocational Rehabilitation Services in college, but the problem was that she had to pay for her own equipment and she had to take a foot test in order to enter the institute, which became frustrating to her.
But, like everyone else, she has managed to make it through. Amina felt that she never thought she’d be here today and she was happy and satisfied in a good way. She advises those who want to pursue this career to put their blindness skills under their belts, the sooner the better, and to learn to be more social.
In her spare time, Amina loves to play the piano and is an avid performer. She is also a devoted Christian, so she goes to church every chance she gets. And she also loves going to concerts, mentoring, and of course, doing NFB related events.
An Overview of the Pac-mate Omni
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 12:01 AM By KaylaPac-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.
A Speech to Remember
Thursday, July 30th, 2009, 11:48 PM By DenzelI was honored to have been chosen to make a speech on be half of The Maryland Association of Blind Students. “Why,” you ask? The Baltimore public school system is not giving blind students the materials we need in order to be successful in school. MABS is therefore working with the NFB of Maryland to ensure that the next generation of blind students will have proper Braille and cane training, effective assessments to determine appropriate services, and functional assistive technology. I strongly encourage each and every one of you to make sure you and your peers are getting what you need.
While on stage, I was thinking, “God, how am I going to top these two great leaders? Is my hair okay? Are my pants zipped? Oh no! I forgot my speech.” When my name was introduced, I made my way up to the mic telling myself, “Alright Denzel. Remember just like we practiced.” As I began to speak I got extremely nervous, and some of my friends told me I sounded like I was about to cry. But by the time I realized that I was nervous, I was done speaking. I got through it because my pride took over. As I walked off the stage, Ms. Rosy congratulated me, and it was on to the interviews. I felt like my favorite football player, Derrick Mason. The reporter asked me a series of questions, and I did my best to answer them.
I would like to thank my NFB family and all who support me and other blind students. Without your support, blind students in Maryland and all over the United States would have no hope for an education equal to that provided to our sighted peers.
Podcast: Dr. Marc Maurer on Being President
Thursday, July 30th, 2009, 11:02 PM By RonzaThe NFB Youth Slam attracts many dynamic, successful, and inspiring blind people. below you will find interviews conducted by our very own Slam News students, some of whom are reporting for the very first time.
In this podcast, the Slam News Team interviews Dr. Marc Maurer on being President of the National Federation of the Blind.
Podcast: What Weren’t You Allowed to Do in Science Class Because of Your Blindness?
Thursday, July 30th, 2009, 10:42 PM By RonzaWhat’s happening at NFB Youth Slam? What’s on the minds of the mentors and students here at the University of Maryland? What do people really think about blindness and what is possible? Follow our slam news crew as they hit the streets to find out.
In this podcast, the Slam News Team asks blind students what they weren’t allowed to do in science classes because of their blindness.
Podcast: How Has Being at NFB Youth Slam Changed You?
Thursday, July 30th, 2009, 10:32 PM By RonzaWhat’s happening at NFB Youth Slam? What’s on the minds of the mentors and students here at the University of Maryland? What do people really think about blindness and what is possible? Follow our slam news crew as they hit the streets to find out.
In this podcast, the Slam News Team asks blind students how being at Youth Slam has changed them.
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
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and stay tuned to the monitor in the next months for more in depth updates about Youth slam!