Readers' Forum

January 2009 Issue

2009-01-01T12:14:00.001-05:00

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From Daniel Lee, Eunice, LA:

2009-01-01T12:10:00.003-05:00

The Ziegler is the second best thing for blind people because it is very helpful and educational for all. The first, best thing is braille.

From Joseclaudio Santana, Icod, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain:

2009-01-01T12:08:00.000-05:00

A friend asked why I always carry the Ziegler Magazine wherever I go, along with my dearest personal belongings. "Is it that you like to be seen reading braille?" His tone suggested that he was at once kidding but also maybe he was making some hidden reproach toward what he could call my exhibitionism. I did not tell him he does not understand, but in today's world braille needs more than ever to be taken out in the fresh air to arouse all sort of curiosities, even to cause some blackouts. Everything, my friends, is a blur in present times concerning braille, and the reasons why it continues to be effective, despite those who prepared a tomb for it. Many a technical device is far more brittle and complex than our traditional brailling tools. I do not intend to change anyone's mind about this subject, but nevertheless, no matter how much it bothers me, I feel a sort of satisfaction when I explain to anyone who asks what I'm reading is the Ziegler Magazine, a publication made available to blind readers worldwide free of charge, regardless of citizen views or financial standards or any other feature of those we use ordinarily to separate human beings from each other. The braille system needs good ambassadors, I think there are none better qualified than those who owe thanks to the existence of such a code for what we are, have and will ever achieve. Therefore, here I am to serve such a purpose--no matter how much sleep I would have to catch up upon afterward. Braille is my passion, the main key to pleasure and knowledge. Many Ziegler readers could say the same.

I have seen often in Readers Forum lively debates about things. Experience shows what's really relevant is not words themselves but facts. Words are just a means of describing or re-enforcing facts. When words do not carry out that function, they become random, superfluous sounds that have very little or no meaning. Words can also be a source of courage and
consolation to anyone in need of support, but they can also turn in to weapons of disheartenment, destruction and sorrow when uttered by people who will never know the extent that they can hurt, even though they may not intend to cause pain.

From Marcia Harrison, W. Sacramento, CA:

2009-01-01T12:07:00.001-05:00

Cynthia Groopman wrote the most awesome letter about braille in the October issue of the Ziegler.

I would like to add that blind people can read in the dark, as opposed to sighted people not being able to read in the dark.

Braille is the best thing that was ever taught to me. I learned it from an itinerant teacher who lost her sight as an adult. I knew braille by six years old. I can read very quickly, and have written braille all of my life.

Though I like talking books, I never read one until I recently moved to California. I only read about two books on tape a year, but in braille I usually read 20 to 30 books a year and five or six magazines a month.

From Franek Kozorowski, Hartlepool, England:

2009-01-01T12:06:00.001-05:00

The October issue was most interesting. I was moved by Cynthia Groopman's letter in Readers Forum. I personally feel that Louis Braille should be honored with an international Louis Braille Day on his birthday. If not for Braille, blind people would still be begging on the curbside. I am 55 and totally blind since birth. I learned braille at age 7, and braille has always been important in my life. One fact concerning braille is that, under communism, blind people could read banned books if available in braille though interlibrary loan or from the National Library for the Blind in England. It is sad that only a small number of books are transcribed into braille.

The November issue was packed full with interesting information. Like many readers, I was educated in a school for the blind. Though it would have been good to have had the chance to mix more with sighted people of my own age, I think, looking back, I can heartily thank certain teachers whose influence will always remain with me.

Following my recent request for Chinese contacts, I have received and replied to two women. It was delightful to gain these new friends, whose English is of a high standard.

Next Easter I am planning to visit western Ukraine. If any western readers who have gone there can pass on useful information, please send it to franek_kozorowski@yahoo.co.uk.

From Cheryl Wade, Midland, MI:

2009-01-01T12:04:00.002-05:00

I wonder how the money from this new limited-edition Louis Braille coin will make a difference in the daily lives of braille readers. I went to high school in the 1970s. The only copy of a French book I was supposed to read as a high school senior was available on tape in the rapid French of a native speaker. There was no book to read with my fingers, and I couldn't
understand the tape. Now, I'm told by braille-reading college students that they may ask for braille textbooks and actually get them! When I got my first notetaker in 1996, there was a large braille user manual, plus braille update bulletins. With my new notetaker in 2005, I was supposed to enjoy onboard help or read the manual on CD. If braille is so useful to people, how come college students may ask for it, but I can't get a user manual? What gives here? Nowadays, braille seems to be something you do in the privacy of your home. I think that, because so many of us have scanners and braille printers, we're supposed to just print it ourselves. So I don't go around asking for it, figuring I'm supposed to do it myself.

What makes something likely to come out in braille, or not? When is it worth gritting our teeth and fighting for it when so many documents soon go out of date?

In the light of discussion about whether blind people are a culture group as deaf people are, what does a braille campaign do for our culture's alphabet and its availability in the world? I maintain that the constant need to change printed information into braille calls for an occasional break or two--in other words, already-brailled information that affords us a bit of a rest. If any of us truly thinks we're our own culture, we certainly need to regard our unique alphabet as something other than a big bother for the rest of the world.

We also need to use braille as a business/advertising tool the way print readers use slick four-color publications. If you want our money, then you give us our equivalent of four-color magazine format.

From Ruth Carey Bloss, Indianapolis, IN:

2009-01-01T12:03:00.001-05:00

Thank you for publishing all the names of people working on the various editions of our wonderful Ziegler Magazine in the October issue. There are some who may think it was a waste of space. Ever since high school days, names have been one of my hobbies. I still enjoy name combinations.

When in high school, I worked on our school newspaper The Indiana Recorder--later changed to The Rocket--and printed at American Printing House for the Blind. Having worked on a publication of this small a scale, it just boggles one's mind the immense task to get the Ziegler to us each month. There are just not words to express my appreciation for all the work it takes.

I am always saying "Alexander Graham Bell wouldn't recognize his invention these days." Neither could Mrs. Ziegler comprehend her legacy. In essence, I really owe my existence to the Ziegler. In fact, it was through the magazine that my parents began corresponding, and later they met and married.

I attended the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, graduating in 1945. At that time, braille was the only medium. I truly wish even today it could be the main medium for all visually impaired persons. It is much simpler to learn as a child, then, if necessary in later life, to brush up on.

The modern world does not seem to understand that. But the modern world doesn't seem to understand the basics that many of us grew up with. Modern technology is wonderful, and it really is mind-boggling what can be done. But there is room for all.

From Britt Lincoln, Cincinnati, OH:

2009-01-01T12:02:00.001-05:00

I would like to respond to Phyllis Lackershire's October letter. I am writing not as a certified braille proofreader, but as an ordinary braille reader. Yes, braille feels much different now than it did when I learned it as a child. But I think it's important to concentrate less on how it feels than on what it says. Braille may never have been intended to look like print, but the more we know about how print looks, the better writers we will be. What we see under our fingers can influence how we write our documents for the sighted world. For instance, when writing possessive forms of italicized words, I used to leave the apostrophe-s in italics because I thought that was standard print practice. No one ever disavowed me of this notion, and that is what I saw in my reading. When braille started putting in termination signs, I quickly discovered the error of my ways and changed this writing habit. Also, it is nice to know where print normally uses apostrophes and pound signs, and where it does not. So I can follow suit with my written papers for sighted people. Let's all of us braille readers learn what the new symbols and rules have to teach us, stop fixating on how braille should or should not feel, and use our newfound knowledge to help us become better writers.

From Russ Allgaier, Royal Oak, MI:

2009-01-01T12:01:00.001-05:00

I totally agree with Phyllis Lackershire. Good grief, we're going to have to repeat our braille courses just to learn the new changes! I think the chances of a sighted person's caring about our braille system being to their liking is about as great as the possibility of an album by Willie Nelson and Mick Jagger together. I will take changes in braille when sighted people decide to call their print material Gutenberg--now there's a concept!

From Robert Herman, Port Orchard, WA:

2009-01-01T11:59:00.001-05:00

I would like to follow up on the comments of Phyllis Lackershire regarding our precious braille code. I agree with her 100 percent, and would like to add a few observations of my own. If the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) wants to make any changes to the braille code, they should be to save space--not take up more. We now have symbols for which I have absolutely no idea what purpose they serve. For example, in the Ziegler, after an article's title, author and the publication where it first appeared there is a comma, then a space, then dots four and five, followed by dots one and four, followed by another space. That symbol takes up three extra spaces, but I haven't been able to figure out what extra information I am getting. Can someone please tell me why we can't just have a comma followed by the date of the publication?

Ms. Lackershire also states that some sighted transcribers are co-opting and corrupting braille to suit themselves. This is fine with me as long as the meaning is clear and it saves space. However, I have started to notice that in one publication, whenever there is a quote within a sentence, at the end of the quote and before the comma, before the close quote sign is given, that there will be a space before and after the close quote. The sentence would thus look like this. The actual term is "tonic immobility, " described as a natural state of paralysis that animals enter. Besides adding an extra space, it didn't even feel right for me to type the sentence that way!

Finally, since space is at a premium in the Ziegler, I have two suggestions that could save space. After A Letter from the Editor, why not put the word Editor on the same line as Gregory Evanina--instead of on a line by itself? Second, when giving the date an article was published, why not write 11/27/06 instead of Nov. 27, 2006? This would save six spaces.

[Editor's Note: The symbol that follows the original publication information for our articles is the new braille symbol for a copyright sign, which we must include. Although we do not have to write dates in longhand, it is the magazine's "style" to do so because we believe it is more precise. At the conclusion of A Letter from the Editor, the word editor will appear on the same line as the editor's name in future issues.]

From Jenni, via the Ziegler's blog:

2009-01-01T11:58:00.000-05:00

I will try anything once when it comes to making using a slate and stylus easier. The saddle stylus works for me because I have various issues with my hand. If I try to use a standard stylus, it hurts, and I give up rather quickly.

I am more for computers and my talking cell phone, though. I guess it comes with the generation gap we young kids face now. We are in an age of Why do I need to learn to use a slate and stylus,' much less learn to spell in Grade 1 braille.

I think blind students should be taught all forms of spelling in either of two ways: Grade 1 on a brailler or audio reciting. This is so they know what contraction goes with what group of letters. I am constantly being reminded of my glaring reliance on Grade 2 and my Braille n Speak spell-checker during my high school years. My friend Pein always corrects me when I spell things wrong. Rather than be hurt that he does this, I take pride that he even cares to show me how to spell.

I think teaching the usage of a slate and stylus should be a major priority, along with the abacus and other non-electronic methods of obtaining information and notation of such information.

From Michael Osmond, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada:

2009-01-01T11:57:00.003-05:00

I have a question about the assistance that is given to the blind when deplaning from passenger jets. As a frequent flyer, I have sometimes been put in the embarrassing situation of receiving inappropriate help. When disembarking from the plane, the flight attendant has had a wheelchair waiting to take me into the airport to meet my party. No matter how much I try to persuade the flight crews that I can walk just fine, they insist that I sit in the wheelchair. To avoid making a scene I end up getting into the wheelchair. I am wondering if any Ziegler reader has encountered this situation and what he or she did about it.

From October "Toby" Lowe, Butler, PA:

2009-01-01T11:57:00.002-05:00

In the July issue there was a Special Notice for a massage course at Lion's World Services for the Blind in Little Rock, AR. I thought readers would like to know they can also call a toll-free number for information: 800-248-0734.

From Avraham "Rami" Rabby, Tel Aviv, Israel:

2009-01-01T11:53:00.005-05:00

I thought Ziegler readers would be interested in reading the following letter, which I have sent to the president of the People's Republic of China relating two experiences I had on a recent visit to the country.

Dear Mr. President: I am a blind person, retired from the diplomatic service of the U.S. Department of State and now living in Israel. On Sept. 16, 2008, I travelled on an El-Al flight from Tel-Aviv to Hong Kong, where I joined a small group of sighted American friends, all of us associated to a greater or lesser degree with the Hadley School for the Blind, a highly renowned international correspondence school for the blind that operates a branch, Hadley/China, in Fuzhou. Our threefold purpose was to participate in the 20th anniversary celebration of Hadley/China; to visit a number of other schools and service agencies for the blind and disabled; and to spend some time sightseeing. I write to you because, on one occasion at the Hong Kong International Airport, and on a second occasion at the Great Wall, I was subjected to profoundly demeaning and humiliating treatment by officials whose condescension toward the blind and low expectation of their abilities were more egregious than any I have encountered elsewhere on my extensive travels.

On the first occasion, I and my fellow travelers were scheduled to fly from Hong Kong to Fuzhou, on Dragonair flight 660, on Sept. 21. After boarding the aircraft, three of us were assigned to the same row, and we agreed that I would sit in the aisle seat. Imagine my astonishment when one of the flight attendants ordered me to move to the window seat because, she said, "Blind people must sit by the window." I asked why; she simply said that was the rule. So, in the absence of any rational explanation, I declined to move. This exchange proved to be just the beginning of an hour-long argument. The crew did say the regulation was aimed at "the safety of passengers." Finally, the captain said he had no other option but to call the police, whereupon two officers of the Hong Kong Police boarded the aircraft, forcibly lifted me out of my seat, and removed me from the plane.

Eventually, the Dragonair staff told me they would schedule me on the next flight to Fuzhou, this time on China Eastern Airlines. I wondered if history was about to repeat itself, but when I arrived at the China Eastern Airlines counter, the reservationist immediately asked me, "Would you like an aisle seat, a middle seat or a window seat?" and added, "We have no regulation about where blind passengers should sit."

On the second occasion, on Sept. 28, we were visiting the Great Wall. Like most members of our group, I decided not to walk up the Great Wall but rather chose the more leisurely transportation option of an individualized cable seat much akin to seats on ski lifts. However, upon arriving at the admission gate, imagine, again, my astonishment when the gate agent barred my entry, declaring, "no blind people allowed." Alleging, here, too, that the issue was one of safety, the officials in charge urged me to ride up the Great Wall on what they called "the special cable car for the blind." Having no alternative, I decided to try the so-called special cable car, although I suspected this was nothing more than a ruse by the officials at the Great Wall to get rid of me; and indeed, I was right. The place was deserted and the special cable car was not in operation.

Mr. President, within the past three months China has staged what are generally regarded as the most impressive Olympic and Paralympic games ever. While the whole world was watching, you showed us the best China has to offer. However, the two experiences I have related to you lead me to wonder if China's Olympic and Paralympic face was only its public face, and if there lurks, behind that public face, a hidden reality which, at least for the blind and disabled, tells a different story far less wholesome and far less welcoming.

Mr. President: it is my understanding that China has recently ratified the International Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. May I suggest that, if you wish to comply with the spirit of that Convention, you immediately embark upon a national drive to eliminate prejudice, discrimination, low expectation and paternalism toward people with disabilities from all public life in China, and replace them with a belief in the abilities of people with disabilities and with policies that demand equality of opportunities for them in the mainstream of Chinese society. All you now need to do is to inculcate that same message of welcome, equal access and complete social integration in such unenlightened companies as Dragonair, at such national monuments as the Great Wall, and everywhere else in your otherwise wonderful country.

From James McCune, MaCI #302-339, P.O. Box 740, London, OH 43140:

2009-01-01T11:52:00.002-05:00

I am a blind inmate at this prison, where there are six others with various types of visual impairment. This institution is attempting to start a blind program, but is unsure of what such a program should include. We need to learn how to read and write braille. We need to learn mobility and daily-living skills. Can somebody offer us assistance or give me contact
information of someone who can help? I would also like to know where to get inspirational or motivational videos. If you do send any videos, please address them to the program facilitator Mr. Riger.

From Olivia Ferrante, Revere, MA:

2009-01-01T11:51:00.002-05:00

As a former history teacher, I must correct Theresa Chan, who had a letter in December's Readers Forum. I too have toured the Tower of London. Queen Elizabeth executed Mary, Queen of Scots, but not in London, and Elizabeth's sister Queen Mary died a natural death. True, many men and women of royal blood were killed or died there, but not those two.

I also would like to respond to the anonymous letter in the November issue regarding a separate blind culture. I do not believe that there is such a thing. Deaf people have tremendous communication problems with the hearing world. Blind people can communicate face to face and on the phone with no difficulty. Transportation and print are our barriers.

December 2008 Issue

2008-12-01T12:35:00.002-05:00

Subscribe to the Readers' Forum feed

From Joyce Fortune, Mountain View, CA:

2008-12-01T12:34:00.001-05:00

I really appreciate your making the magazine available by podcast, and am surprised that you never mention or publicize this format.

[Editor's Note: In an effort to make the Ziegler as accessible as possible, we began podcasting in spring 2007. Our podcast address recently changed to http://feeds.feedburner.com/zieglermagazinepodcast. There is a free accessible podcatcher for blind people available at webbie.org.uk/accessiblepodcatcher/]

From Mike Lantz, Miami Beach, FL:

2008-12-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

I agree with the October letter from Hugh Pharis regarding blind people needing to follow their goals and do what they like. In many ways, a blind person can do just as good as a sighted person. At this time, I am doing the monitoring for
the Florida International football team on WINZ 940 and WIOD 610.

Why is it that The Weather Channel does not seem to understand that blind and visually impaired people listen to find out local weather? At the end of summer, I visited several cities and listened to the forecast at the hotel. All you would hear was a recording say, "Here's your local weather," and then the temperatures would go across the screen. In Pittsburgh, we attended the National Radio Club Convention, and I asked the people from the television station why they were not dealing with blind listeners. In Omaha, I also listened to The Weather Channel to find out about the hurricanes in the South Florida area. Once again, most of the information would appear on the screen. I got back to Miami and called The Weather Channel, hoping for a response. But there was none whatsoever. I can't believe people wouldn't have the heart to rectify that situation.

Why is everything so visual today? My father was right when he told me that we live in a sighted society. It is unfortunate that sighted people don't understand or don't want to deal with this situation. In fact, I have tried to
get a talk show about blind issues on a local radio station, but they don't want to deal with that kind of program. It's a real shame, because when people become blind, they tend to lose the focus of society, and they have a different view of blindness than most blind people.

I read the Ziegler Magazine and many others that deal with blind issues. I think it is great that blind people talk about issues that bother them, but it seems really weird that the public doesn't want to hear about the situations that we go through. Do you think the public is scared, or do they not want to deal with blind issues? I have spoken to schools about blindness and guide dogs, and the kids used to be much more curious. They would ask good questions, but this time they were shocked and did not know what to ask. Even when I mentioned blind musicians, they were not familiar with Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder.

I have a question. Back in 1973 or 74, there was a blind man named Mike who went to Temple University and majored in broadcasting. Similar to what happened to me, they refused to teach him how to run the equipment, and that led to his becoming deeply depressed. I don't know what eventually happened with that situation, so I was wondering if anyone had further information about him. Also, I am looking for old airchecks of the following stations: WQAM 560, WFUN 790, WRKO 680, WBZ 1030, and WMEX 1510 and WKMH 1310.

From Mira Wilson, Calgary, Canada:

2008-12-01T12:32:00.003-05:00

In the October Readers Forum, I wrote about having eye surgery and positive results in the reduction of my headaches. I had lost all light perception, had cataracts, and some years ago, attempts were made to reattach the retina in my right eye. The most vision I had ever had, some time ago, was light and shadows. So, the statement about there being nothing wrong with my eyes was in reference to the doctor's not understanding there was a connection between the headaches and the deterioration of my eyes. I think most readers understood that, but felt the need to clarify.

From Christian Cochran, Winfield, PA:

2008-12-01T12:32:00.001-05:00

I would like to express my thanks and appreciation for the list of names in the October Letter from the Editor. The little people have as much of a hand in any business as the editors and staff--sometimes even more. I was glad to see that these people finally got recognition for their work, which most of the time is uncredited. I was also quite interested to learn the details of creating and distributing the magazine in its various forms, as I had often wondered exactly how this is done. This knowledge increases my appreciation for the Ziegler all the more.

From Karen Gearreald, Norfolk, VA:

2008-12-01T12:31:00.003-05:00

Thanks especially for the two baseball articles that were in the October Ziegler. Now that baseball has become an international game, the information will surely appeal to many readers in the United States and abroad. Of course, for avid fans like me, the articles are pure delights.

From Bojane Heap, Ramsey, NJ:

2008-12-01T12:31:00.001-05:00

One of the things most people know about me, whether they know me superficially or whether they are my closest friends, is that I am an avid, extremely loyal, completely crazy Mets fan. In May 1994, I was a guest of the Mets and had the privilege of meeting Bob Murphy, the voice of the Mets, and sitting in on part of a broadcast of an actual game. That same day I got to meet Pete Flynn, who was mentioned in the article about groundskeeping in the October Ziegler. He helped me to touch the velvety soft Kentucky bluegrass that was also discussed in that article. No pun intended, but my fingers had a field day with that! I've never been treated with anything but kindness and respect by everybody in the Mets organization.

I also enjoyed the October article about Gettysburg. My parents took me there when we studied the Civil War in seventh grade, and I've never forgotten it. To this day I still read anything I can get my hands on regarding the Civil War.

As I get older, I am more and more annoyed at the time I spend trying to find mislaid things--a fork, a radish, a braille stylus. Does anyone have any ideas for looking for such items, other than using one's feet, a cane tip, or just abandoning the search? It would seem to me that constructive suggestions about this could help a lot of people who might have the same difficulties.

From Lyn Latham, Tampa, FL:

2008-12-01T12:30:00.000-05:00

Someone in Readers Forum recently asked about work-at-home jobs. I have looked for quite some time, as health issues have prevented me from working full-time outside my home. I was given a site that you might want to check out: workathometruth.com.

I would like to add that I am still selling my first self-published novel, Joy Comes in the Morning, which is not available in braille, but is at all major bookstores upon request or at authorhouse.com/bookstore/itemdetail~bookid~37761.aspx.

[Editor's Note: The Web site workathometruth.com lists the following rules for those seeking work at home.

Rule 1: Never pay to apply for a job or to show "you're serious." This is different than paying for a legitimate jobs database, which is OK.

Rule 2: Be cautious about calling unfamiliar area codes. Some international pay-per-call area codes look like legitimate U.S. area codes, and employment scammers will use that to get you to call a number that you unwittingly get charged for.

Rule 3: Never allow a company to deposit a check into your account to "test" or "process" the check. In this scheme, generally the scammer will tell you to deposit the check, keep a portion for your services, and then wire the rest back. You'll soon discover they sent you a fake check, which will bounce, and you'll be responsible for the full amount, including the money you sent back to the scammer.

Rule 4: Don't give a company your checking account information or Social Security Number until you're comfortable with them. A major source of fraud today is called "demand draft" fraud. Here's how it works: Once you provide the account information, a criminal creates a "demand draft" (i.e., a remotely created check that doesn't require a signature) and withdraws funds from your account--often without your permission. They get away with it because demand drafts generally only require the customer's typewritten checking account number, a notation that the customer authorized the draft and/or a statement, such as "no signature required," "authorization on file," "signature on file," or words similar to that effect.

Rule 5: Use extreme caution if you click on advertising at even the most legitimate sites. Many of the best sites don't have much control over many of the ads that display on their sites. Even when the site seems legitimate, it doesn't mean the ads lead to legitimate products and services, too.

Rule 6: Limit the amount of personal information you give when first applying for a job, unless you know that a job is obviously legitimate. If you're unsure at all, then you should only include your first name and e-mail address. Once you become comfortable with the company, you can reveal further information.]

From Mary Emerson, San Jose, CA:

2008-12-01T12:29:00.001-05:00

I've occasionally requested pen pals via the Ziegler, but I've run into some situations that have prevented me from responding to letters.

One problem is that the sender doesn't always include his or her name and address, clearly written, in the letter. It may be hand-written on the outside of the envelope, but since I live alone and have no sighted assistance, I can't read the address and can't respond.

Another problem is that quite often the letters are written like a form letter, with "Dear friend" rather than "Dear Mary," and the contents have nothing to do with my request, so I'm never sure how to answer. A third problem, especially with braille letters, is that quite often the braille is so crushed that it's unreadable. I've also received tapes that looked like a truck ran over them.

These days I avoid these situations by using e-mail and very rarely correspond in braille or on tape.