Q&A Regarding Braille Labels

The other day, one of my Facebook friends posted the following as her status update.
"Can someone explain how braille works? Does a person with visual impairment need assistance to find braille? Are signs generally in a standard location? Does anyone know anyone who reads/uses braille? Do they find it to be helpful in asserting their independence? Just curious."

Here's my response to her initial inquiry.

"If traveling alone, I absolutely rely on the braille markers in buildings to navigate and confirm that I've arrived at the right place in the building. Furthermore, I use the braille labels in elevators to select which floor I would like to go to. When staying in a hotel by myself, I rely on the braille label outside of my room to make sure I'm trying to enter the right suite. There is no doubt that the braille labels create more accessibility for the person who is blind.
BTW: While technology has made amazing strides in the world of the blind and visually impaired, braille literacy is still critically important.
My microwave, washer and dryer, and oven timer has braille labels. I use braille notecards when I'm giving a speech.
Of course, I probably use technology 90% of the time as it pertains to my independence. However, the 10% of the time I use braille, I'm glad that I have the skill and access to such a wonderful tool."

My response sparked more questions from my friend.

"Angie, when you are out, how do you know where to find the braille markers? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you use braille. Is the placement standard? Are there national guidelines as to the dimensions and placement of the markers so you know how/where to find them? You can make your own braille notecards? So a braille writer is like a word processor? Angie, you already answered my next question, which was about what % of the time would you say that you use braille? Are the braille labels in the house custom?"

My response...

"I don't know if there is an ADA guideline that is used to mandate where the braille labels must be placed. To be quite honest, I've noticed the braille labels in different spots. Sometimes, they are to the side of the door. Other times, the labels are on the door, right above the door handle. I guess it all depends on the facilities manager and/or engineer.
I very seldom travel within buildings that I haven't been introduced to by a sighted person for the first go round. I always ask the sighted person who is introducing me if there are braille labels that I can use to help me navigate if or when I may be alone. If you've noticed, many of the braille labels are also accompanied by large, embossed, print letters. I also feel those labels to help me navigate, being that I still remember what print looks like.
Do I go around feeling all of the braille labels posted in buildings? Absolutely not. More often than not, I count doors, openings in hallways, listen for the sound of open space, air condition units, and vending machines to help me navigate. But if I'm trying to make sure that my orientation has landed me in the right place, I like to have a braille label there to make sure I'm entering the right room.
Blind or sighted, it's not cool to barge in the wrong gender specific bathroom. Know what I mean?
Answer to your next question...
I have two manual braille writers here at my house. I also have a braille printer that works conjointly with special software on my computer. That software converts print into braille code. And the braille printer spits out what was once print in a form that is accessible to the blind. YAY BRAILLE!
I do not use my manual braille writer or the braille printer often. I have found that the speech on my computer systems is more convenient. However, there are some special instances that I prefer braille.
Part of the reason why I prefer speech over braille in most situations is because my Braille reading speed is slower than I need it to be. I can type it fast as lightening. But I read it slow as a snail.
Since I'm a person that has to do things fast, I use the tool that is the fastest for me.
Remember, this is my unique stance on the aforementioned. Every blind person is different.
Here's the answer to your last question... No, the braille labels in my house are not custom. I have a hand-held braille machine that I use to make braille labels. I type what I want the label to say, and post the label where I want it to be."


**If any of you have questions like the above for me, post them here. I'll be glad to answer! That's what NuVision for a NuDay is all about!!!!!!**

Preparing for the 18th Time

Next Friday, I'll be exchanging my easy, breezy, summer outfit for a thin, hospital gown that has been worn by countless other people that are sick enough that they need to actually be in the hospital. **I certainly hope they use hot, hot, hot water and bleach to wash the towels, linen, and gowns in the hospital.** Let me move on before I stall here. LOL

While this will be the 18th time I'll be having a surgical procedure, this surgery will be the first time I will have this particular part of my body cut on. Honestly, I'm not looking forward to being forcibly put to sleep by the doctors, just so they can poke, probe, and cut on me, all without me sensing anything at all. My only comfort is that I won't feel the pain that they'll be causing me during the surgery. Likewise, I take comfort in knowing that the end result of the surgery means that I'll be free of the pain this medical condition is causing me.

The docs have informed me that I'll have about a week of recovery time. I guess I'll be in my bed catching up on sleep, and for sure catching up on my reading. The Texas State Library has updated their digital book catalog.
So, I'll be cozying up with a few John Sandford books and the latest from John Grisham. Yay!

Perhaps I'll post another entry before my surgery. But just in case I don't, go ahead and wish me well now!
Smooches!

The Final Status Update

It has just dawned on me that when I die, my various homes on the web will be the place my friends and family will come to memorialize me as soon as they hear of my passing. That's exactly what I've done for a few of the people I know. As soon as I get word of their departure, I go to their FB page and spend a few moments with their status updates they left behind as tiny treasures. I even read some of the kind words people post on their walls.

Perhaps it may be strange to some, spending a little time on their social network pages helps me feel like I'm getting a chance to spend a few more moments with that person. I believe that in a way, FB immortalizes our thoughts, ideas, and even expressions of our personalities.

I don't know why it never dawned on me that people would one day visit my social netowrking sites after I'm gone. I guess it's because we seldom give "real" energy to the fact that we will all pass from this life to somewhere else. But the truth is that we all will leave here one day. And most of us will not get a chance to change our FB status or post a new blog entry to whatever we want our final words to be.

At this point, I've asked my family to leave my FB page up for a year after I die, but to leave my blog up for as long as Blogger allows it to stay up.

I leave you with this question.... What does your presence on the web say about the life you've lived?

42 Things I really Hate

Of course, this is not all the things I hate. This is just a quick list of things that just popped in my brain this morning.

1. Bullies
2. Bugs
3. Rats
4. The way many sighted people. perceive blind people
5. A rocky airplane ride
6. Cancer
7. Stroke
8. Glaucoma
9. Overly Priced Consumer Goods
10. Feeling void of control.
11. Not being able to see the people I love.
12. Whatever gene that makes a body prone to holding on to fat!
13. Not being able to be as mobile as I would like.
14. Betrayal
15. Mental Illness
16. The pots lack of empathy and sensitivity for the skillet. **The nerve of the pot!**
17. The taste of coconut
18. 08/02/2002 **The night Mama had her stroke**
19. My inability to say no when I need to not just say it, but scream it.
20. Not having enough money to frequently manufacture moments of happiness and bliss.
21. Not having enough money to change the lives of the people I love.
22. That I never learned how to swim.
23. That they still haven't found a way to reverse my blindness.
24. Dealing with people with explosive personalities.
25. My lack of will power. **If only I could stay on track...**
26. Racism, Xenophobia, Sexism, and Disabilityism
27. Not having a magic wand, a crystal ball, and/or supernatural powers.
28. Not having the ability to time travel.
29. Feeling like I need to pretend to be happy, strong, or at peace curing those many moments when I'm not.
30. Stepping in puddles or mud, whether I'm barefot or with shoes on.
31. The smell of a soiled diaper
32. Green Peppermints
33. Touching Spiderwebs
34. Not knowing how the story is going to end.
35. Nasty Public Restrooms!
36. Eye Pain
37. That the info-guide on my television is not accessible to the blind.
38. Ridiculous storylines on the Young and the Restless
39. Raw Onions
40. SPAM
41. The smell of a decomposing body
42. that I have a strong fear of rejection.

Random Reflections About Very Specific Things (?th Edition)

Since I've been blogging here at NuVision, I've published collections of my random thoughts from time to time. I always title it with the above title. However, as the title suggest, my thoughts are quite random and never similar to prior posts that have the same title. This post will be no different. Today, I thought I would write and publish a post about the random thoughts that are floating in my head. And just so you know... While these thoughts are quite random on some level, they are actually quite specific. So, here goes...

1. I have a triple minority status in this great country we call the United States of America. I'm African American. I am a woman. And I am disabled. All of those labels represent experiences that have introduced me to a laundry list of isms that have a wide range of social challenges.

Perhaps some will be offended by what I'm about to say. So, allow me to apologize now. And I invite you to read beyond the part that may offend you. There's a point to the thought I'm having on this issue.

I'm glad I'm not gay.

Okay... Here's the part when you continue to read so that you can understand why I said the above. No point in you clicking away from this post with anger or disgust, without giving me a chance to explain myself.

The reason why I say I'm glad I'm not gay is not because I think gay is immoral, sinful, or void of the possibilities of real love. I'm glad I'm not gay because of the way people that are not gay look at gay people. I hear all the things that heterosexuals say about homosexuals. I won't repeat it here. I'm sure that many of you already know the opinions that are commonly spouted off by those that are not gay. And I'm also sure you already know how often people that are not gay shun and excommunicate people that are gay.

If I was gay, it would further complicate my life. The skin I live in is already bruised and battered by the social experiences that are unique to people that are black, female, and blind. If gay was added to my list of minority labels, I think that would be just too much for me to handle.

My heart goes out to all of my friends and family that are living in that skin. May you experience peace and strength as you live in a world that is not accepting and understanding of your reality.

2. If I could see to drive, I cannot number the places I would go. I would probably always be in the street visiting loved ones, shopping, and just enjoying the outdoors. These blind eyes of mine really keep me grounded in the house way more than I appreciate. I'm hoping that one day, I'll meet someone that loves to enjoy life outside of the four walls of the house, the same way I like to.

3. Two weeks ago, I traveled to Atlanta, GA. I had a fabulous time! The last day I was there, my friend took me to the CNN Center. For the first time in my life, I got a chance to know how the CNN logo looks. He allowed me to feel a metal construction of the logo that was mounted inside the building. He was shocked that I didn't know what the logo looked like. But the truth is that I've been blind almost as long as CNN has been around. So, it is not farfetched that I wouldn't know what the logo looks like. I plan to blog more about my trip later.

4. Someone I love has cancer. While I was in ATL, I dreamt about this person and their cancer. Tears slid from my eyes after I woke up and contemplated my dream. I've never had a dream that has brought me to tears. That's how much I'm impacted by all of this. I pray that everything will be okay. Perhaps I'll blog about this later too.

5. I wish I could be taken care of for a while. Taking care of others for the last ten years has left me exhausted. I wish I could win the lotto or convince some moderately wealthy man to love me. Pathetic, right? I know. You would never expect a proactive, strong sista, like myself, to admit that she wishes she had a man to take care of her. Well, the truth is that I do. That's how tired I am. But if you'd notice, I wished for the lotto ticket before I wished for the rich man. I'll leave you to think about why I wished in that order. LOL

6. I'm starting another work-out and diet regiment today. Wish me well as I make my one millionth attempt to lose this weight for good. Say so long to the overweight, unhealthy girl that has taken over my life. Say hello to the healthy girl that's been crying to come out of the closet for so many years.

Have a fantastic day!

Touch It

My soon to be three-years-old, absolutely gorgeous, sugary sweet, but occasionally bossy niece, Elyssa, has figured out that her auntie is blind. Her slight awareness of my sight impairment began this time last year. She started to notice how I wouldn't know she was doing certain things right away. She also noticed that it would take me a long time to find something that may be within sight range of someone who had normal eyesight. I could tell that she knew something was wrong with me, but she really couldn't put her finger on it. Well, she's finally figured it out.

Now, if Elyssa wants me to see something, she brings it to me or directs me to come to wherever she is. Once she has whatever she wants me to "see" in front of her, she takes my index finger on whichever hand she is pulling on, and she tells me to "Touch it." It's clear that Elyssa knows that the way her auntie "sees" is by touch. How cute and smart of her!

One day, she asked me what happened to my eyes. How do explain to a two-year-old the cause and outcome of Glaucoma? I don't think you really can. So, I just told her that my eyes were sick. Her next question... "But why?" My response... "Elyssa, I wish I knew the answer to that question."

One day, I will be able to sit down and tell Elyssa all about my blindness and how it has impacted my life. However, I will probably never get a chance to explain why my eyes got so sick. Only God knows the answer to that.

**Elyssa, thank you for helping your aunt see by touch! Love you, pretty girl!!!!!!**

Quotes I've Come to Love!

**I just wanted to post a few quotes that I've come to love over the years. Perhaps you will think I lack in modesty, but I did post a few quotes that I've also penned in some of my writing. Be inspired!**


"Don't be blinded by what you see." Ms. Angela L. Braden

"I'm a barrel of imperfection, a wardrobe of flaws, a garden of conflicts, an ocean of frailty, and a coppice of ambiguity. When you blend all of that with love and faith in God, I become full of amazing potential to become perfect and beautiful in Him." Ms. Angela L. Braden

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens
us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing
small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson

"When you come to the edge of all the light you know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on, or you will be taught to fly." Barbara J. Winter

I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” Mahatma Gandhi

"Close your eyes, and take a look around. You just might see what you've been missing." Ms. Angela L. Braden

"Technology cannot replace touchology." Michael Drayton

"Never make a life decision when you're feeling dead tired." Ms. Angela L. Braden

"Borrow a little from yesterday to make today better and tomorrow the best." Ms. Margie Wyatt Braden

"Hope is the ability to hear the music of the future; but Faith is the courage to dance to it today!" Anon

"In all labor there is profit, But mere talk {leads} only to poverty." Proverbs 14:23
"Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit." M. Gandhi

"I am perfectly imperfect." Ms. Angela L. Braden

"In the beginning, GOD" Genesis 1:1

"I will never come to understand a hatred that is so deep that it cripples and maims the human spirit to such a degree that murder, torture, and deprivation of human liberty seems like second hand nature." Angela L. Braden

"Three things cannot be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." Buddha

"What would your life look like if fear wasn't present?" Devia Long-Wynn

"Broaden your circle of inclusion. Don’t ever reject someone just because they are different than you are. Everyone is valuable to God, and they should be valuable to us." Joyce Meyer

"Make each day count." Ms. Margie Wyatt Braden

"You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." Mark Twain

It's really been 20 years?

I absolutely cannot believe that I graduated from high school 20 years ago. No matter how much I try to wrap my mind around it, it's hard for me to understand how 20 years stand between the ending of my senior year in high school and where I am today. But it's true... I'm 37-years-old. And so much about me and so much around me has changed since then.

Do I wish I could go back to high school? Absolutely not!!!!!!! That was perhaps the second most difficult period of my life. **I'm currently living in the most difficult. But that's an entirely different post for another time.**

The day I graduated from high school, I sat on the first row of our auditorium and spilled salty tears on my rouge brushed cheeks. I cried because I was so thankful that I was finally getting ready to leave the Texas School for the Blind. I cried because I was so grateful that I was getting the opportunity to begin the life that I wanted to live. I cried because I was so glad to put an emotional partition between my past and future. I cried because I couldn't believe I had actually made it to that point.

My senior year in high school was extremely difficult. A month before school was scheduled to start, my Glaucoma took a turn for the worst. My pressures sky rocketed and stole the little sight I had left. The doctors scrambled, trying to do whatever they could to try to save my sight, but their best efforts failed. I spent the first few months of my senior year, recovering from surgeries and trying to adjust to the darkness that seemed to be smuthering me in more ways than one.

Finally, my mother came to me and insisted that I return to school to finish my senior year. I protested. I wanted to either get a GED or stay in Houston with my parents and attend my local school. My mother refused to go along with my plan. She basically forced me back to Austin so that I could finish what she forced me to do four years before.

When I returned back to TSB, I felt like an orphan. I felt all alone. I felt betrayed. I felt lost. I felt resentful. I felt totally and utterly depressed.

I didn't want anyone to talk to me. I didn't want to do anything fun. And I didn't want to even live.

So, I distanced myself from the few friends I had. I sat in class quietly, avoiding conversation with my teachers. I would come home from school, take a double dose of over the counter cold medicine, and sleep until everyone else was sleep. Then, I would get up and sit in the solitude of the night until the sun revealed itself to me. Seeing the sun was my only hope, being that the rays of the sun was so bright that I could actually perceive its glory.

**I'll post the second half of this tomorrow.**

Can't a girl get some help?

There are many occasions that I visit family members at the hospital without anyone else being with me. For example... When my parents or sisters are in the hospital, I'll pack up my things, get someone to drop me off at the hospital, and hang out with my family member all day or all night.
Here's my problem with that though... Whenever I get hungry, I'm stuck out. Most hospitals won't bring food to the room for the patient's guest. So, when I want and need something to eat, I just have to wait until someone else comes up to visit the patient. Then, at that point, I can get some help to get something to eat.
I know you're probably wondering why don't I ask someone that works at the hospital to assist me. Well, I've tried that. They won't do it. Since I'm not a patient, they don't have me anywhere on their list of priorities. And I've yet to check how this whole issue relates to the public accommodations provisions listed in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Today, I'm headed to the hospital to sit with my sister. So, I'm planning in advance this time around. I'm packing up a lunch to take with me. There's no point in me being at the hospital blind, hungry, and ticked off.
Have a wonderful day, good people!
Angela

Love you Whitney! So glad I got to see and hear you!!!!!

I found this clip of Whitney singing at the 1986 Grammy Awards. I actually saw this performance with my unblinded eyes.
When I was a kid, I loved her so much. She was as beautiful as her voice!!!!
Today, I'll be sitting in front of the television as her friends and family honor her life. I'm so glad her mom agreed to let us join them in their celebration.
Good night, Whitney. Rest in the sweetest peace available to the human soul. May your legacy live forever!
Angie

Does smart technology cause us to choose to not be so smart? Hmm...

I just wanted to share a pretty interesting story that NPR posted, regarding the impact that technology advancements has made on individuals that are blind and their willingness and commitment to read Braille.
I can certainly attest that I very seldom use Braille. However, I'm so glad that I actually know how to read and write it. Braille certainly comes in handy from time to time. So, yes... I think that every blind person needs to know how to read and write Braille! No matter how smart the technology is around me, I still want to make smart choices and engage in smart behavior!
http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/02/13/146812288/braille-under-siege-as-blind-turn-to-smartphones?sc=emaf

I've Decided

If you've read this blog in the recent weeks, then you're probably aware that I was seriously tossing around the idea of becoming a teacher for the visually impaired. Well, I've decided against the idea. And here's why...

To begin with, I will soon graduate with my masters in counseling. I need to invest as much of my energy into successfully finishing that program. Once I finish that program, I will likely start working in some capacity as a counselor or life coach. I even hope to work at a college or university as a director of disability services or intercultural initiatives.
Now, tell me... How would teaching factor into that schedule? Hmm... I'm thinking not at all.

Secondly, my larger and most ideal goal is to be a highly sought after professional speaker and well paid author. So, I need to do everything I can to make that happen. I'm in the process of writing my memoir, and i'm going to aggressively start promoting my speaker services this spring. If that kicks off like I would like it to, I'll be thrilled beyond belief.

So, I'm closing the door on the idea to become a teacher for the visually impaired. And I'm more than confident that my decision to walk away from that idea is the right thing to do.

Be well!

AB