Hadley Connection The Hadley School for the Blind Student Newsletter Fall 2009 Celebrating the 200th Birthday of Louis Braille The Hadley School for the Blind is pleased to have joined organizations around the world in celebrating the incredible role Louis Braille has played in enabling individuals who are blind or visually impaired to read. Through publicity and promotions, partnerships and special events, Hadley has emphasized the importance of braille to its students, donors, colleagues and community. Louis Braille’s legacy lives on every day at Hadley. Since the school’s inception in 1920, the ability to read and write braille has been fundamental to our mission of promoting independent living through lifelong learning. Nearly 90 years after its founding, The Hadley School for the Blind is the single largest, worldwide educator of braille and the largest provider of distance education for individuals who are visually impaired across the globe. Hadley has 14 instructors dedicated to teaching braille to tactile learners and, more recently, to family members of those living with vision loss and to professionals in the field. Of the 100 courses Hadley currently offers, braille still remains the most popular despite the advent of new adaptive technologies and the Internet. Braille is alive and well at Hadley. Our instructors and students know that braille is a critical literacy skill—one that will serve for a lifetime. As we pay homage to the man who perfected the code that has transformed the lives of millions of people with vision loss, we are reminded of our mission and Hadley’s commitment to literacy. We are proud to work with those across the country and around the world who have embraced braille and other important life skills leading to literacy and independence. May we forever celebrate the contributions of Louis Braille. Best regards, Charles E. Young President Inside 2-3 Congratulations to the Class of 2009! 4 Seminars@Hadley Offered for Continuing Education Credit 5 USU – Hadley Courses Available 6 Curriculum Corner: Experience Braille Reading Today 7 Bits & Bytes: Cassette Tapes: Going, Going… Look for the Hadley School’s 2009 Braille Holiday Card! 8 Family Matters: Families Can Be Partners in Learning Braille 9 FAQs: Contacting Your Instructor Hadley’s 2009 Ambassadors 10 A Matter of Course: A Conversation with Hadley Braille Instructor Martha Pamperin 11 Hadley Web Site Gets a Makeover The articles in Connection are for information only and in no way endorse one service or product over another. Congratulations to the Class of 2009! On Wednesday, June 10, Hadley held its 2009 High School Graduation. Five of the 10 graduates traveled from their homes around the country to Winnetka to celebrate their achievement. Graduate Megan Tate, an aspiring Gospel singer, performed at the ceremony, accompanied by Hadley alumna and pianist Carolyn Sanderson. In his address, commencement speaker James Kesteloot, former president and executive director of The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, acknowledged the challenges students face in pursuing an education. Legally blind since birth, Kesteloot encouraged graduates to utilize the support services available to them in pursuing future endeavors. “What you have achieved is commendable—a ‘big bang’ that will have an enormous impact on your life,” he said. “A high school diploma gives you an open mind and makes you a wiser person.” Of the 600 students enrolled in Hadley’s High School Program, others graduated with their local high school class, having supplemented their education with Hadley courses. View a video of the graduation ceremony, including Tate’s performance and comments from our graduates, at www.hadley.edu. Anna Bolino, CA Anna was born visually impaired due to retinopathy of prematurity. In elementary school, she realized she was different when she couldn’t do the same things other children her age were doing. Anna felt overwhelmed with the accelerated schedule she encountered in high school. What Anna enjoyed most about Hadley’s High School Program was being able to move at her own pace and working with supportive teachers. Her favorite courses were “General Science” and “Self-Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness,” which she feels helped her to “open up more” and express her feelings. Anna attributes her success to the support and encouragement of her father. Her future plans include guide dog training and taking online courses toward a bachelor’s degree. Dixie Brown, NY (unable to attend) Dixie was in third grade when her visual impairment was recognized by a teacher. By the time she was properly diagnosed with glaucoma, her condition was too advanced to treat with surgery. When Dixie was 17, one of her teachers sent photos of her to a modeling agency; however, the agency turned her down because she was visually impaired. At 19, Dixie was offered a recording contract to sing and go on tour, but her vision problems made her feel tentative about being on the road. Fifty years later, Dixie is proud to have received her diploma from Hadley. The courses she enjoyed most were “The Human Eye,” “U.S. History” and “American Government.” Dixie says she now feels more confident engaging in discussions about world events. Her future plans include establishing a cooking and catering business. Louise Craft, PA Louise wanted to be the first in her family to graduate, but in tenth grade her stepfather took her out of school. Louise turned to prescription drugs and alcohol at an early age to dull the pain of a series of life tragedies. She tried to earn a GED but found it difficult while addicted. Her wake-up call came in 1984 when she realized she had three children at home who needed her. “They were the reason I finally got sober,” she says. With guidance from her AA sponsor, Louise decided to earn her diploma through Hadley. Louise says Hadley improved her self-esteem and quality of life and made her realize how much she had missed. “Hadley has helped me to feel like a valuable person through the support of wonderful teachers and staff,” she says. Russell Dyer, FL (unable to attend) Russell heard about Hadley through his mom, who used the Internet to research educational resources to help him obtain a high school diploma. By the end of 2002, he had lost most of his vision and was considered legally blind. Surgery has restored some vision, and he now relies on magnifiers to read large print. “In the past, I lacked motivation to obtain my high school diploma,” Russell says. “After my vision loss, I realized I needed an education in order to support myself so I didn’t have to rely on others for the rest of my life. This is what inspired me to persevere through Hadley’s courses. I will now be able to apply to our local community college and begin my college education.” Paige Hardin, GA (unable to attend) Paige was born blind due to optic nerve hypoplasia. After researching the best place to receive her high school education, Paige and her parents decided that Hadley was the best choice. “My parents and Hadley’s instructors were very supportive,” she says. “I liked the courses at Hadley. Quitting was never an option.” Receiving her high school diploma has helped Paige improve the quality of her life by moving her closer to reaching her goals. “I’m a more educated and independent person, and I can now go on to college,” she says. Paige’s future plans include medical school. Christopher Harper, IN Christopher was born with optic nerve hypoplasia. He has some light perception and can see shadows. Christopher heard about Hadley from his communications teacher in Indiana and enrolled in Hadley’s High School Program in September 2001. “Getting my high school diploma was a huge goal for me,” Chris says. “Since I have earned it, I feel much better about myself.” Chris’ favorite Hadley course was “Introduction to Personal Psychology.” He enjoyed learning about the way the mind works, including various disorders and their impact. “I thank Hadley tremendously for offering this high school program free of charge. I know that this diploma will help me accomplish ministry opportunities and future goals.” Jesse Mulock, CA (unable to attend) Jesse was born with cataracts in both eyes. Surgery as an infant and glasses have helped him to see better, but he is still visually impaired. After his father learned about Hadley on the radio, Jesse enrolled and was very glad to be able to complete his coursework online. “Hadley was so much easier because I got to choose the media I preferred,” he says. Having his diploma makes Jesse feel like he’s achieved something special. He realizes it was an important step in pursuing his future endeavors, which include college and a career developing video games. “I would like to thank the Hadley School for helping me to graduate high school.” Laura Parshley, NY (unable to attend) Laura had just turned 15 when she discovered she had a visual impairment. Her dreams of joining the air force or simply being able to drive a car dissolved, and she feared she would be unable to do things on her own without help. At 16, Laura went to live with her father. For a few years she struggled with school and felt unsure about what she wanted to do with her life. She feels fortunate to have found Hadley and worked hard to earn her high school diploma. Laura has been accepted into The Maui School of Therapeutic Massage and is now living on her own, attending school and starting a new, self-sufficient life. She stays in touch with her family and says she is truly happy and “life is good.” Jessica Pitzer, NC Jessica has been blind since birth due to congenital glaucoma, aniridia and bilateral Peters’ Anomaly. At 2, Jessica began learning braille and started orientation and mobility training. At 8, she put her hands on a computer for the first time “and away I flew,” she says. Jessica heard about Hadley from her guidance counselor at the Missouri School for the Blind. She had attended numerous high schools in different states but finished her coursework at Hadley because it was produced in an accessible format. Though certain courses were challenging, Jessica says she learned from all of them. Hadley courses also improved her typing, spelling and grammar. Jessica says that earning her degree feels like a victory. Jessica’s future plans include traveling with her guide dog and learning computer programming. Megan Tate, MS Before she began Hadley’s High School Program, Megan says she had a dislike for school and learning. Hadley’s courses made her fall in love with learning. That love, and the constant encouragement of her grandparents, served as her inspiration and motivation. Megan’s visual impairment has had a positive impact on her life. People who hear her music in churches and on CD tell her she is an inspiration and “an example of what God can do and how you can persevere in spite of what some view as a handicap.” Megan says Hadley taught her skills she can use daily. She appreciates the extra attention and support her instructors provided. Megan is now studying theology at Liberty University in Virginia and pursuing a career as both a fiction writer and southern Gospel singer and songwriter. USU – Hadley Courses Available Hadley and USU are offering four courses this semester toward associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree credit: “Introduction to Blindness and Visual Impairment,” “The Human Eye and Visual System,” “Introduction to Braille” and “The Role of Paraeducators with Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired.” Two additional courses, “Introduction to Multiple Disabilities” and “Introduction to Low Vision,” will be available in spring 2010. The partnership between Hadley and USU, announced in January 2008, offers courses as part of Utah State University’s SKI-HI Institute, a unit of the College of Education’s Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, which focuses on development and needs of young children who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, deafblind or multidisabled. This one-of-a-kind program increases access to affordable distance education for teachers, teacher assistants, paraprofessionals and parents to help them obtain professional certification in working with students who are blind or visually impaired. It also enhances their knowledge and awareness of resources for children with disabilities. Students in this program receive either a Certificate in Blindness or a USU degree in General Studies with a Focus in Blindness, qualifying them to work in a classroom with school-age children who are blind or visually impaired. “The USU – Hadley courses equip me with the tools I need to assist the teacher in my classroom and to read and write braille,” says David Jessamy, a teacher assistant at the Lavelle School for the Blind who recently completed the “Introduction to Braille” course. “The level of expertise provided in this program is invaluable, and applying what I’ve learned helps my students succeed.” For more information, please contact Linda Alsop, SKI-HI Institute, linda.alsop@usu.edu or 435-797-5598 or visit the Web Site at www.skihi.org/HADLEYUSU-HOME.html. Families Connect Conference Hadley Instructor Sue Melrose, Jennifer Strickland and husband, Scott attended the “Families Connecting with Families” international conference in Costa Mesa, California, in July. Jennifer, a Hadley student, won a $1,000 scholarship to attend the conference after writing an essay for a contest sponsored by the Friends of Hadley, a volunteer organization that supports Hadley students in need. Curriculum Corner By Michael Rydel, Dean of Curricular Affairs Experience Braille Reading Today Teaching people how to read and write braille has been core to Hadley’s mission since the school was founded in 1920. Hadley students throughout the world want and need a process to learn and practice their braille skills. That is why our new “Experience Braille Reading” course has soared to the forefront. Designed to provide flexibility, this 12-lesson course presents opportunities for students to practice contracted braille using a variety of texts, from short stories to travel itineraries to song lyrics to menus. The first eight lessons are as follows: Short Stories features “Ooka and the Stolen Smell,” by I.G. Edmonds. Travel Itineraries details a seven-day trip from New York to London, with a tour of the river Thames, Greenwich, Westminster and the National Gallery. Poetry and Song Lyrics introduces the work of poet Robert Frost and songwriter Anne Hills. Calendars enables a person to read braille calendars. Nonfiction features “A Short History of Punctuation,” an article on the historical development and acceptance of punctuation in English and other world languages. Restaurant Menus describes typical menu format and content. Catalogs includes a selection of catalog pages. Recipes offers recipes for marinated chicken salad, stuffed peppers and blueberry muffins. After Lesson 8, students may select four of the following seven lessons: Reading Aloud to Children Directions and Instructions Word Puzzles Financial Reports and Statements Glossaries and Indexes Myths and Legends Advanced Nonfiction Reading With these selections, students can practice reading a children’s story, find directions to an airport, learn to build a birdhouse, solve a geography word puzzle, read a checking account register or credit card statement, look up information in a glossary and index or read about the history of the Internet. Talk about variety! In all of these lessons, students learn how to navigate through contracted braille text, building confidence with each new format. Combine this flexibility with Hadley’s time-tested method of teaching braille at a distance, and you have a winning course. In addition to “Experience Braille Reading,” Hadley offers 9 other courses that teach braille to people with visual impairments: Braille Literacy 1: Tactile Readiness Braille Literacy 2: Learning the Braille Alphabet Braille Literacy 3: Uncontracted Braille Braille Literacy 4: Contracted Braille Braille Reading 1 Braille Reading 2 Braille Writing Essentials of Nemeth Using Raised Markers The school also offers three courses designed for sighted professionals and others interested in learning braille: Introduction to Braille Contracted Braille Basic Nemeth Code Most courses are free of charge and are taught by the best instructors in the blindness field. If these or any of our courses interest you, visit www.hadley.edu or contact Student Services at 800-526-9909 to enroll. Bits & Bytes Cassette Tapes, Going, Going … Remember the 78, 45, and 331/3 RPM records? Beta tapes? VHS tapes? These formats are a thing of the past! Technology continues its march forward, now leaving the audiocassette behind. Do you realize it is nearly impossible to purchase a cassette player these days? While Hadley continues to offer existing audio courses on cassette, we are planning for the eventual discontinuation of this medium. How will you listen to Hadley courses in the future? The school is still evaluating options, but here is what we can report thus far: All new courses are now being produced in Digital Talking Book (DTB) format. Some existing courses are being converted to DTB. A secure delivery system has been developed for DTB courses. The e-Hadley Course Portal acts as a single-entry point for both online and DTB download course enrollments. Several courses are available now for download. In addition to delivering DTB courses by download from our Web Site, Hadley will make audio courses available for shipment through the mail on a standard USB thumb drive or on the new National Library Service (NLS) flash card. Hadley will continue to provide existing cassette courses until we can no longer obtain cassette tapes from our vendors. For a list of some of the audio playback devices available commercially, please visit www.hadley.edu and follow the “Resources” link. NOTE: The Library of Congress National Library Service (NLS) is also eliminating its cassette playback device. NLS is manufacturing a new device designed to play digital talking books. These books will be delivered on a flash card that you can obtain from member libraries or directly through the mail. The new machine will accept a standard USB thumb drive containing a DTB. Visit your local library for more information. If eligible, you can be placed on the NLS waiting list for the device, which will be loaned to you free of charge for as long as you need it. Look for the Hadley School’s 2009 Braille Holiday Card! The 2009 Hadley Braille Holiday Card will be available to order online October 5 through December 17. Place your order today at www.hadley.edu/ holidaycard. Family Matters Debbie Siegel, Instructor Families Can Be Partners in Learning Braille When a child and family member learn side by side, braille becomes a positive family experience, and the child realizes that braille plays an important role in family life. Children do not need to be of school age for the family to learn braille. Although a child will not be able to read a braille book, he or she can follow along as mom or dad or a grandparent reads. Family members can create a braille book collection once they know the braille code and place braille magnets on the refrigerator to create words. Braille can also be used to label toy bins, toys, puzzles, games and to attach a child’s name to belongings. I am often asked by parents, “When is the best time for me to learn braille?” My immediate response is to applaud the family member who wants to become a partner in learning the braille code. Children benefit from a home environment that is rich in braille and from family members who have a positive attitude toward learning braille. When children are introduced to braille at a young age, they have a much greater chance of becoming a capable and lifelong braille reader. Parents and children can write braille grocery lists together, play card games labeled with braille or make a braille recipe file. Parents can also braille birthday cards for their child and tuck braille “love notes” into a lunch box. Learning braille is an empowering experience. Those who can read the braille code are better advocates for their children at educational conferences and Individual Education Plan meetings. Parents can also participate in their children’s schoolwork by ensuring homework is complete, helping with decoding words and proofreading assignments. Siblings and grandparents can learn braille as well. The Hadley School for the Blind offers two braille courses for family members. “Introduction to Braille” teaches uncontracted braille. This course, which covers the braille alphabet and punctuation, is the first course for all students and is especially useful for family members with young children. “Contracted Braille” is our advanced course. Contracted braille is the braille code most often used in written material such as schoolwork, letters, magazines and books. Family members who learn braille convey that it is important to the family and a natural part of their lives. When braille becomes a family experience, a lifelong love of reading is created. For more information about Hadley’s braille courses, visit www.hadley.edu. For more information, visit the following resources: Seedlings: www.seedlings.org Check out the Rose Project for free braille access to the World Book Encyclopedia and the Angel Program to receive two free braille books. Braille Institute: www.brailleinstitute.org/multisensory-books Check out the free Children’s Braille Special Collection. National Braille Press: www.nbp.org Check out the free ReadBooks Program and the Children’s Book Club. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS): www.loc.gov/nls Braille Bookstore: www.braillebookstore.com Check out the magnetic letters, labelers, toys and games. FAQs Answers to frequently asked questions by our students Q: Can I email my instructor? A: Yes. More and more Hadley students are now emailing lesson assignments to their instructors. Instructors are able to quickly grade and reply to their students. What could be better? Unfortunately, instructors are receiving non-coursework related emails from students that take precious time away from teaching. If you email your instructor, do not send any of the following: Invitations to join Facebook, MySpace, or other social networking sites and chat rooms Jokes or chain letters Getting-to-know-you surveys Electronic greeting cards Follow these guidelines when emailing your instructor: Include your name and contact information in the body of your email. Include a subject line that clearly identifies the content of your email (e.g. “Assignment One,” “World History” or “Question”). Feel free to email questions regarding a topic in the course you are taking, explanations of why your assignment is delayed or inquiries as to whether an assignment submitted one or more weeks earlier has been received. To avoid confusion, email your instructor using the same email address each time. Q: Can I still call my instructor? A: Yes, the telephone is another way to contact Hadley instructors. Be sure to leave a message if you get voicemail or an answering machine. Include your name, the date and time you called, your entire phone number, your time zone and a convenient time for the instructor to return your call. A Matter of Course A Conversation with Hadley Braille Instructor Martha Pamperin Q: What motivated or inspired you to begin teaching braille? A: I’d like to have an inspiring story to tell about my commitment to braille and my altruistic desire to serve others. The truth is that I needed a job. I called my county’s special education office and asked if they needed a part-time teacher of visually impaired children. It was my good fortune that they did; they were also willing to pay for my first summer school course. That summer, in 1968, I took courses leading to a credential to teach visually impaired children, adding to the General Secondary credential I already held. Legally blind since junior high school, I already knew, or thought I knew, braille, so I challenged the braille course by examination and was given a courtesy pass because I was already employed. My brother, who is blind, was already earning a fine reputation as a teacher of visually impaired students. He was generous with his time and knowledge and gave me an education that added greatly to what I learned in formal classrooms. The next year, Yolo County Services for Visually Impaired Students needed a full-time teacher. I settled down as a full-time wife and mother. The year my daughter started school, Yolo County opened a new class for multi- handicapped elementary school children. I served as an assistant teacher. Eventually, I earned a credential to teach severely impaired students. After eight years teaching multi-handicapped students, I took the job of teacher of visually impaired students. For the next 17 years, I traveled from school to school, serving the needs of visually impaired children with greatly varying needs in a variety of settings. Q: Is there something particularly memorable from your early teaching days? A: It was wonderful to feel little 4-year-old fingers following mine as I read a braille story book. I will never forget the day I told my bright second grade student that she could already read faster than I. That same student later managed all of her high school classes independently, using braille textbooks and a braille note taker. She would no more have wanted or needed an adult helper at her elbow than my own sighted daughter. I retired from Yolo County in 1996 and began my dream job teaching Hadley’s new Braille Literacy courses. Q: Where did you learn braille and how was the experience for you? A: There were no classrooms for visually impaired students at the secondary level in Long Beach, where we lived. We moved to Huntington Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, so that we could attend day schools and live at home. During fifth and part of sixth grade, I attended the 32nd Street School (now called Frances Blend). Eventually, we moved back to Long Beach because resource rooms had been established, permitting my brother and me to attend regular schools. The problem with the resource rooms was that I never saw another braille textbook until I began teaching. I learned to manage readers and tape recorders but did not develop the braille fluency that I later saw in my own students. To this day, I am still a slow reader. Q: Do you use braille in your daily life? A: I do most extended reading in audio; my computer reads scanned books aloud and very fast. I use audiotapes often for pleasure reading and look forward to the new digital technology. However, braille is critical to my lifestyle. I label everything from the files that hold my financial information to photographs of my grandchildren. I conduct meetings using braille agendas and use braille notes when giving presentations. Whenever I need information at hand—whether in a group or on the phone—it must be in braille. If others need it, I make print copies. I’ve been teaching at Hadley for almost 12 years. Some students, approaching braille courses for the first time, have difficulty because just thinking about braille makes them sad, as it seems to separate them from the print-reading world they have lost. For many though, it is a different story. With braille, they can make those phone calls and participate in or even teach a Sunday adult Bible study class. Braille helps these students to participate more fully in the activities they have always loved. When students tell me how they are using braille, and I hear their excitement, I am pleased and proud to be teaching for the Hadley School. Hadley Web Site Gets a Makeover The Hadley School for the Blind is updating the look and feel of its Web Site. This project includes rearranging, rewriting and relocating content, in addition to making the site more visually appealing with photos and images. Our goal is to make the Web Site more user-friendly and engaging while retaining its current accessibility. Some of the most obvious changes have been made to the home page, to which we’ve added the following: 1. A search function powered by Google that allows visitors to search Hadley’s Web Site and other sites. 2. A “Subscribe to eNews” menu item where you can sign up to receive eConnect, Hadley’s electronic Student Newsletter. 3. More photos of Hadley students, staff and donors. 4. A Resources page with supplemental course materials and information you can use in your daily life. 5. A right-hand column containing up-to-date information on new or revised courses as well as our ever-popular Seminars@Hadley. We realize many of you refer students, professionals and others interested in the Hadley School to our Web Site for information, so we’ll do our best to keep you informed of the changes along the way. If you have questions or concerns, are having trouble finding information or would like to give us your feedback, please email Student Services at student_services@hadley.edu. Go online and go green! Hadley is trying to save paper (and trees) and reduce printing costs so that our resources can go further on your behalf. If you currently receive a hard copy of Connection and would prefer to receive it electronically, please send an email to student_services@hadley.edu by December 18, 2009. Please include the word “Connection” in your subject line. Thanks! Have you recently moved or changed your email address? Please send an email to student_services@hadley.edu with your new contact information. The Hadley School for the Blind 700 Elm Street Winnetka, IL 60093-2554 USA Phone: 847-446-8111 Toll-free: 800-323-4238 Fax: 847-446-0855 www.hadley.edu email: info@hadley.edu Our mission: To promote independent living through lifelong, distance education programs for people who are blind or visually impaired, their families and blindness service providers.