Newsletter - November 2023

In This Issue

1. President's Message (Daphne Hitchcock, BLC President)
2. It's time to renew your BLC membership!
3. ICEB 8th General Assembly 2024
4. Purdy's Chocolate Galore!
5. Next Braille Zoomer's Drop-in Session: December 2, 2023
6. CELA Braille Survey: Respond by November 27!
7. CELA's braille collection is growing!
8. Meet the board: Marilyn Rushton
9. Maintenance Tips for Perkins braillers (Rick Chant)
10. Faith by Touch: Ideas on Incorporating Braille into Your Religious Practice (Rhianna McGregor Hajzer)
11. 2025 International Tactile Reading Conference
12. Braille Art Corner!
13. Getting In Touch With Literacy Conference 2023 (November 29 - December 2, 2023)
14. Letters to Santa
15. Leggo Braille Bricks: Combining Literacy and play!
16. Social Media Links

President's Message

By Daphne Hitchcock, BLC President

Dear BLC Friends and Family,

I hope that this newsletter finds you well and enjoying some lovely Autumn Days.

As I reflect on these past months I continue to be inspired by the strength of our braille community. Right across the country we have members and colleagues who make it clear that literacy and more importantly braille literacy is of vital importance and not something to be taken for granted.

I am most appreciative of the work our BLC Board does to keep the momentum going as we deliver BLC Initiatives and Programmes. Here are just a few highlights:

• The Braille Zoomer Group is back in action after a summer break. These meetings provide an opportunity for those who are new to learning braille to network for peer support, information and resources with adults and seniors. The meetings are well attended and followed up by a summary of notes and resources shared throughout the meeting.
• Our brailler bounce initiative continues to send out braillers - during the past weeks we placed four refurbished braillers into homes. And we gratefully received 5 brailler donations, which are now lined up for servicing. We have a steady request for braillers. Funding for the servicing of braillers is always a need, as each brailler servicing costs $240. We hope to receive some funds through a grant opportunity.
• Our Braille Zoomer Starter Kit programme is also responding to meet the needs within our braille-reading community. Eight kits were recently sent out to those on our waitlist. We look forward to expanding this programme with a Braille Booster Kit to support those new to braille who are wanting to learn contracted braille.
• Our Teaching and Learning committee, working in partnership with PRCVI completed the filming of season two of Braille Bites. These short video clips will be released in the coming year. They provide fun and instructive activities to help develop early braille literacy skills for young children with visual impairments who are getting ready for school.
• In November, we presented at the Connecting the Dots Conference in Vancouver. Jen Jesso and I introduced the conference participants to the Braille Bites videos and the Braille Zoomer's Initiative.

Now, sit back and read on for more news and updates from BLC. My thanks to the communication committee for assembling this newsletter.

You, our members are of great importance to us. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions on programming for BLC, please reach out to us through the information email info@blc-lbc.ca.

Thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the fall edition of the BLC newsletter.

All the best
Daphne Hitchcock

It's time to renew your BLC membership!

Want to join us or are you already a member of BLC? As we approach the end of the year, the time is coming to join or renew your membership for 2024. The new membership year begins on January 1st!

The easiest way is to fill out our online membership form.

You can then pay online with PayPal, send an Interac email transfer, or get instructions for sending a cheque.

If you are already a lifetime member (or do not wish to be a member) but would still like to support the work of BLC we invite you to visit our website and donate online. Or donate to BLC through the Vancouver Foundation by supporting the Edie Mourre Fund or the BLC-LBC Endowment Fund. Donations to BLC are tax-deductible, and you could receive up to 49% of the amount donated back at tax time!

If you have any questions about BLC or need any assistance, you can contact us any time at info@blc-lbc.ca. We always love hearing from you!

Here's to another year full of braille!

ICEB 8th General Assembly 2024

The International Council on English Braille (ICEB) will hold its 8th General Assembly from Saturday, 25 May 2024 to Thursday, 30 May 2024 at The Grand Millennium hotel in Auckland, New Zealand.

The focus for the week will be "Two hundred years of braille."

Learn more at http://www.iceb.org

Purdy's Chocolate Galore!

Did you know? Purdy's produces a box of chocolate that includes braille labels for all to enjoy. Learn more here: https://www.purdys.com/feel-the-joy

Also, as a new edition, Purdy's has now also introduced a braille chocolate Advent Calendar. This year Purdys Chocolatier is providing a Braille Advent Calendar that features tabs with braille numbers. Open up the tab and find a delicious milk chocolate holiday miniature. The cost is $27 and can be ordered by following the Braille Adent Calendar link.

Next Braille Zoomer's Drop-in Session: December 2, 2023

The next monthly Braille Zoomers virtual get-together for adult and older adult braille learners across Canada will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 1 PM Eastern (10am Pacific, 11am Mountain, 12pm Saskatchewan/Central, 2pm Atlantic).

This is a drop-in session where you can come with your braille-related questions. Automatic zoom captioning will be provided.

Please write to info@blc-lbc.ca to register!

CELA Braille Survey: Respond by November 27!

CELA has launched a survey to gather information and opinions from braille readers, with a goal of better understanding the needs and preferences of braille readers, and those who might be braille readers, in order to improve CELA's braille related work going forward.

The survey is open to any CELA user aged 18 and older who is a past, current or potential future user of CELA's braille services. It's also open to anyone who is simply interested in braille. We also welcome feedback from parents or guardians, educators or other professionals who access CELA braille services on behalf of someone else.

The survey opened on October 24, 2023 and will close on November 27, 2023 at 11:59pm Eastern.

You can complete the CELA braille survey online or call CELA at 1-437-291-7607 to complete the survey over the phone. Please leave a voicemail and CELA will call you back within 2-3 business days.

If you have any questions about the survey, please email CELA at braille@celalibrary.ca.

CELA's braille collection is growing!

Over the past few weeks CELA has begun adding approximately 14,000 braille titles to their collection, thanks to an ongoing exchange of materials with the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS).

"We are delighted to be able to add these titles to our collection. We know this collection is something our users have been looking forward to accessing for quite some time," says Laurie Davidson, Executive Director of CELA.

The NLS collection contains a wide variety of genres, including Mystery and Crime Stories, Historical Fiction, Adventure Stories, Biography, Poetry, Science and Technology, History and much more.

Prior to adding these books to their collection, CELA collaborated with members of the print disabled community to assess the quality and usability of these titles in terms of content and presentation. The majority of these are offered in English Braille, American Edition (EBAE), and approximately 2,000 of these titles are available in Unified English Braille (UEB). There are also titles in uncontracted (grade 1) braille.

Megan Toye, CELA's Metadata Coordinator and one of the team members involved in managing this project says there are a couple of unique things to know about the NLS collection. "Because these books were created by a wide range of producers and transcribing agencies across the United States over several decades, readers may find that the quality, format and display may vary. There may also be instances where the original NLS formatting, such as page numbering, may still be included, along with reformatting required for CELA to combine books into a single volume for downloading or printing. If you receive an embossed copy of one of these books, please refer to the part numbers on the cover page of each braille book part to confirm that the item is complete and in order."

More than 2,500 of the NLS titles are already available and the rest will be added to the CELA collection over the next few weeks. "We've started with the most recently produced NLS titles and the great thing is that even when we complete adding the 14,000 available titles, we will continue to exchange with NLS as new accessible titles are created by CELA and NLS so that readers in both countries have access to more books."

If you would like a taste of the new books available from NLS you can find a featured list on the CELA website. https://celalibrary.ca/new-nls-braille

Meet the board: Marilyn Rushton

BLC was thrilled to welcome several new board members at the AGM this past spring. Over the next few issues, you will have the opportunity to learn more about each one.

In this issue, we welcome Marilyn Rushton, TVI and braille user:

My name is Marilyn Rushton. I live in Burnaby BC. I am a semi-retired Teacher of Students With Visual Impairments. I have been blind since birth and am a lifelong braille user and enthusiast! I am new to the Braille Literacy Canada Board and am thrilled and honoured to be a part of this amazing and dedicated team. I am delighted to be a member of the Braille Zoomers Committee, as well as Braille Promotions.

When asked what initiatives most excite her, Marilyn says:

I am most excited about the Braille Bounce and Braille Zoomers Programs, and am doing my best to contribute to the BC Contingent of Braille Bites. I look forward to connecting with more members in the very near future.

Welcome Marilyn!

Maintenance Tips for Perkins braillers

By Rick Chant

With close to 30 years in this field, I feel it is time to bestow some wisdom with Perkins users.

I have seen some very interesting things come out of a Perkins when it is cracked open for service.

My most memorable was a snake skeleton, however I have had a dead mouse, a be-jeweler tool, melted crayons, and a 3D printed turtle just to mention a few.

If you are a regular user of your device, before you put it away for any length of time, turn it upside down and give it a good shake to get rid of any foreign objects. If you have a tailor made cover for it please use it, if not try to get yourself an oversized women's shower hat.

If you are coming back to a device that has not been used for awhile, please be gentle with it, make sure the carriage moves from left to right and back again and does not bind. Make sure each key and the space bar presses and springs back like it is supposed to. If neither of these things are happening, be gentle but don't give up on it, work the carriage but don't force it, play with the keys but don't force them.

If you are at your wits end and the device has not been serviced in a while please reach out to me. I am available 8:30 to 4:30 Monday to Friday Pacific time.

Rick Chant
Service Manager
Chaos Technical Services
778-847-6840 (cell)
833-508-6840 (toll free)

Faith by Touch: Ideas on Incorporating Braille into Your Religious Practice

By Rhianna McGregor Hajzer

For those who are blind or visually impaired and practice a particular faith, how might braille be incorporated into their practice? While I cannot speak for other religious traditions, I hope the tips I share from my Christian faith will spark some creativity for how you can implement braille into your personal, religious routine.

My braille toolbox, as it were, contains the three "essentials": a refreshable braille display, a Perkins brailler, and a slate and stylus. All three play a unique role in expressing my faith in a way that is meaningful for me.

The Braille Display

I own a QBraille XL Braille display, and if you own a braille display or notetaker too, you have a fantastic opportunity for studying and reading religious books and other materials at your fingertips. Many libraries that produce books in electronic text, such as CELA and NNELS, have a wide variety of books that can be downloaded and read electronically. With this, you can take your braille display/notetaker to religious services or classes and follow along with the material. I also find it helpful to take notes in church services and Bible studies, and my QBraille XL is a perfect and discreet way to do this.

The Perkins Brailler

Hardcopy braille will never go out of style. That's why I like to use my Perkins Brailler to write out things I don't want to forget. This can include Bible verses on the refrigerator, prayer lists or other important reminders that you want to keep close. It is also a wonderful gift for friends or family members who read braille. Some of my most memorable gifts are cards and notes that my sighted friends have written as encouragements in braille by hand.

The Slate and Stylus

Similar to the Perkins Brailler as it produces hardcopy braille, the slate and stylus can be used for many of the same purposes, but I find it a particularly unique tool for making things that much more memorable. Writing something by hand, for example, a Bible verse I want to commit to memory, seems to stick better in my mind when I take the time to thoughtfully consider each punch of the stylus.

I've always been a braille reader and find that a hardcopy Bible is the best means for me to read and retain the information. Braille Literacy Canada has a resource page that contains links to a few organizations where you can access religious materials in braille. It isn't an exhaustive list, but it's a great jumping off point!

If you are a person of faith, there are plenty of ways to let braille enhance your public practice and personal commitment. Find the one that works best for you.

2025 International Tactile Reading Conference

Save the date for this exciting international conference!

The Tactile Reading's third edition will bring together participants worldwide that contribute to making information accessible through tactile solutions. In addition to braille, this also involves tactile graphics, drawings and 3D. During three days, the conference will feature a varied program about all aspects of tactile reading and graphics with inspiring speakers.

The 2025 edition will take place in the Netherlands.

For those interested, learn more here: https://enviter.eu/save-the-date-tactile-reading-conference/

Braille Art Corner!

Ahoy Matey - sail in to create some braille art. Here are the directions to make the outline of a little sailboat. It has a triangular shaped sail and a sturdy boat base.

Directions:

Line one: Space, dots 4-5-6, dots 1-6 (contraction for CH).

Line two: Space, dots 4-5-6, space, dots 1-6 (CH).

Line three: Space, dots 4-5-6, space twice, dots 1-6 (CH). Line four: Write dots 2-3-4-6 (contraction for ED) four times, dots 1-3-4-5 (letter n).

Keep on drawing! This sailboat can be made as large as you want by using dots 4-5-6 for the mast, increasing the number of spaces by one for each line added. Make the boat length correspond to the width of the sail.

Thanks to Marie Porter for providing the directions for this sailboat. You can find more in her book, So What About Drawing!

Getting In Touch With Literacy Conference 2023 (November 29 - December 2, 2023)

Getting In Touch With Literacy (GITWL) brings together the most current thinking on all options for literacy for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, including print, braille, auditory, tactile graphics comprehension and the use of technology.

This year's presentations will address the needs of a range of ages and all levels of ability, including conventional and functional literacy. Plus, more than 90 concurrent workshops and additional poster sessions will focus on specific areas.

This will be the 15th GITWL conference in the past 28 years. This final Getting In Touch with Literacy (GITWL) conference under the leadership of Cay Holbrook and Janie Blome Literacy will be held in Florida in November 29 - December 2, 2023.

For the full list of sessions, to register or to book a room, please visit https://www.gettingintouchwithliteracy.org/.

Letters to Santa

Ho-Ho-Ho! It is that time of year to think about sending a letter to Santa. The folks at Canada Post will make sure he gets it!

How to get your letter to Santa: Santa and the postal elves are busy this time of year. Send your mail to the North Pole in time to hear back from Santa.

Here's Santa's address:

Santa Claus
North Pole
H0H 0H0
Canada

Get a letter back: Include a return address in your letter and Santa will send you a letter back.

Don't miss the deadline: Send your Santa letters no later than December 7th, 2023 to receive a reply before the holidays.

Our thanks to the many elves at Allyant who ensure that the braille copy is good to go!

Leggo Braille Bricks: Combining Literacy and play!

Lego has released its Lego braille bricks collection.

The blocks include both braille and print symbols, allowing both blind and sighted children to play together while reinforcing literacy skills.

The box includes a QR code that leads to several games that can be played using the bricks, including Build a City.

Check out the website to learn more, including related resources to get you started: https://legobraillebricks.com/

Social Media Links

Here are a few of the items we have posted on our social media platforms in recent weeks.

• From Print to Braille: A Masterclass a Day for National Braille Week: https://www.braillists.org/uncategorised/from-print-to-braille-a-masterclass-a-day-for-national-braille-week/
• A childhood favourite is now accessible! Purdys knows how to combine #braille and chocolate: https://t.co/cAsUtpRlsa
• Securing the future of music #braille: the DAISY consortium - https://t.co/hkbnzeUSdO
• Save the date! The Tactile Reading Conference 2025 will take place from 2 - 4 June 2025 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. https://t.co/ZwzHZOLe3u
• Learn more about BANA's role, its members and what's in store for the coming year. BANA #Brl Bits Episode 5 is now available at https://t.co/K5aj5wQnSs or by searching for BANA BrailleBits with your favourite podcatcher.