[Faith-talk] request for advice from ministers or Sunday school teachers

[Penny Golden]

Dear Tonia,
I saw Linda Mentink's letter and certainly agree.  Tell your student 
that he should continue to learn braille, even if he never uses 
it.  It's a back-up system, in case his preferred method fails.
But he should by all means continue his braille.

He should be a good reader before he begins his college 
studies--unless he is using tapes or digital audio.
College will only compound his reading difficulties.  It's harder, 
not easier when you're in school with deadlines facing you.

If he never uses braille, he will not regret the time it took to learn it well.

And if he should suddenly need it, there it will be at his command.

Blessings,

an old schoolmarm in Eastern Nebraska,

Penny (Golden)
At 12:40 PM 3/14/2007, you wrote:
>Hi all!  my name is tonia gatton and I am a rehab teacher in 
>Kentucky.  I have a braille student who has just recently started 
>learning contractions, but is now wanting to quit braille.  He can 
>see to read large print but is very slow at it; not only due to his 
>limited vision but also because of getting a late start in learning 
>to read and write.  He graduated from high school a year ago and 
>plans to attend college this fall.  He wants to be a minister.  I've 
>encouraged him to stick it out with braille and stressed how 
>beneficial it will be when taking notes, preaching sermons and 
>looking up Bible passages, etc.  Unfortunately, his roommate who was 
>such a good influence on him has graduated and now he has other 
>students discouraging him from learning braille, since they don't 
>understand the importance of it.
>
>So, I'm hoping to locate some ministers or even Sunday school 
>teachers who possibly have some vision and can read print but have 
>still found braille to be helpful at times.  Or perhaps someone who 
>now realizes the importance of braille and wishes they had learned 
>it a long time ago.
>
>I'd love for these individuals to talk with my student but I'd also 
>appreciate it, if you'd just write about your experiences and how 
>braille has came in handy while preaching or teaching.  I can then 
>share what you wrote with my student in hopes that it will help him 
>to reconsider his decision.
>
>You can either write me off list at tonia.gatton at ky.gov or give me a 
>call at 800-346-2115.
>
>Thanks so much and God bless!
>
>Tonia
>
>
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