Hi. This page is all about a visit from Ms. Llewellyn's aunt and uncle who are both blind.
Last year the fifth classes all learned about the eye and the way blind people use Braille writing to read.That is when Ms. Llewellyn told her class all about her aunt and uncle.
It is also when she decided to invite them in.
Blind people use the Braille alphabet to read. Braille is small bumps. Some people think 'How can you read with bumps?' Each letter has the bumps arranged in a different order. They lay their fingers over the bump to know the letter.
So I decided to do an interview with them. Here it is:
Were you born blind? If not, when did you become blind?
I could see a little bit when I was young. I could read large print. I got an operation done on my eyes but it didn't succeed. I then turned blind.
I was born 2 months early and I was put in an incubator with my brother. The light in there damaged my eyes.
What sights do you miss/wish you could see?
I would love to see photographs and people's faces.
I'd like to see people's faces especially Michael's. Photos as well.
How long are you married?
25 years
When did you meet?
We met in a social club in 1981.
How did you know you were in love?
We did lots of things together.
Have you any children?
No, we have no children.
I now have some practical questions. How do you brush your hair and teeth?
By touch.
We use a strong brush.
How do you cut your nails and your hair?
Very carefully. I use clippers.
I carefully use nail scissors.
How do you match clothes?
We have a colour detector that recognises the colour of things and it says the colour aloud.
Using the colour detector we find out the colour of clothes and match the colours in our minds to pick an outfit.
How do you do your food shopping?
We go to the same supermarket and we get an assistant and tell them what we want and they'll get it for us.
Do you use the internet?
Yes we do.
How?
We have a Braille keypad.
There is a screen reader of the computer that reads out what's on the screen.
Do you do your own housework and gardening?
Yes we do.
Now here are some questions on eating out. Do you eat out a lot?
Yes.
We do, yeah.
Are there many resteraunts with Braille menus?
Well sometimes.
There's one resteraunt in particular that has a Braille menu.
Are the waiters helpful and in what way?
Yes they are extremely helpful.
They tell us the specials and what they reccomend.
Well thank you very much, goodbye! (*>*)
Just to let you know the yellow answers were from Michael and the blue answers were from Thereasa.
The technology these days is amazing. Michael and Thereasa have special watches where you can open the face and lay your fingers on the Braille. The Braille tells the time.
They also have a money calculator. You slide the notes in then it will beep once if it is a fiver, twice if it is a tenner, 3 times if it is a 20 and so on. To know the coins they feel round the edges. 20c coins are bumpy.
Well that's it for now.
You'll see me on my next webpage but for now slán!
