Improving My Braille Skills

Starting next month, I will be participating in the National Federation of the Blind's Braille Leaders are Readers program. This program is designed to encourage reading braille and increase braille literacy. This is the first year that they're allowing adults to participate, so in the interest of being a better braille reader, I've decided to participate.

Part of the registration process was figuring out what level of reading you are at. Even though I've known braille for more than a decade, I am still a beginner when it comes to my reading speed. This makes me a little sad, but I'm not surprised since I use braille so infrequently. My goal as a beginner reader is to read the most pages and increase my speed.

I've already chosen the book that I will be reading, but I forgot to check how many volumes of braille it was before I ordered it. I will be reading Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. It is in 5 volumes of braille, so if I finish it before the end of the decade I will be surprised. As of this morning I am on page 19 of the braille text. I have no idea what page in the actual book that is, but I am enjoying it so far.

For all of my braille readers out there, I really encourage you to participate in this program. If you are a parent of a child with vision problems, maybe this is the time for them to learn braille if they don't already. Happy reading everyone.