Teaching NT Greek to a student who is blind

Clwinbery at aol.com Clwinbery at aol.com
Wed Apr 11 22:03:37 EDT 2001


Becky Lambert wrote;

>>>>>>>>>I am the Coordinator of Disabilities Services at John Brown 
University in
Arkansas and I am requesting information concerning having a student who
is blind in a beginning New Testament Greek class.

I am working with one of our professors to prepare to teach a student who
is blind in his NT Greek class next fall.  We have never had an NT Greek
student who was also blind.  I am looking for any suggestions or accounts
of experience you have had teaching students who are blind in this area.
<<<<<<<<<<

In 1974 at Baptist College at Charleston (now Charleston Southern University) 
I had two sightless students named Don League and Tommy Bilton. The 
Association for the Blind had produced the entire NT in braill. There were 
fifteen different signs in the braill system for the accents, different 
combinations for each letter that takes an accent. There were six or seven 
combinations for breathing marks. The entire GNT filled about 25 volumes. 
They were always bringing the wrong volume to class. The real tool that 
helped though was an Opticon. They would put the index finger in a slot and 
with the other hand move a camera along the line. This would draw the actual 
shape of each letter on the face of their finger. At the same time I could 
see on a screen what was being drawn on their finger. By a process of 
correction each learned to read the GNT with the Opticon. The main part of 
this machine was about the size of the old time tape recorders. The screen 
was about 10 by 10 inches. The camera head was only about 2 inches long and a 
half inch square connected by a line. They could hold the machine on their 
shoulder by a strap and walk up to any dictionary and look up words. They 
were both brilliant students and had been specially sellected because of 
developed sensitivity in their fingers.

Hope this helps,

Carlton Winbery
Louisiana College



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