Holiday Colors
THOUGHT PROVOKER 116
Holiday Colors
"Mother, can Sarah and I start decorating the Christmas tree?" asked Marlene. She was thirteen and her friend Sarah was the same age.
"Yes you may, but here's the deal. Christmas is also about family. I must leave for a few hours and you will have to babysit your sister.”
"Mom! This is a special event. Sarah taught me about Hanukkah and now this is her first Christmas tree! " pleaded Marlene. Sarah was Jewish and the two girls were learning about each other's religious traditions.
"Now, hon, Emmy's just turned three and, if I remember correctly, that is the same age you were when you first started helping and learning to decorate for our holidays."
" But Mom, she's blind!"
"Mrs. Anderson," Sarah addressed Marlene's mother. "I would find it especially meaningful if Emmy were to be my partner in this new experience."
"Thank you, Sarah. I know Marlene had expectations of just the two of you engaging in this project; however I too think this will be a meaningful experience for you to learn both about Christmas and blindness. Marlene, you usually are a wonderful older sister to Emmy and I trust the three of you will get along famously. I'll bring her right in.”
"Marlene, I've seen your sister, but I need to ask, how blind is she?" Sarah asked.
"She can see light and some objects. You know, it really wasn't until she started to talk as well as she does now before I really knew what she could see."
Shortly the three girls were alone together and beginning their project. "Emmy, feel this tree." Sarah placed the small hand of the little girl on a lower branch. "Here are the leaves. They are called needles and they’re dark green. What do you think of that?"
Stroking the cluster of needles, Emmy put her nose on them. "They smell….really good, and the needles are really, really skinny."
"Oh Marlene, I just told her the tree was green. Was that okay?"
"Sure. We've tried teaching her colors by sight, but she can't see them." Then to her sister, Marlene said, "Emmy, those leaves are skinny, that's why they call them needles, because they are long and skinny like a needle that you sow with. But they're green alright, most leaves are green and grass is too. What do you think, can you remember that color?"
"I like colors! Green smells good." Said the little girl.
"Oh you're so cute!" Sarah said. "This green tree is a pine tree and that is what you smell. And here…," as she moved the little girl’s fingers. "This rough part is the branch and it's color is brown."
"Brown. It's scratchy."
"Yes, it's like the skin of the tree and it is called bark." Sarah continued to teach.
The three girls worked steadily, first stringing the lights, then hanging the ornaments, both big girls helping Emmy place items on the lower branches, telling her of the colors. Marlene explained to her friend and sister the family history and significance of the tree and its decorations. They laughed a lot at her stories.
When Mrs. Anderson arrived home, the three girls sat drinking hot coco with marshmallows, the room lights dimmed, the tree lights twinkling through an ever- changing pattern as Christmas music played on the CD changer.
"Girls, what a beautiful tree!"
"Mommy, the tree has green needles and brown bark." Emmy spoke up, eager to share what she had learned. "And I can tell you the color of the lights, too!"
All looked at the little blind girl's face, shining with reflected light from the tree, wondering what she would say next. Mrs. Anderson happy with what her youngest daughter had learned and Marlene and Sarah wondering what Emmy would say because they hadn't worked with her on the lights. The pattern changed again to where all lights blinked in unison, first all on, then all off, as Emmy chanted, "White, black, white, black, white, black."
RESPONSES
**1. At first I could tell that Sarah and Marlene were a little apprehensive about teaching Emmy about how a Christmas tree was decorated because she was blind. Once they started working together they were able to teach her by showing her what the different parts of the tree felt like and telling her what the different colors on the tree were . They used things that she would be able to touch out side like the grass. I remember when I was little having people
place my hands on things such as the grass and telling me what color it was. As someone who has been blind all of my life I am glad that people have taken
the time to teach me the different colors in a such a way even if I will never be able to see them. Marlene and Sarah did a wonderful job of excepting
what they had to do because it has proven to be a good learning experience for Emmy.
Rania Ismail
**2. I think the "white, black" part is darling. That would make sense to a
child with light perception.
I remember my mom talking about how they tried to incorporate color when
teaching me. They wouldn't say, "Pick up the ball," but something like,
"Pick up the blue ball." They wanted me to learn to incorporate color into
my life even though I couldn't see it.
As blind parents, we were responsible for teaching our children colors, so
Chris and I did the same thing. I made it my business to know or find out
the colors of anything our girls would use. I also put together a cloth
book of colors with the sewing machine, and brailled each color. It was
very convenient to keep in the diaper bag. We could turn pages and look at
colors without them rustling during a church service, and the book was
washable.
Judy Jones NFBtalk listserv
**3. I would like to be added to the mailing list for thought provoker. My 7
year old son is blind. The Christmas tree story was very inspirational as I
do the same thing. I describe colors to my son, I describe just about
everything to my son. Thank you.
Sara Elizabeth
**4. I read the latest thought provoker about the 3 children who were decorating the Christmas tree together and had the following thoughts.
I think it is wonderful that the two older girls were sharing each others religious differences. This is important to encourage in any child, because the
diversity in America is very real making it important to understand different religions then your own and to realize that there are differences in the
holidays and traditions of each holiday. I think it is especially special that the older child's friend wanted to decorate the Christmas tree with the
smaller blind child. That showed the love in that child's heart and the fact that she was willing to make the appropriate accommodations to allow another
child to participate regardless of the difficulty or inconvenience it may have caused her. I like the fact that the child explained what color the branches
were to the small, blind child, because it is important for blind people to understand that there is color in the world and the difference in color is
what makes things distinguishable to the sighted. I think these children learned more then they bargained for from each other. The blind child learned
how to put the decorations on the tree and the color of the branches and leaves, as the older children learned the abilities of the blind child. They learned
about the differences in the Jewish and Christian holidays of Christmas and Honokaa. These children learned a lot about many important aspects of life
and that is a lesson that will stick with them for the rest of their lives.
Alicia
**5. Praise God! This is wonderful! I thought that the older girls would try to make a big thing of Emmy's blindness, but they didn't, and she had a blast! It
must have been such a joy for Mom and Dad to come home to this big Christmas scene, brought to you by cooperation!
Ben J. Bloomgren
**6. What a wonderful story! It would be, in my opinion, as moving if little sister did not have her vision impaired. This is truly a season of love and peace,
and what a lesson our troubled world could take from these three little girls. Here is wishing everyone who reads TP a joyous holiday season and a very
prosperous New Year!
James O. Theall Longmont, Colorado
**7. This TP was a wonderful example of a child's compassion. I know what
it's like to not want a younger sibling in the way regardless of
whether or not that younger child can see. I've also been on the
opposite end where I was the visitor who encouraged a younger person
to join the group. I realize that the older sister's unwillingness to
let her younger sister join in the decoration wasn't merely because
she was blind, but the fact that she was allowed to help is one of
many events in her life that will help her become a confident blind
adult.
DL in NashVegas TN
**8. I'm glad Mom insisted that the girls include Emmy in the tree decorating.
Whether a blind person can see color or not, it's important to know about
colors...what colors are associated with various items, like trees,
Christmas lights and decorations, etc.
Color is such a big part of life and we need to know as much about color as
possible. It's important for our clothing to coordinate, when we're getting
dressed for work or a job interview. We coordinate color schemes in
furnishing our homes and choosing accessories for our homes. So, color does
make a difference.
Emmy was proud that she knew about the color of the tree--green and brown,
and she put her new knowledge to use, telling her mother that the lights
were white or black. Since she had a very little vision, she was able to
use what she had to put her new found knowledge of color to work.
This was also a good learning experience for both girls. Sarah was anxious
to learn more about Emmy and help her learn about Christmas, just as Sarah
was learning. Marlene also learned that it's important to include her
sister in everyday events, when possible. Yes, she's blind, but she should
be included in the same activities as any other three year old child.
Cindy Handel (Wearing a red shirt, blue jeans and black shoes)
Merry Christmas
Willow Street, PA
**9. I really like Mother teaching her daughter to help the blind person because in so many cases parent fail to teach children to help disable and etc.
I know from my life how being children can be to other children with problems. Children need to be teach at early age important treating other whether
disable with respect. One do not know how a child feel being along and dealing other children rejecting them.
So parents please teach your children to play with disable and blind.
Dexter Terry
**10.
It is human nature to question the unknown. Our curiosity causes us to poke
about looking for answers to questions large and small, answerable and
unsolvable. Our civilization is built upon our inquisitive nature.
So of course we wonder how a person who has never seen processes visual
information, such as color.
But as a rehab teacher, even a very curious one, my focus is on assisting
blind people to live full, productive lives.
Teaching color by association is a tried and true technique. A young, eager
mind will begin storing up information. The bark of the Christmas tree is
brown. So is the earth in our back yard. So is our dog Buster. Green is
the needles of the Christmas tree. The grass is green. So are the leaves
on the tomato plant. Our money is green. And so the building process
continues and becomes more complex to the point of associating color to help
convey feelings. Red hot anger. In a blue depression. Green with envy.
Tickle me pink.
The young mind shovels it all in and stores it away.
But what does it mean to someone who has never seen? Do they really come to
"see" colors?
As far as I can tell, what it does is to enable congenitally blind people to
participate in communicating in a manner that is understood, and accepted
by the sighted world.
If color is an abstract concept to the blind person, so is language an
abstract to all of us, blind and sighted alike. Why does APPLE stand for a
round, juicy piece of fruit? Because we agreed that it is an apple not a
glubber. And it is RED, not viglup.
So we use this abstract collections of symbols to convey concrete
information. The little blind girl excitedly cries out "White, Black,
White, Black", in describing colors. Now we have a glimpse of her reality.
Later she will learn to use a wide range of symbols to describe her world,
and we will no longer have any idea of what is actually going on inside her
head.
But while it's interesting to ponder, it really doesn't matter. We can
rejoice in the child's excitement. We can share the learning experience with
her, knowing that she is on her way to assuming her place in our world.
Carl Jarvis ACB-L listserv
**11. I was intrigued by the story of the young girl who was being taught by her
friends to gain an understanding of how the blind might come to realize
color. As you may know there is a Braille code for most colors. There
have of course been attempts through tactile discrimination, i.e., smooth,
rough, lined, surfaces, etc... Just as there have been attempts to teach
those with sight loss through a variety of other tactile mediums. Such as
ice for blue, hot for red, etc... Various scents too have been used. The
Braille code however utilizes dots four and six placed directly prior to
the beginning initial for a particular color. Such as, dots four and six,
then dots 1,2,3,5 representing the letter "r" for red.
Recently are school created the Braille U.S. American Flag using the color
codes for red, white and blue. We also used a smooth surface to denote
white lines of the flag, and a coarse surface to denote the red lines.
Just the same, at the end of each line we placed the appropriate color
codes, and a key below the flag to explain the white stars on the blue
field.
This flag was sent to nearly one hundred blind Braille readers for
feedback. It went through a number of revisions before it was finalized.
But, since that time it has been received by literally hundreds of blind
and visually impaired people of all ages.
One thing I did learn however is, where it comes to graphic
representations we do a grave injustice to the blind. I gave a leaf to a
student who has been blind since birth and asked him to tell me what it
was. He did not know. I then took a graphic representation of what he
had been taught to perceive as a leaf, and then gave that to him. He
immediately said, "It's a leaf". In point of fact, it was a raised line
drawing in the shape of a triangle beneath which was Brailled "leaf". I
then gathered several different shaped leaves, which I purchased at a
store, and gave them to him. I labeled them according to their origin,
Maple, Cottonwood, Elm, etc... and I helped him to learn their
differences. A few weeks later he had taught some of the other students.
Very quickly, back to the flag. One of the things I learned from a few of
the original recipients was they could not make out the stars. Several
thought the stars were dots 1,2,3,4, or the Braille arrangement for "g".
They had not seen, or felt, if you will, an actual star, with its five
points.
If you or anyone would like to receive one of these flags, please contact
me or visit our website: www.kbti.org. The phone number here is
316-265-9692. Lately I have been told that Braille is about to become
obsolete. If it does, so will literacy to the blind. I use my computer
daily, and I have listened to hundreds of books and articles on tape, cd,
etc... But, to me there will never be a substitute for reading and
writing. I say, "If the powers that be are going to take away Braille,
then take away print too!"
Best regards,
Randolph Cabral,
**12. Each year Dan and I decorate the Christmas tree. I think we share the tasks and the pleasure fairly equally. Although we aren't picky about where they
Nancy Coffman Lincoln NE USA
**13. Again, it's the usual hysteric drivel about blindness and color. I always come away from any descriptions about color and vision wondering why seeing people make such a fuss about what I'm missing. They carry on so about what a pity it is that I'm not able to experience this or that visually.
My usual response is, "Yeah, well, so what? It's normal for me, and it doesn't hurt, and is not contagious."
I'd rather go for the comedy and the unexpected, as at the end. Maybe the lights were different colors than white (all on), or black (all off).
How would Emmy have known to use the words "white" for all on and "black" for all off?
**14. At first this story sounds like a cruel playground joke from the 50’s complete with punch line. I doubt that was the intent, especially at Christmas, unless
The mother wants her blind daughter to be part of the group. This would be a natural desire, whether her daughter were sighted or not. The fact that she
How important can it be for Emmy to learn her colors? Why not spend the time explaining to her the intricacies of nuclear fusion, or the political and religious permutations of the Middle East?
Emmy demonstrates a clear understanding of the colors in her world. She shows us that colors are relative. It is unlikely that even fully sighted people
We do not know whether or not the girls laugh at Emmy’s final comment, but I think they should.
Greg
**15. As you described in your story, much hands-on learning took place during the decorating of the tree. The activity also made the older children think about
Jan Brandt, Nebraska
**16. Again, the story debunks the old cliche about blindness NOT meaning "total darkness." However, it also brings up an interesting point of how to accurately
However, I would caution against the idea of identifying colors by smell. The girl said, "Green smells good." Maybe that's true when it comes to trees,
Nor can color be identified by feel. (She said, "Brown is scratchy.") After all, a broken window would be much more scratchy, but has no color. For that
When Mrs. Anderson arrived home, the three girls sat drinking hot coco with marshmallows, the room lights dimmed, the tree lights twinkling through an ever-
It is also interesting to compare "the tree lights twinkling through an ever-changing pattern as Christmas music played." It raises another question: If
Finally, the way she identified the lights was interesting. Evidently, she could at least tell the difference between lights that were "on" and "off,"
It is an interesting point, because it reminds me of an e-mail I received this week. A blind man I know told me of a possible advance in electronic eye
David Lafleche
**17. My parents weren't sure what I could see until I was two months old and responded to Christmas lights. I could see light dark and color; no objects or
Lauren Merryfield Washington USA
**18. I'm tickled pink with this story. Really wonderful. Sharing, that's what its all about. At Christmastime.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year To All, Jack E. Mindrup
**19. I see nothing wrong with the story.
Dar NFBtalk listserv
**19. When I was growing up in Chicago, there was family. Since they were all from Europe, we had cookies and candies and treats from Germany, and one of the
I just checked up on my satellite radio account, and am ending up with a Christmas present from the service as well: A free radio, so I have another receiver
Mimi
**20. One wonders if the last few paragraphs of this TP are supposed to suggest that Emmy indeed does have some sight after all? Assuming so, one then wonders
Mark BurningHawk
**21. I have been blind all my life and always helped my dad and parents decorate the tree. I thought the way the girls explained to the small child was
Karen Crowder NFBtalk Listserv
**22. This is truly beautiful, and not just because of the colors. Evidently Emmy had just enough light perception to know something about bright colors versus
Mark Tardif
**23. Fascinating TP. I have thought a great deal about the meaning and perception of color, shape, form, or texture for someone who never saw any of these things, and I don't have any more of an answer than I had before. How does one teach color to someone for whom the very word has no real meaning?
Carolyn Clearwater, FL
**24. Carolyn asked: "How does one teach color to someone for whom the very word has no real
I, too, wondered about that and, in fact, I remember trying to teach the
I referred this question to a friend of mine, who has been totally blind
Happy New Year!
Don Moore Retinal degeneration discussion list
**25. color is much more than the visual spectrum alone. Being able to "see" it or not, we all must learn of its social implications, and/or its health aspects or its other cultural and/or functional meanings. For example- Things around us do have color and it is socially important to know of these things in order to conduct many of our daily interactions with others. Like knowing that grass is green, the sky is blue, white clouds speak to fair weather, leaves are green though as they die in the fall they can be brown, mustard is yellow, fresh blood is red, etc. Say in conversation some one speaks of "The grass is greener on the other side of the fence." Or, "I'm feeling blue." Or, "You've been black-balled." Or, "You've got the green light." And so we need to know of what the intended meaning is.
In respects to health reasons- As we do learn, some things around us will change color when for example it is cooking or the item is ageing and is maybe "going bad." Or in the care of a child, how certain health changes are signaled in a color change on the skin. And all of this sort of thing is important for us to "know."
Then the personal aspects- "You look good in blue." Or, "You have pretty brown eyes." "Your skin tone is a rich mahogany brown." And knowing these things about yourself will aid in many of the choices you may consider; like in buying clothing or just what your personal characteristics are compared to others, etc.
As for the cultural or functional aspect- Knowing that the green light is go and red is stop and yellow is caution or yield. Or in wiring something that electrical, black or red can be hot or white is for ground, etc. And much more.
Life and our world can be very colorful and we all are part of it and so we need to know it to the best of our ability. Thus in teaching it, have these expectations, give examples, have students bring in other examples and test.
Marvin Polson
President
Kansas Braille Transcription Institute, Inc.
1200 East Waterman
Voice 316-265-9692
Fax 316-265-0184
www.kbti.org
go, we try to spread ornaments around on the branches fairly evenly. In our house , blindness isn't much of an issue with the tree. It certainly takes second fiddle (or maybe lower) to the cat who needs the ornaments on the bottom of the tree to be the soft ones that she can bat around, knock off and play with. We have gotten rid of most of the decorations that have no particular meaning to us, so I know what most of the ornaments are and enjoy the
activity.
Mark Blier Sierra Vista, Arizona
inspired by Larry, The Cable Guy.
can take advantage of a free baby sitting service serves as a bonus.
all see colors in exactly the same way, so she does not need to be burdened with meaningless detail.
the other ways of experiencing the tree: the feel and smell of the needles and trunk, the color differences between the needles and branches, etc. I
think the really important thing in this story is that a child who is blind (or has any other disability) should be expected to participate in activities
that any other child is involved in. As soon as a child is excused from activities because of a disability, that little person comes to believe and feel
he or she is not equal to others. No one ever knows what they are able to do unless given a chance.
diagnose blindness in children. Certain eye diseases can be difficult to recognize if the symptoms are present at birth. A child might actually be losing
her vision without even realizing it, simply because she doesn't know any better. As far as she's concerned, it may be perfectly normal to have difficulty
seeing at night, or adjusting to differences in brightness. So that raises some interesting points:
1) How does she KNOW she's "blind," if she has no concept of good vision?
2) Only a sighted observer can tell if she IS blind (using hands to guide while walking, bumping into objects, various "blindisms," etc.).
3) Even then, how can either of them explain the concepts, if the sighted person can't "see" through the blind person's eyes, and vice-versa?
(Granted, it's the old, "You-don't-know-what-it's-like" scenario; just not as heated.)
but it wouldn't apply to, say...meatloaf.
matter, could she tell if she was looking at plain, clear glass? It could be a potential hazard to use one's sense of touch in this manner. Appearances
can be deceiving; likewise, things are not always as they feel.
changing pattern as Christmas music played on the CD changer.
you can tell the difference between shades of light, or even if you could distinguish some colors, would sound be a distraction, or would it be helpful,
or does it not matter? (I know that some mobility trainers use the "bat" analogy, but their explanation is not exactly accurate.)
I know myself, that I have difficulty juggling movements and senses. I cannot look at something and type with two hands. (Actually, I can't type two-handed in
any case.) Nor can I concentrate on my work while listening to music. (I can only do that while driving; otherwise, the distraction of music or speech is
annoying!) Likewise, have you ever had difficulty navigating, if you have to deal with background noise, or changes in the texture of the surface you're
walking on?
even if she couldn't tell the colors. Ironically, it was the most accurate assessment she could make.
implants, and was seriously considering one. (He was born blind, by the way.) As I thought of the concept, I compared that possibility to the existing
cochlear implant, or "bionic ear." It is not a perfect substitute for natural hearing, but close enough to do a satisfactory job.
Therefore, I thought, If there can be a "bionic eye," it would probably be a little better than Emmy's perception. The prototype will probably see fair
outlines, and maybe even strong shades of gray, but not colors. Just a thought.
texture. It was fun to help decorate our tree and when the lights were turned on, to be able to see them.
I have since had both eyes enucleated but I still have fond memories of Christmas lights and colorful decorations.
thanks
Glad they were willing to let the child help out.
That is grate.
aunts was a baker and a half: She made butter cookies and used a cookie press to make pretty shapes. Brandy-filled chocolates and marzipan cookies were
also part of the celebration. I often received some records or a dress or some other garment to wear. It was very nice. And of course, we have our Christmas
tree and pretty decorations. If you were in the Catholic household, you went to midnight Mass. My father did not go to church and had no use for religion,
but my mother remained faithful until she joined the Lutheran church in the 1970's. I do not know what prompted her to do that, but she remained devout
while I eventually became a dropout.
Now that all family is deceased and I live on the West Coast, and my one friend is unable to come to celebrate with me, it's just me and the two cats.
I have no tree but I have one treat I bought to enjoy: A rich ginger cake from Germany and I might have something prepared by my cleaning lady who is Chinese.
to enjoy programs on. I love the service so much that one more receiver is wonderful to me! If you have family to go to and share this season, then it's
grand. I make the best of what I have; without my two cats, it would be lonesome. And I have a few friends I can talk to long distance. I am learning
quite a bit about Hanukkah this year and recording some of the delightful programs.
why this is tied in with Christmas, unless to play upon the "Christmas miracle," theme; if so, I am puzzled. That angle would place a specifically Christian
slant on what is supposed to be a more philosophical forum neutral in religious inclination, if not in spiritual conviction. Some of us are not Christian.
That having been said, I believe the more relevant point, the teaching of colors, is worth consideration. Of course a totally blind person will need the
knowledge of what colors things are. Remember, though, that these words are just that; words without meaning. It's like saying that the grass is Schleep
and the sky is Gwamada. You haven't got a treflaggin what I'm talking about, right? For little kids, that's more acceptable, but at some point she will
have to learn the physics of the thing. She will need to know more than just the words; she will need to know, as best she can visualize is (yes, visualize
it in her head) how light behaves, why and when. That's the harder part.
Have a churrvallamoo day.
fascinating. I remember the smell of the pine, and always from the time I can remember the tree being green. I always associated red white
and green with Christmas. White for fluffy snow flakes, and when I believed in Santa clause, the sleigh coming over fluffy white snow to deliver us our toys.
Red for cheerfulness red ribbons, on packages and Christmas lights and general cheerfulness of the season. Green with newness the tree the pine smell
especially in New England. In the fifties everyone had real trees, artificial trees were just not thought of or heard of very much. The smell of the evergreens
and pine reminded you it was Christmas. Along with baking cookies, ribbon candy and all the pretty glass ornaments. The glitter on Christmas balls, the
small lights, and candles in our windows. and yes the Christmas music we sang at Perkins and heard at home. The excitement of Christmas morning when we
children would get what we wished for. Christmas is just a wonderful time of year. Merry Christmas to you out there reading my thoughts.
Peace joy love and friend ship to you all
dark colors, hence her responses to the lights coming on and off. She was obviously enchanted with this information about colors, even though it would
have been really hard for the two older girls to really describe them in any meaningful way. But this is only a surface thing. The real important things
here had to do with these older girls learning at a relatively early age, how to include Emmy, not shying away from dealing with her blindness, but learning
to deal with it in a very human way. Emmy was elated, and Sarah and Marlene took some steps towards hopefully never being afraid of including her again
due to her blindness. Too many children learn to not question, that this is taboo, must not be talked about, from some adults with their own questionable
motives. This breeds belief in the wrong stereotypes, fear of dealing with a blind person when one is confronted with that person, and much misunderstanding
which leads to all kinds of problems from friendships that are ruined or never happened to begin with, to job discrimination. But in this case, with the
encouragement of Marlene's mother, it seems there is the beginning of a much healthier experience for everyone, one in which questions can be asked rather
than hushed up, one of inclusion rather than exclusion, and hopefully one which will lead to much healthier relationships in general. It also seems that
Emmy is not resentful because sighted people can see colors, but wants these described to her, which I think will ultimately help her find inclusion more
easily. Happy holidays.
Retinal degeneration discussion list
meaning?"
concept to totally blind students back in the 1970s, with little success I
might add.
all of his life and who is a long-time staff member of the CNIB (Canadian
National Institute for the Blind) here. He told me that he really doesn't
have any idea what the concept of color is, other than to understand that
all colors are different from other colors; that's it.
being blind.
Color Me Blind:
Knowledge about colors is something that most of the totally blind know
almost nothing about and have difficulty relating too. However, there are something's that even someone, who has never seen colors
in their lifetime, can use effectively to deal with and match colors for
artistic and good fashion sense.
Primary Colors:
There are certain primary colors that we deal with all of the time. Let's deal with the common colors of Black and White first.
The Color Black is the darkest of all colors and represents the absence of
all color.
The color White on the other hand, is the brightest of all colors and
represents the presents of all colors.
Combining, or mixing, the colors of Black and White together, such as in
painting, will produce the color Gray. Varying the amounts of Black and
White will cause the shade of Gray to either be lighter or darker in color.
The main primary colors of Red, Yellow and Blue make up the basic colors
that all other colors are made from. The easiest way to learn to use colors with each other, is by imagining
these three primary colors arranged like a three-pointed star, placing each
color equal distance from each other on a wheel.
You can make any color by the blending of each primary color, with the
adjacent primary color.
Let's take the prime colors of Red and Blue first. If you mix Red and Blue
equally, you will get the color Purple. More Red than Blue and you will get
Reddish Blue. Mix more Blue than Red and you get a deeper Bluish Purple.
Now take the colors Red and Yellow. If you combine these prime colors you will get the color Orange. Sliding
the combination toward the Red side will produce a Reddish Orange and
sliding it the other way, toward the Yellow will make a more Yellowish
Orange.
Of Course, colors in between any of these prime colors would have a
corresponding complimentary color directly across from it.
The combining of the prime colors of blue and yellow will produce the color
Green. Adding more Blue to the Green will make the color more Blue Green and adding
more yellow to Green will produce a color that is more Yellow Green. Each of these colors combined with Black or White or Grey will lighten or
darken the shade of the colors.
Complimentary colors: Complimentary colors are colors that tend to appear or go together well. This is important in picking colors of clothes we wear. The colors of Black and White will go together, such as a White shirt and
Black pants or a Black top with a White skirt or pants.
The wearing of all Black or all White will go together as well as will the
wearing of basic Primary colors all Red, all Blue or all Yellow. This also
works for these complimentary colors as well, Orange, Green or Purple. .
The Color Grey is considered a neutral color and could go with either Black
or White and the prime colors.
Complimentary colors are usually colors that are directly across the "Color
Wheel" from each other.
Some examples of this would be Red and Green, the Xmas colors. Yellow and
Purple or Blue and Orange.
Tertiary colors would be mixes of three colors, which lie across the color
wheel from each other, but combine a primary color and two shades of the
prime colors, at an equal spacing across the color wheel from that prime
color.
The effect of color shades.
Shades of colors are usually lighter or darker hues of a color. If you plan
on wearing a light shade of a color, then the compliment color should also
be a light shade as well and darker shades matched with darker shades of the
same shade of the complimentary color.
Labeling your clothes with tags that tell you the basic color can help you
in matching your clothes for work or fashion.
You can construct your own "color wheel" to use in helping you pick out
colors. Some art supply stores do carry plastic color wheels already made
up with a rotation round panel that has cutouts that line up to identify
primary colors, complimentary and Tertiary color combinations. You can add your own Braille labels to make it easy to read and use.
David Evans, NFBF
**27. My guess is that it is like trying to explain the
concept of sound and understanding speech by
hearing it, to those who have always been deaf.
Carolyn asked:
"How does one teach colour to someone for whom
the very word has no real meaning?"
Megan McHugh Retinal degeneration discussion list
**28. The trouble with color is that sometimes it doesn't match the circumstance.
To say we feel blue which is down or depressed, even sad. Yet, blue is such
a beautiful color as a beautiful blue sky that is so clear and peaceful, or
the blue waters of the ocean that goes for miles and miles of clear blue
waters. The other side is the old fashion link of the fire truck, they sure
pulled a fast one on us with that one. The fire truck has been bright red
for many generations and now they changed it to yellow! All the books that
talked about the big red fire truck, the sport car that has been painted Fire
engine red. I think of depressed or sad as gray despite all the years of
Blue Christmas, etc. Maybe they meant navy blue! !
Happy New Year! !
P A RPlist
**29. My name is Wayne Scott. Personally I feel every blind person should have a concept of colors. I know the basics such as sky is blue, grass is green, etc.
But as to how clothing looks, I have no idea. Every blind person should have a basic concept of colors.
**30. I'd like to rebut response #27, by Megan McHugh. Actually, it IS possible to teach speech to a totally-deaf person, and it has been done. One method
is to pick up sound waves by touching a stereo speaker, then exercising the vocal chords to reproduce the sound. This is actually a matter of controversy
among the Deaf, some of whom are extremists when it comes to sign language: they LOVE it or the HATE it, and demand everyone else do likewise.
Helen Keller learned to speak, though she was not born deaf. Her voice was weak and raspy, but it was there. She used the "touch" method, and could tell
the difference between various types of music. (She complained that Jazz made her nauseous!)
David lafleche
**31. My sincerest praise to David Evans, number 26 in this section, for succinctly outlining the clearest understanding of color that I have ever seen.
Mark Blier Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA
**32. To what extent does one pretend to "see" colors? (I see light, and shadows, so I have a limited
concept of color). One response stated that it is important to be aware of color for health reasons. This is true, but it should be noted that the picture
of color will never be full or complete. Are we "Uncle Tom's? Even color identifying devices will never match colors. Knowledge will be acquired but
only up to a point. I'm glad that Emmy was included in decorating the tree, and yes, it is crucial that the other children accept her. This is not a sighted
world, but a temporarily able-bodied world. Society must accept us. Criminals are accepted and treated better than we are. People fear and hate us,
since blindness could happen to them. That's the reality of this whole thing. And thus, society makes it difficult for us to accept ourselves.
Peace with Justice,
Lucia Marett
**33. Just my thoughts on this as someone who can see light perception, and I have been partially sighted and then become almost a totally blind lady living in
the UK, I have RP and I see only the bright colours as I am colour disorientated, which means that the dark colours are the same to me, and I haven't ever
seen red, and not likely to see it, I see red as being black my specialist said I will probably always see it as black.
I think teaching of a child so young who is totally blind about colour perception, is a good thing, although he she can't see the colour, she can build
up a picture in her mind. I do think that blind and partially sighted people see colours as something of a difficult subject, would love to receive the
replies to my message please so could you send these to me please?
from
Jane Sellers
**34. I think that that Holiday season was a learning experience for Marlene, Sarah, Emmy, and Marlene's mother. Marlene attended her first Chanukah celebration
with her friend, Sarah. Now, Sarah was decorating her first Xmas tree with her friend, Marlene. In the whole tree-decorating ordeal, both Marlene and
Sarah had to learn how to include Emmy in the tree-decorating. In reading the narrative, it did not sound like Emmy was taught different colors. Thus,
why, I think Sarah and Marlene started out with describing colors. When Marlene's mother returned, she learned how Emmy associated different colors by
texture or degree of brightness or darkness in regards to the lights on the tree.
The narrative also did not indicate whether or not Emmy got to put up any ornaments, but I would have made sure that she got to help out as well. In
other words, just because Emmy's blind does not mean that she should not learn colors or be able to help put up decorations. Whether blind or sighted,
people associate new things they encounter with a past experience or with the new experience at that moment. Likewise, Emmy associated green with leaves
and grass, and brown with a rough tree bark. Of course, as she gets older, Emmy would begin to associate those two colors with other things as well and
do likewise with other colors.
Linda Minnesota
"Mother, can Sarah and I start decorating the Christmas tree?" asked Marlene. She was thirteen and her friend Sarah was the same age.
"Yes you may, but here's the deal. Christmas is also about family. I must leave for a few hours and you will have to babysit your sister.”
"Mom! This is a special event. Sarah taught me about Hanukkah and now this is her first Christmas tree! " pleaded Marlene. Sarah was Jewish and the two girls were learning about each other's religious traditions.
"Now, hon, Emmy's just turned three and, if I remember correctly, that is the same age you were when you first started helping and learning to decorate for our holidays."
" But Mom, she's blind!"
"Mrs. Anderson," Sarah addressed Marlene's mother. "I would find it especially meaningful if Emmy were to be my partner in this new experience."
"Thank you, Sarah. I know Marlene had expectations of just the two of you engaging in this project; however I too think this will be a meaningful experience for you to learn both about Christmas and blindness. Marlene, you usually are a wonderful older sister to Emmy and I trust the three of you will get along famously. I'll bring her right in.”
"Marlene, I've seen your sister, but I need to ask, how blind is she?" Sarah asked.
"She can see light and some objects. You know, it really wasn't until she started to talk as well as she does now before I really knew what she could see."
Shortly the three girls were alone together and beginning their project. "Emmy, feel this tree." Sarah placed the small hand of the little girl on a lower branch. "Here are the leaves. They are called needles and they’re dark green. What do you think of that?"
Stroking the cluster of needles, Emmy put her nose on them. "They smell….really good, and the needles are really, really skinny."
"Oh Marlene, I just told her the tree was green. Was that okay?"
"Sure. We've tried teaching her colors by sight, but she can't see them." Then to her sister, Marlene said, "Emmy, those leaves are skinny, that's why they call them needles, because they are long and skinny like a needle that you sow with. But they're green alright, most leaves are green and grass is too. What do you think, can you remember that color?"
"I like colors! Green smells good." Said the little girl.
"Oh you're so cute!" Sarah said. "This green tree is a pine tree and that is what you smell. And here…," as she moved the little girl’s fingers. "This rough part is the branch and it's color is brown."
"Brown. It's scratchy."
"Yes, it's like the skin of the tree and it is called bark." Sarah continued to teach.
The three girls worked steadily, first stringing the lights, then hanging the ornaments, both big girls helping Emmy place items on the lower branches, telling her of the colors. Marlene explained to her friend and sister the family history and significance of the tree and its decorations. They laughed a lot at her stories.
When Mrs. Anderson arrived home, the three girls sat drinking hot coco with marshmallows, the room lights dimmed, the tree lights twinkling through an ever- changing pattern as Christmas music played on the CD changer.
"Girls, what a beautiful tree!"
"Mommy, the tree has green needles and brown bark." Emmy spoke up, eager to share what she had learned. "And I can tell you the color of the lights, too!"
All looked at the little blind girl's face, shining with reflected light from the tree, wondering what she would say next. Mrs. Anderson happy with what her youngest daughter had learned and Marlene and Sarah wondering what Emmy would say because they hadn't worked with her on the lights. The pattern changed again to where all lights blinked in unison, first all on, then all off, as Emmy chanted, "White, black, white, black, white, black."
RESPONSES
**1. At first I could tell that Sarah and Marlene were a little apprehensive about teaching Emmy about how a Christmas tree was decorated because she was blind. Once they started working together they were able to teach her by showing her what the different parts of the tree felt like and telling her what the different colors on the tree were . They used things that she would be able to touch out side like the grass. I remember when I was little having people
place my hands on things such as the grass and telling me what color it was. As someone who has been blind all of my life I am glad that people have taken
the time to teach me the different colors in a such a way even if I will never be able to see them. Marlene and Sarah did a wonderful job of excepting
what they had to do because it has proven to be a good learning experience for Emmy.
Rania Ismail
**2. I think the "white, black" part is darling. That would make sense to a
child with light perception.
I remember my mom talking about how they tried to incorporate color when
teaching me. They wouldn't say, "Pick up the ball," but something like,
"Pick up the blue ball." They wanted me to learn to incorporate color into
my life even though I couldn't see it.
As blind parents, we were responsible for teaching our children colors, so
Chris and I did the same thing. I made it my business to know or find out
the colors of anything our girls would use. I also put together a cloth
book of colors with the sewing machine, and brailled each color. It was
very convenient to keep in the diaper bag. We could turn pages and look at
colors without them rustling during a church service, and the book was
washable.
Judy Jones NFBtalk listserv
**3. I would like to be added to the mailing list for thought provoker. My 7
year old son is blind. The Christmas tree story was very inspirational as I
do the same thing. I describe colors to my son, I describe just about
everything to my son. Thank you.
Sara Elizabeth
**4. I read the latest thought provoker about the 3 children who were decorating the Christmas tree together and had the following thoughts.
I think it is wonderful that the two older girls were sharing each others religious differences. This is important to encourage in any child, because the
diversity in America is very real making it important to understand different religions then your own and to realize that there are differences in the
holidays and traditions of each holiday. I think it is especially special that the older child's friend wanted to decorate the Christmas tree with the
smaller blind child. That showed the love in that child's heart and the fact that she was willing to make the appropriate accommodations to allow another
child to participate regardless of the difficulty or inconvenience it may have caused her. I like the fact that the child explained what color the branches
were to the small, blind child, because it is important for blind people to understand that there is color in the world and the difference in color is
what makes things distinguishable to the sighted. I think these children learned more then they bargained for from each other. The blind child learned
how to put the decorations on the tree and the color of the branches and leaves, as the older children learned the abilities of the blind child. They learned
about the differences in the Jewish and Christian holidays of Christmas and Honokaa. These children learned a lot about many important aspects of life
and that is a lesson that will stick with them for the rest of their lives.
Alicia
**5. Praise God! This is wonderful! I thought that the older girls would try to make a big thing of Emmy's blindness, but they didn't, and she had a blast! It
must have been such a joy for Mom and Dad to come home to this big Christmas scene, brought to you by cooperation!
Ben J. Bloomgren
**6. What a wonderful story! It would be, in my opinion, as moving if little sister did not have her vision impaired. This is truly a season of love and peace,
and what a lesson our troubled world could take from these three little girls. Here is wishing everyone who reads TP a joyous holiday season and a very
prosperous New Year!
James O. Theall Longmont, Colorado
**7. This TP was a wonderful example of a child's compassion. I know what
it's like to not want a younger sibling in the way regardless of
whether or not that younger child can see. I've also been on the
opposite end where I was the visitor who encouraged a younger person
to join the group. I realize that the older sister's unwillingness to
let her younger sister join in the decoration wasn't merely because
she was blind, but the fact that she was allowed to help is one of
many events in her life that will help her become a confident blind
adult.
DL in NashVegas TN
**8. I'm glad Mom insisted that the girls include Emmy in the tree decorating.
Whether a blind person can see color or not, it's important to know about
colors...what colors are associated with various items, like trees,
Christmas lights and decorations, etc.
Color is such a big part of life and we need to know as much about color as
possible. It's important for our clothing to coordinate, when we're getting
dressed for work or a job interview. We coordinate color schemes in
furnishing our homes and choosing accessories for our homes. So, color does
make a difference.
Emmy was proud that she knew about the color of the tree--green and brown,
and she put her new knowledge to use, telling her mother that the lights
were white or black. Since she had a very little vision, she was able to
use what she had to put her new found knowledge of color to work.
This was also a good learning experience for both girls. Sarah was anxious
to learn more about Emmy and help her learn about Christmas, just as Sarah
was learning. Marlene also learned that it's important to include her
sister in everyday events, when possible. Yes, she's blind, but she should
be included in the same activities as any other three year old child.
Cindy Handel (Wearing a red shirt, blue jeans and black shoes)
Merry Christmas
Willow Street, PA
**9. I really like Mother teaching her daughter to help the blind person because in so many cases parent fail to teach children to help disable and etc.
I know from my life how being children can be to other children with problems. Children need to be teach at early age important treating other whether
disable with respect. One do not know how a child feel being along and dealing other children rejecting them.
So parents please teach your children to play with disable and blind.
Dexter Terry
**10.
It is human nature to question the unknown. Our curiosity causes us to poke
about looking for answers to questions large and small, answerable and
unsolvable. Our civilization is built upon our inquisitive nature.
So of course we wonder how a person who has never seen processes visual
information, such as color.
But as a rehab teacher, even a very curious one, my focus is on assisting
blind people to live full, productive lives.
Teaching color by association is a tried and true technique. A young, eager
mind will begin storing up information. The bark of the Christmas tree is
brown. So is the earth in our back yard. So is our dog Buster. Green is
the needles of the Christmas tree. The grass is green. So are the leaves
on the tomato plant. Our money is green. And so the building process
continues and becomes more complex to the point of associating color to help
convey feelings. Red hot anger. In a blue depression. Green with envy.
Tickle me pink.
The young mind shovels it all in and stores it away.
But what does it mean to someone who has never seen? Do they really come to
"see" colors?
As far as I can tell, what it does is to enable congenitally blind people to
participate in communicating in a manner that is understood, and accepted
by the sighted world.
If color is an abstract concept to the blind person, so is language an
abstract to all of us, blind and sighted alike. Why does APPLE stand for a
round, juicy piece of fruit? Because we agreed that it is an apple not a
glubber. And it is RED, not viglup.
So we use this abstract collections of symbols to convey concrete
information. The little blind girl excitedly cries out "White, Black,
White, Black", in describing colors. Now we have a glimpse of her reality.
Later she will learn to use a wide range of symbols to describe her world,
and we will no longer have any idea of what is actually going on inside her
head.
But while it's interesting to ponder, it really doesn't matter. We can
rejoice in the child's excitement. We can share the learning experience with
her, knowing that she is on her way to assuming her place in our world.
Carl Jarvis ACB-L listserv
**11. I was intrigued by the story of the young girl who was being taught by her
friends to gain an understanding of how the blind might come to realize
color. As you may know there is a Braille code for most colors. There
have of course been attempts through tactile discrimination, i.e., smooth,
rough, lined, surfaces, etc... Just as there have been attempts to teach
those with sight loss through a variety of other tactile mediums. Such as
ice for blue, hot for red, etc... Various scents too have been used. The
Braille code however utilizes dots four and six placed directly prior to
the beginning initial for a particular color. Such as, dots four and six,
then dots 1,2,3,5 representing the letter "r" for red.
Recently are school created the Braille U.S. American Flag using the color
codes for red, white and blue. We also used a smooth surface to denote
white lines of the flag, and a coarse surface to denote the red lines.
Just the same, at the end of each line we placed the appropriate color
codes, and a key below the flag to explain the white stars on the blue
field.
This flag was sent to nearly one hundred blind Braille readers for
feedback. It went through a number of revisions before it was finalized.
But, since that time it has been received by literally hundreds of blind
and visually impaired people of all ages.
One thing I did learn however is, where it comes to graphic
representations we do a grave injustice to the blind. I gave a leaf to a
student who has been blind since birth and asked him to tell me what it
was. He did not know. I then took a graphic representation of what he
had been taught to perceive as a leaf, and then gave that to him. He
immediately said, "It's a leaf". In point of fact, it was a raised line
drawing in the shape of a triangle beneath which was Brailled "leaf". I
then gathered several different shaped leaves, which I purchased at a
store, and gave them to him. I labeled them according to their origin,
Maple, Cottonwood, Elm, etc... and I helped him to learn their
differences. A few weeks later he had taught some of the other students.
Very quickly, back to the flag. One of the things I learned from a few of
the original recipients was they could not make out the stars. Several
thought the stars were dots 1,2,3,4, or the Braille arrangement for "g".
They had not seen, or felt, if you will, an actual star, with its five
points.
If you or anyone would like to receive one of these flags, please contact
me or visit our website: www.kbti.org. The phone number here is
316-265-9692. Lately I have been told that Braille is about to become
obsolete. If it does, so will literacy to the blind. I use my computer
daily, and I have listened to hundreds of books and articles on tape, cd,
etc... But, to me there will never be a substitute for reading and
writing. I say, "If the powers that be are going to take away Braille,
then take away print too!"
Best regards,
Randolph Cabral,
**12. Each year Dan and I decorate the Christmas tree. I think we share the tasks and the pleasure fairly equally. Although we aren't picky about where they
Nancy Coffman Lincoln NE USA
**13. Again, it's the usual hysteric drivel about blindness and color. I always come away from any descriptions about color and vision wondering why seeing people make such a fuss about what I'm missing. They carry on so about what a pity it is that I'm not able to experience this or that visually.
My usual response is, "Yeah, well, so what? It's normal for me, and it doesn't hurt, and is not contagious."
I'd rather go for the comedy and the unexpected, as at the end. Maybe the lights were different colors than white (all on), or black (all off).
How would Emmy have known to use the words "white" for all on and "black" for all off?
**14. At first this story sounds like a cruel playground joke from the 50’s complete with punch line. I doubt that was the intent, especially at Christmas, unless
The mother wants her blind daughter to be part of the group. This would be a natural desire, whether her daughter were sighted or not. The fact that she
How important can it be for Emmy to learn her colors? Why not spend the time explaining to her the intricacies of nuclear fusion, or the political and religious permutations of the Middle East?
Emmy demonstrates a clear understanding of the colors in her world. She shows us that colors are relative. It is unlikely that even fully sighted people
We do not know whether or not the girls laugh at Emmy’s final comment, but I think they should.
Greg
**15. As you described in your story, much hands-on learning took place during the decorating of the tree. The activity also made the older children think about
Jan Brandt, Nebraska
**16. Again, the story debunks the old cliche about blindness NOT meaning "total darkness." However, it also brings up an interesting point of how to accurately
However, I would caution against the idea of identifying colors by smell. The girl said, "Green smells good." Maybe that's true when it comes to trees,
Nor can color be identified by feel. (She said, "Brown is scratchy.") After all, a broken window would be much more scratchy, but has no color. For that
When Mrs. Anderson arrived home, the three girls sat drinking hot coco with marshmallows, the room lights dimmed, the tree lights twinkling through an ever-
It is also interesting to compare "the tree lights twinkling through an ever-changing pattern as Christmas music played." It raises another question: If
Finally, the way she identified the lights was interesting. Evidently, she could at least tell the difference between lights that were "on" and "off,"
It is an interesting point, because it reminds me of an e-mail I received this week. A blind man I know told me of a possible advance in electronic eye
David Lafleche
**17. My parents weren't sure what I could see until I was two months old and responded to Christmas lights. I could see light dark and color; no objects or
Lauren Merryfield Washington USA
**18. I'm tickled pink with this story. Really wonderful. Sharing, that's what its all about. At Christmastime.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year To All, Jack E. Mindrup
**19. I see nothing wrong with the story.
Dar NFBtalk listserv
**19. When I was growing up in Chicago, there was family. Since they were all from Europe, we had cookies and candies and treats from Germany, and one of the
I just checked up on my satellite radio account, and am ending up with a Christmas present from the service as well: A free radio, so I have another receiver
Mimi
**20. One wonders if the last few paragraphs of this TP are supposed to suggest that Emmy indeed does have some sight after all? Assuming so, one then wonders
Mark BurningHawk
**21. I have been blind all my life and always helped my dad and parents decorate the tree. I thought the way the girls explained to the small child was
Karen Crowder NFBtalk Listserv
**22. This is truly beautiful, and not just because of the colors. Evidently Emmy had just enough light perception to know something about bright colors versus
Mark Tardif
**23. Fascinating TP. I have thought a great deal about the meaning and perception of color, shape, form, or texture for someone who never saw any of these things, and I don't have any more of an answer than I had before. How does one teach color to someone for whom the very word has no real meaning?
Carolyn Clearwater, FL
**24. Carolyn asked: "How does one teach color to someone for whom the very word has no real
I, too, wondered about that and, in fact, I remember trying to teach the
I referred this question to a friend of mine, who has been totally blind
Happy New Year!
Don Moore Retinal degeneration discussion list
**25. color is much more than the visual spectrum alone. Being able to "see" it or not, we all must learn of its social implications, and/or its health aspects or its other cultural and/or functional meanings. For example- Things around us do have color and it is socially important to know of these things in order to conduct many of our daily interactions with others. Like knowing that grass is green, the sky is blue, white clouds speak to fair weather, leaves are green though as they die in the fall they can be brown, mustard is yellow, fresh blood is red, etc. Say in conversation some one speaks of "The grass is greener on the other side of the fence." Or, "I'm feeling blue." Or, "You've been black-balled." Or, "You've got the green light." And so we need to know of what the intended meaning is.
In respects to health reasons- As we do learn, some things around us will change color when for example it is cooking or the item is ageing and is maybe "going bad." Or in the care of a child, how certain health changes are signaled in a color change on the skin. And all of this sort of thing is important for us to "know."
Then the personal aspects- "You look good in blue." Or, "You have pretty brown eyes." "Your skin tone is a rich mahogany brown." And knowing these things about yourself will aid in many of the choices you may consider; like in buying clothing or just what your personal characteristics are compared to others, etc.
As for the cultural or functional aspect- Knowing that the green light is go and red is stop and yellow is caution or yield. Or in wiring something that electrical, black or red can be hot or white is for ground, etc. And much more.
Life and our world can be very colorful and we all are part of it and so we need to know it to the best of our ability. Thus in teaching it, have these expectations, give examples, have students bring in other examples and test.
Marvin Polson
President
Kansas Braille Transcription Institute, Inc.
1200 East Waterman
Voice 316-265-9692
Fax 316-265-0184
www.kbti.org
go, we try to spread ornaments around on the branches fairly evenly. In our house , blindness isn't much of an issue with the tree. It certainly takes second fiddle (or maybe lower) to the cat who needs the ornaments on the bottom of the tree to be the soft ones that she can bat around, knock off and play with. We have gotten rid of most of the decorations that have no particular meaning to us, so I know what most of the ornaments are and enjoy the
activity.
Mark Blier Sierra Vista, Arizona
inspired by Larry, The Cable Guy.
can take advantage of a free baby sitting service serves as a bonus.
all see colors in exactly the same way, so she does not need to be burdened with meaningless detail.
the other ways of experiencing the tree: the feel and smell of the needles and trunk, the color differences between the needles and branches, etc. I
think the really important thing in this story is that a child who is blind (or has any other disability) should be expected to participate in activities
that any other child is involved in. As soon as a child is excused from activities because of a disability, that little person comes to believe and feel
he or she is not equal to others. No one ever knows what they are able to do unless given a chance.
diagnose blindness in children. Certain eye diseases can be difficult to recognize if the symptoms are present at birth. A child might actually be losing
her vision without even realizing it, simply because she doesn't know any better. As far as she's concerned, it may be perfectly normal to have difficulty
seeing at night, or adjusting to differences in brightness. So that raises some interesting points:
1) How does she KNOW she's "blind," if she has no concept of good vision?
2) Only a sighted observer can tell if she IS blind (using hands to guide while walking, bumping into objects, various "blindisms," etc.).
3) Even then, how can either of them explain the concepts, if the sighted person can't "see" through the blind person's eyes, and vice-versa?
(Granted, it's the old, "You-don't-know-what-it's-like" scenario; just not as heated.)
but it wouldn't apply to, say...meatloaf.
matter, could she tell if she was looking at plain, clear glass? It could be a potential hazard to use one's sense of touch in this manner. Appearances
can be deceiving; likewise, things are not always as they feel.
changing pattern as Christmas music played on the CD changer.
you can tell the difference between shades of light, or even if you could distinguish some colors, would sound be a distraction, or would it be helpful,
or does it not matter? (I know that some mobility trainers use the "bat" analogy, but their explanation is not exactly accurate.)
I know myself, that I have difficulty juggling movements and senses. I cannot look at something and type with two hands. (Actually, I can't type two-handed in
any case.) Nor can I concentrate on my work while listening to music. (I can only do that while driving; otherwise, the distraction of music or speech is
annoying!) Likewise, have you ever had difficulty navigating, if you have to deal with background noise, or changes in the texture of the surface you're
walking on?
even if she couldn't tell the colors. Ironically, it was the most accurate assessment she could make.
implants, and was seriously considering one. (He was born blind, by the way.) As I thought of the concept, I compared that possibility to the existing
cochlear implant, or "bionic ear." It is not a perfect substitute for natural hearing, but close enough to do a satisfactory job.
Therefore, I thought, If there can be a "bionic eye," it would probably be a little better than Emmy's perception. The prototype will probably see fair
outlines, and maybe even strong shades of gray, but not colors. Just a thought.
texture. It was fun to help decorate our tree and when the lights were turned on, to be able to see them.
I have since had both eyes enucleated but I still have fond memories of Christmas lights and colorful decorations.
thanks
Glad they were willing to let the child help out.
That is grate.
aunts was a baker and a half: She made butter cookies and used a cookie press to make pretty shapes. Brandy-filled chocolates and marzipan cookies were
also part of the celebration. I often received some records or a dress or some other garment to wear. It was very nice. And of course, we have our Christmas
tree and pretty decorations. If you were in the Catholic household, you went to midnight Mass. My father did not go to church and had no use for religion,
but my mother remained faithful until she joined the Lutheran church in the 1970's. I do not know what prompted her to do that, but she remained devout
while I eventually became a dropout.
Now that all family is deceased and I live on the West Coast, and my one friend is unable to come to celebrate with me, it's just me and the two cats.
I have no tree but I have one treat I bought to enjoy: A rich ginger cake from Germany and I might have something prepared by my cleaning lady who is Chinese.
to enjoy programs on. I love the service so much that one more receiver is wonderful to me! If you have family to go to and share this season, then it's
grand. I make the best of what I have; without my two cats, it would be lonesome. And I have a few friends I can talk to long distance. I am learning
quite a bit about Hanukkah this year and recording some of the delightful programs.
why this is tied in with Christmas, unless to play upon the "Christmas miracle," theme; if so, I am puzzled. That angle would place a specifically Christian
slant on what is supposed to be a more philosophical forum neutral in religious inclination, if not in spiritual conviction. Some of us are not Christian.
That having been said, I believe the more relevant point, the teaching of colors, is worth consideration. Of course a totally blind person will need the
knowledge of what colors things are. Remember, though, that these words are just that; words without meaning. It's like saying that the grass is Schleep
and the sky is Gwamada. You haven't got a treflaggin what I'm talking about, right? For little kids, that's more acceptable, but at some point she will
have to learn the physics of the thing. She will need to know more than just the words; she will need to know, as best she can visualize is (yes, visualize
it in her head) how light behaves, why and when. That's the harder part.
Have a churrvallamoo day.
fascinating. I remember the smell of the pine, and always from the time I can remember the tree being green. I always associated red white
and green with Christmas. White for fluffy snow flakes, and when I believed in Santa clause, the sleigh coming over fluffy white snow to deliver us our toys.
Red for cheerfulness red ribbons, on packages and Christmas lights and general cheerfulness of the season. Green with newness the tree the pine smell
especially in New England. In the fifties everyone had real trees, artificial trees were just not thought of or heard of very much. The smell of the evergreens
and pine reminded you it was Christmas. Along with baking cookies, ribbon candy and all the pretty glass ornaments. The glitter on Christmas balls, the
small lights, and candles in our windows. and yes the Christmas music we sang at Perkins and heard at home. The excitement of Christmas morning when we
children would get what we wished for. Christmas is just a wonderful time of year. Merry Christmas to you out there reading my thoughts.
Peace joy love and friend ship to you all
dark colors, hence her responses to the lights coming on and off. She was obviously enchanted with this information about colors, even though it would
have been really hard for the two older girls to really describe them in any meaningful way. But this is only a surface thing. The real important things
here had to do with these older girls learning at a relatively early age, how to include Emmy, not shying away from dealing with her blindness, but learning
to deal with it in a very human way. Emmy was elated, and Sarah and Marlene took some steps towards hopefully never being afraid of including her again
due to her blindness. Too many children learn to not question, that this is taboo, must not be talked about, from some adults with their own questionable
motives. This breeds belief in the wrong stereotypes, fear of dealing with a blind person when one is confronted with that person, and much misunderstanding
which leads to all kinds of problems from friendships that are ruined or never happened to begin with, to job discrimination. But in this case, with the
encouragement of Marlene's mother, it seems there is the beginning of a much healthier experience for everyone, one in which questions can be asked rather
than hushed up, one of inclusion rather than exclusion, and hopefully one which will lead to much healthier relationships in general. It also seems that
Emmy is not resentful because sighted people can see colors, but wants these described to her, which I think will ultimately help her find inclusion more
easily. Happy holidays.
Retinal degeneration discussion list
meaning?"
concept to totally blind students back in the 1970s, with little success I
might add.
all of his life and who is a long-time staff member of the CNIB (Canadian
National Institute for the Blind) here. He told me that he really doesn't
have any idea what the concept of color is, other than to understand that
all colors are different from other colors; that's it.
being blind.
Color Me Blind:
Knowledge about colors is something that most of the totally blind know
almost nothing about and have difficulty relating too. However, there are something's that even someone, who has never seen colors
in their lifetime, can use effectively to deal with and match colors for
artistic and good fashion sense.
Primary Colors:
There are certain primary colors that we deal with all of the time. Let's deal with the common colors of Black and White first.
The Color Black is the darkest of all colors and represents the absence of
all color.
The color White on the other hand, is the brightest of all colors and
represents the presents of all colors.
Combining, or mixing, the colors of Black and White together, such as in
painting, will produce the color Gray. Varying the amounts of Black and
White will cause the shade of Gray to either be lighter or darker in color.
The main primary colors of Red, Yellow and Blue make up the basic colors
that all other colors are made from. The easiest way to learn to use colors with each other, is by imagining
these three primary colors arranged like a three-pointed star, placing each
color equal distance from each other on a wheel.
You can make any color by the blending of each primary color, with the
adjacent primary color.
Let's take the prime colors of Red and Blue first. If you mix Red and Blue
equally, you will get the color Purple. More Red than Blue and you will get
Reddish Blue. Mix more Blue than Red and you get a deeper Bluish Purple.
Now take the colors Red and Yellow. If you combine these prime colors you will get the color Orange. Sliding
the combination toward the Red side will produce a Reddish Orange and
sliding it the other way, toward the Yellow will make a more Yellowish
Orange.
Of Course, colors in between any of these prime colors would have a
corresponding complimentary color directly across from it.
The combining of the prime colors of blue and yellow will produce the color
Green. Adding more Blue to the Green will make the color more Blue Green and adding
more yellow to Green will produce a color that is more Yellow Green. Each of these colors combined with Black or White or Grey will lighten or
darken the shade of the colors.
Complimentary colors: Complimentary colors are colors that tend to appear or go together well. This is important in picking colors of clothes we wear. The colors of Black and White will go together, such as a White shirt and
Black pants or a Black top with a White skirt or pants.
The wearing of all Black or all White will go together as well as will the
wearing of basic Primary colors all Red, all Blue or all Yellow. This also
works for these complimentary colors as well, Orange, Green or Purple. .
The Color Grey is considered a neutral color and could go with either Black
or White and the prime colors.
Complimentary colors are usually colors that are directly across the "Color
Wheel" from each other.
Some examples of this would be Red and Green, the Xmas colors. Yellow and
Purple or Blue and Orange.
Tertiary colors would be mixes of three colors, which lie across the color
wheel from each other, but combine a primary color and two shades of the
prime colors, at an equal spacing across the color wheel from that prime
color.
The effect of color shades.
Shades of colors are usually lighter or darker hues of a color. If you plan
on wearing a light shade of a color, then the compliment color should also
be a light shade as well and darker shades matched with darker shades of the
same shade of the complimentary color.
Labeling your clothes with tags that tell you the basic color can help you
in matching your clothes for work or fashion.
You can construct your own "color wheel" to use in helping you pick out
colors. Some art supply stores do carry plastic color wheels already made
up with a rotation round panel that has cutouts that line up to identify
primary colors, complimentary and Tertiary color combinations. You can add your own Braille labels to make it easy to read and use.
David Evans, NFBF
**27. My guess is that it is like trying to explain the
concept of sound and understanding speech by
hearing it, to those who have always been deaf.
Carolyn asked:
"How does one teach colour to someone for whom
the very word has no real meaning?"
Megan McHugh Retinal degeneration discussion list
**28. The trouble with color is that sometimes it doesn't match the circumstance.
To say we feel blue which is down or depressed, even sad. Yet, blue is such
a beautiful color as a beautiful blue sky that is so clear and peaceful, or
the blue waters of the ocean that goes for miles and miles of clear blue
waters. The other side is the old fashion link of the fire truck, they sure
pulled a fast one on us with that one. The fire truck has been bright red
for many generations and now they changed it to yellow! All the books that
talked about the big red fire truck, the sport car that has been painted Fire
engine red. I think of depressed or sad as gray despite all the years of
Blue Christmas, etc. Maybe they meant navy blue! !
Happy New Year! !
P A RPlist
**29. My name is Wayne Scott. Personally I feel every blind person should have a concept of colors. I know the basics such as sky is blue, grass is green, etc.
But as to how clothing looks, I have no idea. Every blind person should have a basic concept of colors.
**30. I'd like to rebut response #27, by Megan McHugh. Actually, it IS possible to teach speech to a totally-deaf person, and it has been done. One method
is to pick up sound waves by touching a stereo speaker, then exercising the vocal chords to reproduce the sound. This is actually a matter of controversy
among the Deaf, some of whom are extremists when it comes to sign language: they LOVE it or the HATE it, and demand everyone else do likewise.
Helen Keller learned to speak, though she was not born deaf. Her voice was weak and raspy, but it was there. She used the "touch" method, and could tell
the difference between various types of music. (She complained that Jazz made her nauseous!)
David lafleche
**31. My sincerest praise to David Evans, number 26 in this section, for succinctly outlining the clearest understanding of color that I have ever seen.
Mark Blier Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA
**32. To what extent does one pretend to "see" colors? (I see light, and shadows, so I have a limited
concept of color). One response stated that it is important to be aware of color for health reasons. This is true, but it should be noted that the picture
of color will never be full or complete. Are we "Uncle Tom's? Even color identifying devices will never match colors. Knowledge will be acquired but
only up to a point. I'm glad that Emmy was included in decorating the tree, and yes, it is crucial that the other children accept her. This is not a sighted
world, but a temporarily able-bodied world. Society must accept us. Criminals are accepted and treated better than we are. People fear and hate us,
since blindness could happen to them. That's the reality of this whole thing. And thus, society makes it difficult for us to accept ourselves.
Peace with Justice,
Lucia Marett
**33. Just my thoughts on this as someone who can see light perception, and I have been partially sighted and then become almost a totally blind lady living in
the UK, I have RP and I see only the bright colours as I am colour disorientated, which means that the dark colours are the same to me, and I haven't ever
seen red, and not likely to see it, I see red as being black my specialist said I will probably always see it as black.
I think teaching of a child so young who is totally blind about colour perception, is a good thing, although he she can't see the colour, she can build
up a picture in her mind. I do think that blind and partially sighted people see colours as something of a difficult subject, would love to receive the
replies to my message please so could you send these to me please?
from
Jane Sellers
**34. I think that that Holiday season was a learning experience for Marlene, Sarah, Emmy, and Marlene's mother. Marlene attended her first Chanukah celebration
with her friend, Sarah. Now, Sarah was decorating her first Xmas tree with her friend, Marlene. In the whole tree-decorating ordeal, both Marlene and
Sarah had to learn how to include Emmy in the tree-decorating. In reading the narrative, it did not sound like Emmy was taught different colors. Thus,
why, I think Sarah and Marlene started out with describing colors. When Marlene's mother returned, she learned how Emmy associated different colors by
texture or degree of brightness or darkness in regards to the lights on the tree.
The narrative also did not indicate whether or not Emmy got to put up any ornaments, but I would have made sure that she got to help out as well. In
other words, just because Emmy's blind does not mean that she should not learn colors or be able to help put up decorations. Whether blind or sighted,
people associate new things they encounter with a past experience or with the new experience at that moment. Likewise, Emmy associated green with leaves
and grass, and brown with a rough tree bark. Of course, as she gets older, Emmy would begin to associate those two colors with other things as well and
do likewise with other colors.
Linda Minnesota