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Adelia M. Hoyt memoir and photographs
Page 73
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UNFOLDING TALES, 73 back in 1909 but was obliged to decline. The committee visited schools and other centers of education and influence throughout the United States and Canada and made various tests. Finally, the original Braille as used in England and Canada entered the field of inquiry and further complicated matters. The committee went to England twice to study the question at first hand. After long and patient research, the committee reported in favor of English Braille. Much discussion followed and at last the recommendation was adopted, but a compromise was made. The original braille alphabet was to be used but not as may contractions as practiced in England. Thanks to the ingenuity of Mr. H. Randolph Latimer, a blind educator, a simplified system was worked out known as "Revised Braille, Grade One and a Half" This system was officially adopted in 1917 and was intended to supersede all previous types; but the new system made slow headway. Thus it came about that when the blinded soldiers were learning to read, there was nothing for them. Only a few books had as yet been printed in the system and these were mostly for children. There seemed little incentive to these men to learn braille. Then it was that certain women volunteers of the country valiantly came to the rescue. They proposed to learn braille and copy by hand suitable material for the boys at "Evergreen." Mrs. Donald M. Forgan was the first to volunteer. At that time she resided in Washington D.C. Shortly afterwards Mrs. Forgan moved to Chicago where she did must to foster the braille work in the Chicago Chapter. Soon other volunteers took up the work and these all came to Mrs. Rider, In Charge of the Room for the Blind, Library of Congress, for instructions and guidance. Mrs. Rider enthusiastically encouraged them but she knew little of braille, and she turned to me to assist her in this new enterprise. So it was that during the eventful summer of 1918, when our home was sheltering two families and living conditions were somewhat difficult. I was spending considerable time at the Library, I
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UNFOLDING TALES, 73 back in 1909 but was obliged to decline. The committee visited schools and other centers of education and influence throughout the United States and Canada and made various tests. Finally, the original Braille as used in England and Canada entered the field of inquiry and further complicated matters. The committee went to England twice to study the question at first hand. After long and patient research, the committee reported in favor of English Braille. Much discussion followed and at last the recommendation was adopted, but a compromise was made. The original braille alphabet was to be used but not as may contractions as practiced in England. Thanks to the ingenuity of Mr. H. Randolph Latimer, a blind educator, a simplified system was worked out known as "Revised Braille, Grade One and a Half" This system was officially adopted in 1917 and was intended to supersede all previous types; but the new system made slow headway. Thus it came about that when the blinded soldiers were learning to read, there was nothing for them. Only a few books had as yet been printed in the system and these were mostly for children. There seemed little incentive to these men to learn braille. Then it was that certain women volunteers of the country valiantly came to the rescue. They proposed to learn braille and copy by hand suitable material for the boys at "Evergreen." Mrs. Donald M. Forgan was the first to volunteer. At that time she resided in Washington D.C. Shortly afterwards Mrs. Forgan moved to Chicago where she did must to foster the braille work in the Chicago Chapter. Soon other volunteers took up the work and these all came to Mrs. Rider, In Charge of the Room for the Blind, Library of Congress, for instructions and guidance. Mrs. Rider enthusiastically encouraged them but she knew little of braille, and she turned to me to assist her in this new enterprise. So it was that during the eventful summer of 1918, when our home was sheltering two families and living conditions were somewhat difficult. I was spending considerable time at the Library, I
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