A New Tool In The Fight For Braille Literacy

by Kevin Burton    Last week we ran a story about subjects that are either gone from classrooms or close to it (“Subjects No Longer Taught (Much) In Schools,” March 6.)    That got me thinking about Braille.     While growing up at the Ohio State School for the Blind, I just assumed that all …

Animal Names That Are Also Verbs

by Kevin Burton    My late great cat Mex had a verb coined in her honor.    She used to head butt people, as opposed to the usual cat way of rubbing against people with the side of the head or body.  To headbutt became “To Mex.”   Usage: “Stop Mexing me!”    It’s a …

50 Years Ago, Terry Jacks’ “Season In The Sun”

by Kevin Burton    When you move into a house, you see it and feel it in a way all your own. You inhabit that space with your special vitality.    The way others see that space, if they see it at all, may be interesting, but it lays no lasting hold on you.    …

More Bilingual Americans Than You Think

by Kevin Burton   There was a time when I had multiple dozens of penpals from around the world. More than once I heard this joke:    What do you call a person who speaks three languages? Trilingual. What do you call a person who speaks two languages? Bilingual.    What do you call a …

Wendy’s Serves Up A PR Blunderburger

by Kevin Burton    In the face of a consumer backlash, Wendy’s is trying to talk its way around plans to implement surge pricing.    Wendy’s is the second-largest burger chain in the US, with 6,000 restaurant locations. Last week it announced it would begin fluctuating prices for its food products next year, depending on …

The Hopes And Dreams Of Two Blind Students

by Kevin Burton    Those of us with limited vision don’t have to have limited lives. Often we do, for reasons to numerous to tackle today.    Today, stories of two blind students. The first has reached an important milestone to reach her educational goal. The second wants to fill her life with sights and …

Subjects No Longer Taught (Much) In Schools

by interestingfacts.com    Think back to your school days: Are you nostalgic for flipping through a dusty library card catalog or clacking away on a typewriter?    Some subjects you remember from those days are probably things of the past, although the finer points of how schools have changed might surprise you. These six subjects …

Singer Lachi Lifts Up Her Voice For The Blind

by Peter D. Kramer lohud.com    “Hello, my name is Lachi. Like Versace,” says the woman in the fabulous dress and the beaming smile. Then the New York-based singer-songwriter takes more time than most people, to describe herself.    She offers a visual self-description for blind people in her audience, saying she is a Black …

Spiritual Growth Is A Lifelong Process

by Kevin Burton    Some people have little marks on their walls, measuring of the growth of their children. It’s a pleasure to mark their progress in gaining physical stature.    If your children aren’t growing that sets off serious alarm bells. You’re going to get an appointment with your doctor, without delay.    Yet …

The Colorful Military History Of M&Ms

by Kevin Burton    Let’s all salute innovation and progress today and tomorrow by knocking down a couple of packs of M&Ms.    Let’s do so under the heading, “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand, stays on your waistline.”    M&Ms are 83 years old as of tomorrow. Forrest Mars secured a patent …