If you watched season three of Fox TV’s reality cooking show
“Master Chef,” you remember the big smile that lit up Christine
Ha’s face every time she impressed the judges with her bold
flavors—and especially when her three-course meal of Vietnamese comfort food
won Ha the “Master Chef” title.
What casual viewers may not have realized right away is that
the amateur cook from Houston, Texas, is blind. In 2003, Ha was diagnosed with
neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a rare neurological condition that deteriorates the
optic nerves and spinal cord. By 2007, Ha had lost most of her vision. But she
had regained her love of reading, with help from the National Library Service
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS).
“[NLS] reignited my love for literature. It was what kept mesane when I went through my first bouts of NMO,” says Ha, who also authors the
blog theblindcook.com. “When I went through
some of my worst health issues in 2003—complete paralysis from my neck down due
to spinal inflammation, and complete blindness—all I could do was lie in bed
and listen to NLS audio books.”
NLS, part of the Library of Congress, oversees a free reading
program for U.S. residents and citizens living abroad who are blind, have low
vision, or cannot hold a book because of a physical disability. NLS patrons may
choose from tens of thousands of books and dozens of magazines in audio and Braille—including
dozens of cookbooks, such as “O, the Oprah Magazine Cookbook” and titles by
Julia Child, James Beard, and other famous foodies. NLS also loans the portable
playback equipment needed to read its audio books. Computer-savvy patrons may
access books online through the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD)
service.
Ha, who is pursuing a master of fine arts degree at the University of Houston, always has a book checked out from NLS. Recently she was reading Gail Caldwell’s “Let’s Take the Long Way Home” in Braille. And she currently is working on her “Master Chef” cookbook, which is set for a spring 2013 release.
Source : Copywrightfreecontent.com
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