[blindkid] On the Future of Braille: Thoughts by RadicalBraille Advocates (Bookshare)

Arielle Silverman arielle71 at gmail.com
Tue Jul 16 01:52:17 UTC 2013


The price tag on any kind of portable Braille technology is a huge
source of inequality in education for the blind. Related to that,
because of the high cost, much of the control is kept in the hands of
schools and rehab agencies. Because most blind adults and families of
blind kids cannot afford the technology easily, they are forced to
depend upon schools and other agencies to decide what technology is
right, or even what field a blind adult should pursue, or when a blind
child is "ready" to use technology. It creates huge problems for the
balance of power, which ideally should rest in the hands of blind
people or their families. I think this generates psychological
obstacles far worse than the financial ones. I would fully support any
initiative to reduce the cost of Braille technology so that buying
power can be where it belongs. And, note I said "Braille technology"
because I firmly believe Braille and technology should work together
to promote Braille literacy, rather than being competing literacy
options for kids.

Arielle

On 7/15/13, Denise Robinson <deniserob at gmail.com> wrote:
> And then truly blind kids could get it all at the same cost as sighted
> kids....if you have push Debbie...keep pushing
>
> Denise M Robinson
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Jul 15, 2013, at 8:12 PM, Darcirae Hooks <draehooks at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> That would be awesome!
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Jul 15, 2013, at 19:53, "Deborah Kent Stein" <dkent5817 at att.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The National Library Service is contemplating a Braille display for
>>> Braille readers, that would be distributed the way the digital cassette
>>> machines are today.  May it come to pass!
>>>
>>> Debbie
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Darcirae Hooks"
>>> <draehooks at yahoo.com>
>>> To: "Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
>>> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: "Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
>>> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Monday, July 15, 2013 5:51 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] On the Future of Braille: Thoughts by
>>> RadicalBraille Advocates (Bookshare)
>>>
>>>
>>>> My biggest beef, is the cost to get the technology to my Braille reading
>>>> 9 year old. Computers for my sighted children are way more affordable
>>>> than for Caiden. I don't feel this is fair. Also at what point do u take
>>>> the plunge, break the bank, just to be told u r better off waiting until
>>>> he is older bc technology gets outdated too quickly.
>>>> My sighted kids don't worry bc we can update or afford a new computer
>>>> but braillenote is too expensive to have that in the plan.
>>>>
>>>> Any suggestions????
>>>>
>>>> Darci
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>> On Jul 15, 2013, at 15:26, "Dr. Denise M Robinson" <deniserob at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Amen to Braille!!!! This should not even be a question---would print
>>>>> for
>>>>> the sighted ever be a question---never--neither should braille
>>>>>
>>>>> *Dr Denise*
>>>>>
>>>>> Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
>>>>> CEO, TechVision, LLC
>>>>> Specialist in Technology/Training/Teaching for blind/low vision
>>>>> 423-573-6413
>>>>>
>>>>> Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons on PC,
>>>>> Office
>>>>> products, Mac, iPad/iTools and more, all done with
>>>>> keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 2:45 PM, Allison Hilliker
>>>>> <AllisonH at benetech.org>wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Everyone,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I thought some of you might like to read the below post from the
>>>>>> Benetech
>>>>>> blog. Benetech is the company that runs Bookshare.org. The article
>>>>>> demonstrates Bookshare's support for Braille access and global
>>>>>> literacy.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>> Allison
>>>>>>
>>>>>> http://benetech.blogspot.com/2013/07/on-future-of-braille-thoughts-by.html
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Guest Beneblog by Betsy Beaumon, VP and General Manager, Benetech's
>>>>>> Global
>>>>>> Literacy Program.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Betsy Beaumon
>>>>>> I recently had the honor to speak at the first-ever Braille Summit,
>>>>>> hosted
>>>>>> on June 19-21, 2013 by the National Library Service for the Blind and
>>>>>> Physically Handicapped (NLS) and Perkins School for the Blind. With
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> goal of promoting braille literacy, this landmark meeting brought
>>>>>> together
>>>>>> braille experts from around the world to Perkins' campus in
>>>>>> Watertown,
>>>>>> Massachusetts.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My biggest takeaway from the summit: the time could not be more
>>>>>> urgent,
>>>>>> and more hopeful, for the future of braille and the prospects of those
>>>>>> who
>>>>>> need it. That's why braille is an important focus for us in
>>>>>> Benetech's
>>>>>> Global Literacy Program - we know that we must keep braille relevant
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> make it more available.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> One of the biggest reasons is that among people who are blind,
>>>>>> braille
>>>>>> literacy has been linked with higher education levels, higher
>>>>>> likelihood of
>>>>>> employment and higher income. Accordingly, U.S. federal law supports
>>>>>> braille instruction. In what is known as the "braille provision," the
>>>>>> Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 mandates
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> the teams who help write educational plans for students with
>>>>>> disabilities
>>>>>> presume that all blind and visually impaired children should be
>>>>>> taught
>>>>>> Braille unless it is determined to be inappropriate.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What's alarming is that for decades the number of braille users has
>>>>>> been
>>>>>> on the decline. And today, braille is not being taught to most blind
>>>>>> children. Data from the American Printing House for the Blind's
>>>>>> annual
>>>>>> registry of legally blind students shows that in 2012 only 8.8% of
>>>>>> legally
>>>>>> blind children in public and residential schools used braille as
>>>>>> their
>>>>>> primary reading medium.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Many professionals argue that this decline in braille literacy has led
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> a literacy crisis in the American population of individuals who are
>>>>>> blind.
>>>>>> Community concerns have grown so strong that on June 19, the first day
>>>>>> of
>>>>>> the Braille Summit, the Department of Education Office of Special
>>>>>> Education
>>>>>> and Rehabilitative Services issued new guidance to States and public
>>>>>> agencies to reaffirm the importance of braille instruction and to
>>>>>> clarify
>>>>>> the circumstances and evaluation requirements under the law.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> At Benetech, we agree that braille is an essential literacy tool and
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> every child who needs it has the right to be taught braille. We also
>>>>>> know
>>>>>> that braille materials must be far more available to braille readers
>>>>>> of all
>>>>>> ages in order to realize their full benefits. At the Braille Summit's
>>>>>> kick-off event, keynote speaker Peter Osborne, Chief Braille Officer
>>>>>> for
>>>>>> the Royal National Institute of Blind People, U.K., argued that we
>>>>>> must
>>>>>> shift from spending on the provision of hard copy braille to the
>>>>>> provision
>>>>>> of refreshable braille and the associated digital file formats to
>>>>>> enable
>>>>>> people to read so much more.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "As organizations," Osborne said, "we must liberate spending to focus
>>>>>> on
>>>>>> the promotion, learning and innovation around braille," and recognize
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> we ought to embrace today's changing economics and technology so that
>>>>>> braille can be part of an equation which delivers access to
>>>>>> information for
>>>>>> all, not just to those who can afford it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We strongly support this position and believe the digital content
>>>>>> revolution holds the best promise for the future of braille. The
>>>>>> massive
>>>>>> shifts in the fields of consumer technology, education, and publishing
>>>>>> open
>>>>>> the door to combating some of the major obstacles to braille
>>>>>> availability -
>>>>>> high cost and time to produce hard copy braille books, as well as
>>>>>> difficulties in distributing and storing them due to their large size
>>>>>> (for
>>>>>> example, one Harry Potter book in printed braille stands about four
>>>>>> feet
>>>>>> high). We are confident that technology can continue to improve the
>>>>>> quality
>>>>>> of electronic braille such that a blind consumer can expect both
>>>>>> immediate
>>>>>> AND high quality braille on demand.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> As we have explained in other Beneblog and Bookshare blog posts, these
>>>>>> are
>>>>>> exciting times for everyone who has been working to meet the
>>>>>> imperative to
>>>>>> provide people with print disabilities equal access to published
>>>>>> information. The increasing focus on digital content, rather than its
>>>>>> printed form, and the shift to electronic distribution of ebooks pave
>>>>>> new
>>>>>> avenues for removing the barriers to accessibility. At Benetech, we
>>>>>> want to
>>>>>> ensure that in this brave new world of digital content, braille is as
>>>>>> available as any other ebook format to those who want it. In this
>>>>>> sense,
>>>>>> you could say that we are radical braille advocates.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> With Bookshare, Benetech's online library for people with print
>>>>>> disabilities, our ebook-based approach to the accessibility challenge
>>>>>> has
>>>>>> already delivered on the promise of ending the famine of accessible
>>>>>> books
>>>>>> in the United States. Now, with the new Marrakech Treaty from the
>>>>>> World
>>>>>> Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and our hundreds of direct
>>>>>> publisher relationships, we are poised to help deliver on this
>>>>>> promise
>>>>>> worldwide.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Today Bookshare adds around 3,000 books per month to the collection,
>>>>>> with
>>>>>> our publisher and electronic distribution partners supplying most of
>>>>>> these
>>>>>> books, at the same time as they go to electronic retailers like
>>>>>> Amazon. We
>>>>>> also continue to add books from volunteers, staff and outsourcers
>>>>>> through
>>>>>> scanning and proofing, including student requests. Our commitment to
>>>>>> braille literacy means that the entire Bookshare collection of over
>>>>>> 198,000
>>>>>> titles (and counting) is available not only for use in text, audio or
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> combination, played with a wide variety of assistive technology tools,
>>>>>> but
>>>>>> also formatted for use on electronic braille displays.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Granted, due to the limitations of fully automated conversion, this is
>>>>>> not
>>>>>> perfect braille, and we continuously work with experts to improve the
>>>>>> quality of our Braille Ready Files (in the BRF format). Creating a
>>>>>> perfect
>>>>>> digital braille book, particularly with subjects such as math, still
>>>>>> requires a great deal of human preparation and is therefore very
>>>>>> expensive.
>>>>>> Our belief is that having hundreds of thousands of solid - if not
>>>>>> perfect -
>>>>>> braille books available to read as soon as they are available to
>>>>>> everyone
>>>>>> else is far better than getting them much later or not at all. The
>>>>>> convergence of standards in digital publishing and major advancements
>>>>>> in
>>>>>> braille codes - such as the recent adoption of Unified English
>>>>>> Braille
>>>>>> (UEB) format by the Braille Authority of North America - are on our
>>>>>> side.
>>>>>> This allows a much broader group of experts to keep working on the
>>>>>> problem.
>>>>>> Imagine the day when we are ready for UEB launch: the entire
>>>>>> Bookshare
>>>>>> collection will be made available in UEB with a click of a button!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The road toward full access for braille readers has a number of other
>>>>>> hurdles that must be overcome. One major roadblock is the
>>>>>> affordability of
>>>>>> braille reading tools. The cost of electronic braille displays
>>>>>> remains
>>>>>> prohibitively expensive for most blind people in the world. We believe
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> every reader should be able to have a braille display and we
>>>>>> therefore
>>>>>> support the efforts to bring this cost down, especially for those
>>>>>> least
>>>>>> able to afford it. We are now directly participating in the DAISY
>>>>>> Consortium's Transforming Braille project, which seeks to
>>>>>> dramatically
>>>>>> lower the cost of braille cell technology, the fundamental technical
>>>>>> building block of a braille display. This is important here in the
>>>>>> U.S.,
>>>>>> and critical for the inclusion and empowerment of people in
>>>>>> developing
>>>>>> countries.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Another major challenge involves the graphic content in ebooks, such
>>>>>> as
>>>>>> pictures, charts, and diagrams, formulas and special symbols. Images
>>>>>> are
>>>>>> currently omitted altogether in electronic braille formats and
>>>>>> require
>>>>>> extensive human intervention to produce in an accessible, tactile
>>>>>> form. In
>>>>>> response to the need to make accessible images cheaper, better, and
>>>>>> more
>>>>>> cost effective, we created the DIAGRAM Center with funding by the
>>>>>> U.S.
>>>>>> Department of Education Office for Special Education Programs (OSEP).
>>>>>> Through this R&D Center, we are working to revolutionize the
>>>>>> availability
>>>>>> of accessible images and tactile graphics by targeting standards and
>>>>>> developing open source tools that help close the gap between what
>>>>>> technology can do automatically and what requires expert human work.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> A 3D graphic test on paper substrate of a circuit diagram.
>>>>>> Image by the National Braille Press, a DIAGRAM subcontract.
>>>>>> We are addressing key questions such as: When is a tactile required?
>>>>>> How
>>>>>> can we make tactiles easier to produce, use and share? And how will
>>>>>> changing technology impact tactile design, production and use? Against
>>>>>> each
>>>>>> of these questions we are targeting projects on which we collaborate
>>>>>> with
>>>>>> some of the leading experts in the field. DIAGRAM projects include
>>>>>> automating a tactile graphic decision tree to target the efforts of
>>>>>> experts; multiple projects around 3D printing as an inexpensive,
>>>>>> emerging
>>>>>> output format for tactile objects; our Poet tool for crowd sourcing
>>>>>> image
>>>>>> descriptions and MathML; tools to read QR codes as labels on tactile
>>>>>> graphics to increase available information; and work in whole new
>>>>>> haptic
>>>>>> graphical models for fully electronic tactile experiences. We are
>>>>>> also
>>>>>> actively pursuing legal approaches to allow sharing of image
>>>>>> descriptions
>>>>>> and tactile graphics files to reduce costly re-work by underfunded
>>>>>> schools
>>>>>> and nonprofit organizations/NGO's.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We are developing many of these free tools with publishers and
>>>>>> content
>>>>>> creators in mind and in consideration of the online platforms more and
>>>>>> more
>>>>>> people use to author and publish information. As the entire industry
>>>>>> is
>>>>>> changing the ways in which content is produced and as digital content
>>>>>> becomes increasingly media rich, we want to ensure that all content
>>>>>> that is
>>>>>> born digital is also born accessible. Through intense collaboration,
>>>>>> we are
>>>>>> advancing open tools and standards so that accessibility is built
>>>>>> into
>>>>>> mainstream products.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The future of braille, empowered by innovations in technology, is
>>>>>> bright.
>>>>>> And while the advancement of technology presents new types of
>>>>>> challenges
>>>>>> for accessibility, we at Benetech see them as tremendous opportunities
>>>>>> for
>>>>>> making content truly and universally accessible. New technology will
>>>>>> allow
>>>>>> breakthroughs that will continue moving people who have vision
>>>>>> impairments
>>>>>> toward a better tomorrow. With cooperative and coordinated efforts
>>>>>> across
>>>>>> many communities, we can achieve a future in which new technologies
>>>>>> improve
>>>>>> braille proficiency and life outcomes for braille readers.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Please join us in realizing this "radical" future!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Bookshare is participating at the National Federation of the Blind's
>>>>>> National Convention in Orlando, Florida on July 1-6, 2013 and at the
>>>>>> American Council of the Blind's 52nd Annual National Conference &
>>>>>> Convention in Columbus, Ohio on July 4-12, 2013. We'd love to meet
>>>>>> you
>>>>>> there!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> blindkid mailing list
>>>>>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>> blindkid:
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> *Dr Denise*
>>>>>
>>>>> Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
>>>>> CEO, TechVision, LLC
>>>>> Specialist in Technology/Training/Teaching for blind/low vision
>>>>> 423-573-6413
>>>>>
>>>>> Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons on PC,
>>>>> Office
>>>>> products, Mac, iPad/iTools and more, all done with
>>>>> keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com
>>>>>
>>>>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
>>>>> is
>>>>> doing it." --Chinese Proverb
>>>>>
>>>>> Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid: humans are
>>>>> incredibly
>>>>> slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond
>>>>> imagination.
>>>>> --Albert Einstein
>>>>>
>>>>> It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
>>>>> --Walt Disney
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> blindkid:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/draehooks%40yahoo.com
>>>>
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>>>
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