[Blindmath] Fw: [NFBAustin] Fw: Braille code urgency

[Jim Shaffer]

I thought I should forward this to this list.  The phone numbers are in area code 512.
-------------------
...
From: birdm [mailto:birdm at tsbvi.edu] 
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 5:15 PM
To: Richie Flores
Subject: Braille code urgency

 

Richie,

I think Cokie is going to forward an email to you that I sent her a few weeks ago, but I have learned more in the meantime.  We are in danger of losing an adequate Braille code for high level math and science.  Are you familiar with UEB or NUBS?  These are the competing codes that BANA will be discussing for adoption, perhaps as soon as next year.  Susan Osterhaus and Sue Mattson know a lot about this and have both said that UEB is inadequate for math and science.  I am in contact with another transcriber who is in Florida and is working on the final draft of the NUBS code with Dr Nemeth.  She has been transcribing math books for 30 years and is familiar with both NUBS and UEB and has said the same as Susan.  We really need to do something about this as BANA is making this decision very quietly without input from one person who should be included-Susan Osterhaus-the accepted expert in the country for math and visually impaired people.  If UEB is adopted, we will set math back "30 years"  (Susan and Dr Nemeth quote).  I met Dr Nemeth a couple weeks ago and asked him why he invented his code; he said the code at the time was inadequate for doing math above algebra 1, so he wrote his own code for his own purposes.  I would really like to talk in person with you.  Is there any possibility you can help identify more people who are Braille users who are in math and science?  I know Amanda Lacy and Cary Supalo, who else-you?  We are working on making up a committee of people to very calmly present information to BANA about this and try to convince them to make this decision with the math and science experts opinions also. 

 

Please let me know what you think and if you can give me names of people who are math and science experts who use Braille.

 

Thanks,

Call me if you can!

Maylene Bird

Work:  206-9221

Cell:  914-4515

--
Jim Shaffer
NLS Certified Literary Braille Transcriber
Pflugerville, TX
email:  jjs at jjshaffer.net
cell:  512-699-9251
skype:  cyber_blink
web page:  www.jjshaffer.net
facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1586793618
band page:  www.pgramblers.com/