[Blindmath] Call to action on math accessibility and the impact of UEB

[Jamal Mazrui]

Are there web pages available containing public positions that 
U.S.-based consumer organizations have taken on this issue?  I'm curious 
to learn more.

Jamal


On 4/14/2012 6:09 PM, Susan Jolly wrote:
> Thank you Steve for the important update.
>
> I understand that math accessibility is much more than just braille 
> but I also think that math cannot be said to be accessible if braille 
> is not one of the options.
>
> The information you've presented about trying to convince people at 
> the highest levels of the importance of STEM accessibility has given 
> me two new and very serious concerns as far as the current likelihood 
> that the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) will adopt Unified 
> English Braille (UEB).
>
> (I don't think I need to explain to the members of this list why the 
> UEB is not a good braille system for representing technical material.)
>
> BANA is a consortium of a dozen or so of the leading blindness 
> organizations in the US including the NFB.  While I realize that BANA 
> does not necessarily speak for these various organizations nor for 
> their individual members, it would not be surprising if outsiders were 
> to view BANA as reflecting a consensus of the needs and desires of the 
> braille community. One of my concerns is thus that if BANA were to 
> adopt the UEB, this action could have a serious negative impact on the 
> credibility of any call to action as far as STEM accessibility.
>
> My second concern is a practical one: it would require very 
> significant resources if the US were to undertake a switch to UEB.  So 
> how would it be reasonable to expect outside resources to support STEM 
> accessibility while we are simultaneously expending resources on a 
> project that will have the opposite effect?
>
> We need to ensure that our own house is in order before we go to others.
>
> Sincerely,
> Susan Jolly
>
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