[Blindmath] FYI: BBC website article on Braille (and DavidBlunketton Braille)

[Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)]

Because people don't think and because Braille is outside the scope of what they know.


-----Original Message-----
From: blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Amanda Lacy
Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 12:27 PM
To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] FYI: BBC website article on Braille (and DavidBlunketton Braille)

I can't even imagine what my thought life would be like had I not been given
the ability to picture something as written in Braille. Why is it even
necessary to explain Braille's benefits? They are as obvious as those of
print to a sighted person.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Whapples" <mwhapples at aim.com>
To: "Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics"
<blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:21 AM
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] FYI: BBC website article on Braille (and
DavidBlunketton Braille)


>I think the comment by Blunkett about just having the information in front
>of you is probably one of the greatest strengths of Braille. With maths, if
>you find yourself either scanning through equations to get the general
>form, jumping to particular elements, refering back up the page to previous
>steps in working, basically anything where you are not reading it in full
>detail in sequence then Braille provides that type of access. Imagine some
>of those non-sequential things you do when using written mathematical
>information and trying to instruct a machine or a person to give just the
>information you need.
>
> Viewing it from a technical subject angle, the lack of teaching of
> Braille, not sure fully what the reasons might be, some might be because
> more VI people are older people loosing sight and so being less
> willing/able to learn new things but some I think might be
> financial/funding as Braille teaching is certainly a specialist skill.
>
> An interesting thing I will just toss in, is Braille hard to learn,
> possibly not. I remember back in 2010 at the international conference on
> computers helping people with special needs (ICCHP) there was a talk on a
> GPS system being developed by a hungarian group which used Braille for
> input (admittedly only what is needed for GPS input so letters and
> numbers, not sure about punctuation) and I asked them why they chose
> Braille when it seems to be taught less and less now. Their reply was that
> they found Braille the quickest and most convenient method of getting
> accurate input and that they had found people who previously knew no
> Braille could pick up enough in two or three days to be able to use the
> device (I think older people were included). I think the open university
> library system has access to the ICCHP papers from 2010 if you want to
> look it up. Admittedly what is needed for a GPS input and learning to feel
> for the dots when reading, contracted Braille and the maths code may take
> longer, but my basic point is that understanding the basics can be picked
> up pretty quickly and may be some just percieve Braille as being difficult
> to learn. In my view its certainly well worth the effort particularly if
> you want to study anything technical.
>
> Michael Whapples
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: J.Fine
> Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:21 AM
> To: 'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'
> Subject: [Blindmath] FYI: BBC website article on Braille (and David
> Blunketton Braille)
>
> Hi
>
> There's an article "Braille is spreading but who's using it?" on the BBC
> News website.
>  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16984742
>
> Linked from it is a 2009 article "Why Braille is brilliant" written by
> David Blunkett (former British home secretary, and blind since birth) to
> mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Loius Braille.
>
> Blunkett wrote that Braille was valuable to him because "when chairing a
> meeting it is vital that I have an agenda on my own that I can refer to
> without reference to someone else."  This gives me, as a sighted person,
> some insight into the difficulties blind people have when doing
> mathematics and how they can be overcome.
>
> --
> Jonathan
>
> --
> The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an
> exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC
> 038302).
>
>
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