[Blindmath] Dr. Nemeth

Mike Jolls mrspock56 at hotmail.com
Wed Oct 2 23:33:00 UTC 2013 

Dear Ms. Osterhauss
 
I just wanted to say that I've seen you many times on the Web talking about many aspects of math education, computer technology, demonstrating various things.  I think it's great that you're out there putting the videos up on YouTube.  I wanted to start out by saying that I your presence gives good information to people so they know that the tools are out there.   Keep it up.
 
You may have seen some posts that I have been writing about working on Math software.  I've heard young people in our area (I'm in Nebraska) who tell me that when they were in school, they fared terribly in math.  They didn't have math books that they were allowed to take home, or they got their books late and were behind ... well there are a number of reasons that they didn't do well in math.  When I heard some of the problems as blind students that they had, it just got under my skin.  I thought .. "there has to be a way that blind students can get the material they need .. somehow that the teacher can interact with them despite the fact that school districts are cutting Braille instructors that would have helped the students in the past because of budgets."  That led me to think of writing software to allow the teacher to enter the math lessons in Word, for example, and have a program translate it to Braille format, say Nemeth.  Then the student uses the program I develop to work the problems in Nemeth.  The program could even solve the problem step by step if the student needed help.  When the student figures out the answer, he or she writes the solution in Nemeth and saves it, then gives the solution file back to the teacher.  The teacher opens it and the copy of the software the teacher has translates it back to Word, or whatever the preferred format is.
 
You get the idea.  Software that allows the teacher directly interact with the student without the teacher having to know Braille.  If school districts are going to cut Braille teachers from the budgets, then in my mind something has to be done so that the student can continue to communicate with the teacher who doesn't know Braille.
 
Now with that background, here's a question for you.  I'm sure there are a lot of people thinking the same thing I'm thinking of.  Some are using LaTex, some are using other forms of Braille besides Nemeth.  In other words, many people, many solutions.  The problem with that is that you'd (as an end user consumer) have to learn a lot of different systems.  Really in my mind, there should be a national standard that a governing board such as BANA sets forth the standard saying ... "you will present material in ABC format".  I'm saying "ABC" in the sense that I'm not saying Nemeth, or UEBC, or Computer Braille, but just saying there SHOULD be a standard format, one that is proven to work that is also easily learned by students.  And that's why I'm writing to you.
 
Can you tell me, is there such a board that can set the standard that computer software should code to?  In case you haven't figured this out, I'm a software engineer interested in math, and interested in helping blind kids since I myself am low vision and understand the plight of kids sitting in class when they can't see what's going on.  And, if BANA is that board, have they already set the standard?  I heard that Nemeth was chosen as the standard for NLS publications.  Has any organization investigated what format of presentation software should render it's text in for Braille?
 
Also, from your experience as a teacher, is there a format that kids learn more easily than others, and which is easier to use?
 
I'm hoping the answers are "yes there is, and the determination of which system to use has been made" ... because then I'd know the work that I wanted to do would be in a format that was acceptable and I'd know what I had to do when writing any translation software.  Without the standard, I'd just be picking something and it might not be something kids could use, or it might not be the convention that kids do best with.
 
I think that's enough.  Hopefully you get the gist of what I'm trying to accomplish.  I think such a program that would allow the student to work independently in Math would really be beneficial, especially if access to Braille teachers are getting choked.  But the standard accepted formats to use must be defined.
 
Hope you can help.  I welcome questions or comments if you have them
 
Mike Jolls
Omaha, NE.
 
> From: osterhauss at tsbvi.edu
> Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2013 16:50:38 -0500
> To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Dr. Nemeth
> 
> Yes, I feel so blessed to have known him. I will miss him terribly.
> Susan O
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gaylen
> Kapperman
> Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2013 4:35 PM
> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Dr. Nemeth
> 
> caryn, very good! a fitting tribute to our hero!
> Gaylen Kapperman
> Northern Illinois University
> 
> 
> At 04:00 PM 10/2/2013, you wrote:
> >I too was very sad to hear the news about Dr. Nemeth. I think it's fair
> >to say that the existence of this list is in part an ongoing legacy for
> >his work.
> >
> >I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy many
> >conversations with Dr. Nemeth, mostly in the 1980s and 1990s. His input
> >was very important in the development of math-related software at
> >Raised Dot Computing in those years. Even the most challenging tech
> >support calls from Dr. Nemeth were filled with the pleasure of his
> >special humor.
> >
> >One of these conversations was a 1991 interview in the Raised Dot
> >Computing Newsletter. A shorter version of this interview, reprinted in
> >Future Reflections, is in today's NFB press release. Here's a link to
> >the full 1991 interview:
> >
> >http://www.duxburysystems.com/abe1991.htm
> >
> >
> >Respectfully,
> >Caryn
> >
> >From: Justin Young
> >Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2013 4:09 PM
> >To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
> >Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Dr. Nemeth
> >
> >Yes this pioneer in the Blind Awareness community has passed and will
> >surely be missed be greatly missed.  I unfortunately didn't have the
> >honor of knowing him, but I sure wish I had the honor to meet him!
> >
> >Justin
> >
> >On 10/2/13, Sina Bahram <sbahram at nc.rr.com> wrote:
> > > I was quite sad to hear this news. Dr. Nemeth was a really wonderful
> > > man to talk to. I'm so happy we had him over to the university when
> > > I was an undergrad. We even threw him a birthday party after one of
> > > his hilarious
> > > and> inspiring talks, which is one of my more fond memories of
> > interacting with
> > > him.
> > >
> > > The provost, various department heads, and so forth were waiting in
> > > a line to meet him, but he kept enjoying his slice of cake,
> > > explicitly  ignoring them, and telling me story after story about
> > > teaching automata theory, particular challenges in teaching
> > > differential equations to sighted students, etc. He knew how to make
> you feel special.
> > >
> > > I had no idea he knew anything about computer science. I just
> > > thought he was the math guy that allowed me to participate in
> > > science and math because of his Braille code. So it was just such a
> > > pleasure to geek out with him over cake.
> > >
> > > I was on a conference call with him a few months ago, and he was
> > > still as sharp and brilliant as ever.
> > >
> > > R.I.P. Dr. Nemeth, and thank you for everything, sir. You'll be
> missed.
> > >
> > > Take care,
> > > Sina
> > >
> > > Twitter: @SinaBahram
> > > Website: http://www.SinaBahram.com
> > > Blog: http://blog.SinaBahram.com
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> > > Sean Tikkun
> > > Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2013 2:51 PM
> > > To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
> > > Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Dr. Nemeth
> > >
> > > I share your sentiment Maureen.  I was talking with someone last
> > > Friday about my desire to talk with him before he left us.  That
> > > same person was going to try and connect us this week.  A sad day
> > > for many of us, but his gifts will not soon pass!
> > >
> > > Sean Tikkun
> > > Instructor
> > > Northern Illinois University
> > >
> > > srtikkun at niu.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Oct 2, 2013, at 1:47 PM, "Lewicki, Maureen"
> > > <mlewicki at bcsd.neric.org>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >> There is a small handful of people who  I can say I would have
> > >> wanted to
> > > meet,  if someone told me I could meet anyone in the world. Dr.
> > > Nemith was one of them. In fact he may be the only one. My gratitude
> > > to him, for the sake of my students is endless, and I tell everyone
> > > of them about what he did for the blind.
> > >>
> > >> Maureen Murphy Lewicki
> > >> Maureen Murphy Lewicki
> > >> Teacher of Visually Impaired
> > >> Bethlehem Central School
> > >> 332 Kenwood AvenueDelmar, NY 12054
> > >> http://bethlehemschools.org
> > >> (518) 439-7460
> > >> Fax (518) 475-0092
> > >> "The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The
> > >> real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that
> > >> exists.  If a blind person has the proper training and opportunity,
> > >> blindness can be reduced to a mere physical nuisance."Kenneth
> > >> Jernigan
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> -----Original Message-----
> > >> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> > >> Steve
> > > Jacobson
> > >> Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2013 2:37 PM
> > >> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
> > >> Subject: [Blindmath] Dr. Nemeth
> > >>
> > >> Some of you may already be aware of this, but I thought it was
> > >> appropriate
> > > on this list to mourn the very recent passing of Dr.
> > >> Abraham Nemeth.  I understand he was 94.  I, like others on this
> > >> list, was
> > > honored to have known him fairly well, and I feel that he played a
> > > very significant role, through the Nemeth Code, in my majoring in
> > > math and my subsequent careerin information technologies.  Here is
> > > the press rease issued by our national office:
> > >>
> > >> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> > >> Release Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2013
> > >> Category:  National
> > >> Chris Danielsen
> > >> Director of Public Relations
> > >> National Federation of the Blind
> > >> (410) 659-9314, extension 2330
> > >> (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
> > >> cdanielsen at nfb.org
> > >>
> > >> National Federation of the Blind Mourns Passing of Dr. Abraham
> > >> Nemeth
> > > Honors His Pioneering Work to Enhance Braille Baltimore, Maryland
> > > (October 2, 2013):
> > >>
> > >> The National Federation of the Blind today mourns the death of Dr.
> > >> Abraham
> > > Nemeth, the scientist who invented the Nemeth Braille Code for
> > > Mathematics and Scientific Notation and was a lifelong champion of
> Braille.
> > >>
> > >> Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind,
> said:
> > >  Dr. Nemeth had a great mind and a wonderful sense of humor.  His
> > > invention of the Braille code that bears his name has enabled many
> > > blind people to learn, work, and excel in scientific, technology,
> > > engineering, and mathematics, and his tireless Braille advocacy work
> > > undoubtedly changed countless lives.
> > >> He will be sorely missed and his contributions will be valued by
> > > generations to come.
> > >>
> > >> For more information about Dr. Nemeth and his groundbreaking
> > >> Braille code,
> > > please read  The History of the Braille Code: An Interview with Dr.
> > > Abraham Nemeth,  from the Future Reflections 2009 Special Issue: A
> > > Celebration of Braille.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
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> > > .org
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