[Blindtlk] Braille

Sat Jan 20 18:28:33 UTC 2018

You are so right about everything you do with braille.  My husband and I do the same,although we also use the audio.  Audio is secondary to braille, and really not necessary.  We grew up in an age where we were adults before large-scale audio was available, went to college, and held down professional positions, all without relying heavily on audio, but braille.

We use braille for bookkeeping, and there is nothing like holding a little on in your lap while you both read a print/braille book.

When in a new city or having moved to a new area, I make braille notes when familiarizing myself to an area, so I can go back to them very conveniently.

AT the job working for the state from which I recently retired, I was the office manager, plus had my own case load, ran my own budget, ran a small supplies store, and assisted another colleague.  Braille helped me to get all this done quickly and efficiently.

Judy

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Annely Rose via blindtlk
Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2018 10:05 AM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Cc: Annely Rose
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Braille

Well said, Judy.  Thank you for your response.

Annely
--------------------------------------------
On Sat, 1/20/18, Judy Jones via blindtlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Braille
 To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
 Cc: "Judy Jones" <sonshines59 at gmail.com>
 Date: Saturday, January 20, 2018, 1:00 PM

 Hi,

 I would recommend you getting information from  the National Organization Of  Parents Of  Blind Children www.nopbc.org.

 I would also encourage you to ask this question  on the NFB Blind Educators  list.

 My background is as school
 teacher, parent, and person who has had ten and a  half years' experience in the blindness  field.

 First of all people
 need to understand that braille is "text" read  with the  fingers.  It is not a language.  It need not be slower than reading print.
 It
 is a literacy tool, while audio is not.  Different parts of  the brain are  used when reading braille or  print, and if you use audio only, no matter how  proficient you are at it, you are functionally  "illiterate."  This is not a  slam  on any individual personally, just a given fact, since  braille is a  literacy tool.

 Phrases like "learn
 braille," and "use braille," should be out  the door, and  exchanged for the simple verb,  "read," because that is what it is, plain and
 simple:  reading.

 Blind adults and children learning to
 "read" need to work at it
 consistently, 20 minutes daily, just as their  sighted counterparts are  taught in school.  Print and braille are BOTH forms of reading, and if you  practice,  you will succeed.

 Question:  Would any sighted
 parent be satisfied if a school declared that  their children would be relegated to audio  experience only?  I think not!

 Audio only learners are spotted early, because  of poor spelling,  punctuation, and document  layout.  Granted, screen readers have all the  tools for you to check these things, but a  person has no concept of a  realtime document  if they are audio learners only.

 I am acquainted personally with a child who has  very limited vision, but  because there is  some vision, braille was not encouraged.  This  elementary  school child, according to the  parents, has never seen a whole word or  sentence, does not have a concept of what that  looks like, as the child can  only see one  letter at a time with a magnifier.  After speaking with  my  husband and I, the parents are getting  serious about getting their child  some good  braille training.

 Also, I
 have seen figures that state in this country that out of the  blind  persons who are competitively  employed, approximately 90% read using  braille.  The earlier one is exposed to  braille, no matter how young or  level of  visual acuity, the better.

 "If you can read, you can lead."

 Can you tell, I am a proponent
 of braille.  :)

 Judy

 -----Original
 Message-----
 From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
 On Behalf Of adrijana
 prokopenko via
 blindtlk
 Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2018
 12:19 AM
 To: Blind Talk Mailing List
 Cc: adrijana prokopenko
 Subject: [Blindtlk] Braille

 What do you consider great when it comes to  introducing, promoting and using  braille and  what would you use to encourage the future generations to do  so  and for some special ed teachers and the  public to realize that braille is  as  important as print and should be viewed as such.

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