[Blindtlk] Braille

Jasmine Kotsay jasmine.kotsay at gmail.com
Wed Jan 24 08:30:17 UTC 2018


Hi,
	I am also a proponent of Braille.  It is unfortunate that 
the BANA changed the version of Braille we read to UEB.  I have 
been experiencing this type of change since I am trying to be a 
TVI.  I prefer the version of Braille that I learned when I was 
six, 23 years ago.  I feel as though Braille is the only way to 
be truly literate.  When listening to audio books, which I love, 
I realize that I cannot understand how certain names, places, and 
words are spelled.  This is not a good thing.  I believe that 
having words at your fingertips is extremely important.

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Marianne Haas via blindtlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sat, 20 Jan 2018 10:52:46 -0800
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Braille

Good Morning,
My name is Marianne and I live in Northern CA.  I learned Braille 
early on
and several different languages.  I am retired from teaching 
students with
visual impairments.  I am definitely a proponent of braille.

There is one thing I did not see in this discussion:
Teachers of students with visual impairments have huge case 
loads,
especially if they have to travel to different schools.  
Therefore, they
leave the teaching of braille to Assistants or encourage the 
students not to
learn braille.  Parents need to be forceful in demanding that 
braille is
being taught.  I also found that students do not want to learn 
braille as
they do not want to be different.  I always let those students 
know, that
they can learn something exciting and they have something sighted 
students
do not have.  For myself, I never got in trouble when I read at 
night when I
was supposed to be sleeping.  My Sister always was caught reading 
as her
lamp was hot, while mine was cold.

I started my own little business, tutoring especially students 
with special
needs and advocating for parents of students with special needs 
in my area.
I do a lot business with bartering services.  In fact, I hope I 
will get
more clients.



-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
Judy Jones
via blindtlk
Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2018 10:29 AM
To: 'Annely Rose'; 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Cc: Judy Jones
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Braille

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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