[Ct-nfb] Article from Citizens Voice Pennsylvania News 2015 11 15

Wed Nov 18 19:27:11 UTC 2015

Hi Mary,

Great questions! This could become quite the philosophy discussion.

One comment before your questions: I learned in my master’s program at Louisiana Tech that the IDEA actually states that Braille is the default reading medium for all legally blind students unless it can be proven otherwise that Braille is somehow not appropriate for the child. We are grateful for this provision because it is indeed in line with our goals of promoting Braille literacy.

What are your thoughts on Braille being used as part of a person's identity within the Blind community? Is that a significant factor in whether or not one chooses to learn Braille?

In the words of Dr. Jernigan, Braille literacy is one of the major trappings, though not the substance, of independence. A slave can have good mobility and Braille skills and still be a slave. It is important to note, though, that it is hard to be a fully independent blind person without Braille literacy. Academic research demonstrates that blind people who read Braille have better employment outcomes, more financial independence, and overall more first-class status indicators than blind people who do not. We celebrate the independence of our people in the blind community, but it is relevant in the broader society, too.

My other question is....How  has assistive technology influenced this decision making process with the wide availability of text to voice products?
The reality is that most teachers of the blind are not as comfortable with and confident in Braille and the blind students using it to teach it with the rigor and gusto that they should. In the case of properly-trained teachers of the blind, these other technologies actually make Braille more available, such as when we pair a Braille display with our computers or iPhones. Comprehension of material read in print or Braille exceeds the comprehension of material read in auditory methods for most people. When people try to use these technologies as an excuse to not teach or not provide Braille, it is just that: an excuse.

Have a good one!

Justin

Justin Salisbury, NOMC
Graduate Student
Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness
Louisiana Tech University
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu<mailto:President at Alumni.ECU.edu>
Twitter: @SalisburyJustin

"None can be free as long as any are enslaved"

Dr. Kenneth Jernigan

From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mary Silverberg via Ct-nfb
Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 12:36 PM
To: NFB of Connecticut Mailing List <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Mary Silverberg <marysilverfox at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] Article from Citizens Voice Pennsylvania News 2015 11 15

Hello All,
I agree with Cheri; never take away the ability to read...or deny it. Although I do not read Braille, I believe it should be taught as one of the options for reading and communication.  Deaf children are often taught American Sign Language  (ASL), along with verbal or oral communication. Whether it is Braille or ASL, eventually as teens or adults, people choose what is comfortable for them.
What are your thoughts on Braille being used as part of a person's identity within the Blind community? Is that a significant factor in whether or not one chooses to learn Braille?
My other question is....How  has assistive technology influenced this decision making process with the wide availability of text to voice products?
Mary Silverberg

On Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 4:38 PM, Cheri Duquette via Ct-nfb <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org<mailto:ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
No, never take the ability to read away from anyone!!

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 15, 2015, at 9:00 PM, Esther Levegnale via Ct-nfb <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org<mailto:ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
Thanks for the article, Edward.  There certainly wasn't a good review of Braille, though.  To me, it kind of got a bad rap.  You'd be surprised the comments and questions I get about Braille being a "dead language".  I had to set someone straight over this past weekend, as a matter of fact.  The person understood when I explained the benefits of learning Braille.

Esther

Sent From Esther's Amazing and Awesome iPhone 6+!

On Nov 15, 2015, at 8:30 PM, Edward Shaham via Ct-nfb <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org<mailto:ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
What do you all think?

Edward

Statewide blind group meets at birthplace. Eric Mark.

WILKES-BARRE - The Pennsylvania chapter of the National Federation of the Blind held its annual convention this weekend at the spot where the organization was born in 1940: Best Western Genetti Hotel & Conference Center. In November 1940, a group of 16 advocates for the blind, from seven states, gathered in Wilkes-Barre at the hotel that is now Genetti's. They formed a constitution that created the National Federation of the Blind, or NFB, which grew to be the largest organization led by blind people in the nation. To mark the 75th anniversary of the federation's founding, the Pennsylvania chapter chose Wilkes-Barre as the site for this year's state convention, said Lynn Heitz, the chapter's first vice president. "The national organization was founded right here," she said Saturday afternoon, outside a spacious meeting room where most of the 120 people who attended the convention gathered for lectures and seminars on a wide range of topics that affect the visually impaired. Blind and low-vision people of all ages walked confidently into and out of the room with the help of long white canes. One of the seminar topics was "Technology for the blind and how it has changed. Mark Riccobono, the national president of NFB, had some thoughts on that, as he stepped out of the meeting room to speak with a reporter. He called technological advances "double-edged" for the visually impaired community. On the upside, there are useful technologies such as voice-activated personal assistants available on computers and smart phones. Riccobono demonstrated an app he recently installed on his iPhone, called KNFB Reader, that can take a picture of printed text and read it aloud to a visually impaired person. He pointed his phone toward the program for the convention, clicked a button and a mechanical voice started to recite the convention schedule listed in the program. On the other hand, the push for technological solutions to replace Braille, a writing system for the blind that uses raised letters and characters, has left some blind people struggling, especially younger ones in school and college, Riccobono said. "A lot of technology is not built with accessibility in mind," he said. He cited his own experience growing up as a legally blind student in Wisconsin, where his teachers, in line with the educational philosophy of the time, tried to get him to read and study as much as possible the conventional way and use Braille only as a last resort. "I faked it all the time," he said. "I had to memorize things. There were lots of positive stories at the convention, which draws a dedicated core group and some newcomers each year, according to Heitz, who described the gathering as "a family. Liliya Asadullina, 22, said being blind has not stopped her from a rewarding and enjoyable college career at Metropolitan State University of Denver. "They have a really good public transportation system," she said, adding that she has no qualms about taking a bus or train on her own. She credited the local chapter of the NFB near Philadelphia, where she grew up, with helping her to develop that confidence. "They showed me you have to be independent," she said. The NFB has led the push for civil rights for the blind, which has helped raise awareness for all special needs groups, Riccobono said. As traffic drove by on East Market Street outside the hotel, he gave an example. In 1940, when the federation was founded, if a car jumped a curb and struck a blind person on a sidewalk, the blind pedestrian was considered partly culpable, according to Riccobono. Blind people and others with challenges or special needs were expected to basically stay out of sight and mind in those days, he said. Today, through educational efforts and legislation such as "white cane laws" that require motorists to stop and allow blind pedestrians to cross the street, things are different, Riccobono said. "Blind people have the right to be in the world," he said. emark at citizensvoice.com<mailto:emark at citizensvoice.com>, 570-821-2117<tel:570-821-2117>
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