[Ct-nfb] Article from Citizens Voice Pennsylvania News 2015 11 15
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Cookiechumper at aol.com
Wed Nov 18 20:02:06 UTC 2015
In a message dated 11/18/2015 2:28:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Justin, this
was really well stated and quite impressive definitely more publized A
suggestion what I sugggest is that you should or one of the committee
members should get a piece on that show Better Connecticut whichis on
channel 3 which is rally CT CBS in doing a piece of teaching/usng braille its
effects of life and products services they'd definatelly make it happen
with you speaking to them.
Take care ElizabethTime, ct-nfb at nfbnet.org writes:
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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