[il-talk] letter to the editor from Hadley president Chuck Young

[sharon howerton]

Chuck's letter to the Chicago Tribune regarding a previous article on the 
decline in braille use appears today:

Teaching Braille

    April 22, 2009

This is in response to "Out of touch with Braille; A report says that use of 
the tactile code is down and that fewer visually impaired children are 
learning
it, but its fans call it an essential tool" (News, April 13), which 
highlights one of the biggest challenges facing individuals who are blind or 
visually
impaired: the lack of access to trained Braille instructors in the public 
schools.

For those in rural areas, access to instruction is even more challenging.

At The Hadley School for the Blind, located in Winnetka, we are addressing 
this issue head-on through distance education. For nearly a century, Hadley 
has
been teaching Braille by mail.

Today we serve more than 10,000 students in more than 100 countries. 
Students across the globe study Braille in the convenience of their own 
homes, at their
own pace, and receive personalized instruction from a teacher via the 
telephone or e-mail.

All of our courses for blind or visually impaired students are free of 
charge.

In addition, Hadley currently offers a free "Introduction to Braille" course 
for sighted teachers.

The data indeed show what we already know:

Braille readers have a higher degree of education, are more successful in 
finding employment and are more likely to become independent and 
self-sufficient.

-Charles E. Young, president, The Hadley School for the Blind, Winnetka

It can be found online at
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/print/chi-0422vplettersbriefs5apr22,0,2932194.story



The Hadley School for the Blind
700 Elm St. Winnetka, IL 60093

www.hadley.edu