[nabop] Is Braille overrated?

Wed Jan 17 22:24:48 UTC 2018

Very well stated, Stephanie. Thank you for your thoughts. 

-----Original Message-----
From: NABOP [mailto:nabop-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Stephanie Pieck via NABOP
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 3:03 PM
To: 'National Association of Blind Office Professionals'
Cc: Stephanie Pieck
Subject: Re: [nabop] Is Braille overrated?

Hello,

In my music teaching, I work with a combination of blind and sighted students. The parents of sighted kids expect that I will teach them to read-print. The parents of the blind kids often come in saying they expect me to do this for their kids, too-until the lessons get "too hard" or "take too long". Then, the students "take a break," and don't return.

No parent of a sighted child would willingly agree to send their child to school if the principal told them: "Oh, we're not going to bother with reading. It's outdated and books are too bulky. Your kid will be able to do everything they need to during their lifetime on their cellphone. . Don't have one? . Well, sorry, we can't help you. We digitized our library and put it up in the cloud, so if your kid can't access it, it's just too bad."

I can understand people wanting and needing technological assistance that can help them function immediately, or resume functioning to a level close to what they may have done when they were sighted. For this, Apple should be applauded as many of their devices speak right out of the box without the need for someone else to come do special configuring to make that happen.

However, I can also tell you that using Braille fluently greatly improves the chances for advancement in employment. It's not that hiring committees only choose proficient Braille readers; there are many successfully employed visually impaired people out there who struggle with Braille or don't use it at all. Also, Braille may not be the best method for everyone for a variety of reasons.

But I can give a poised and professional presentation reading from Braille notes. If I had to rely on audio output for notes or my memory alone, I think it would be more difficult to have a complex side discussion and then resume the presentation at the place where we took a detour.

During meetings, I can take notes in Braille that I can refer back to, seeking clarification on anything that needs it during the meeting.
Recording the meeting works, too, but if I've already attended a meeting that lasted an hour and a half, the last thing I want to do afterwards is relisten to my recording of that ninety-minute meeting again so I can pull out the pertinent elements and write them down somehow.

I can keep extremely complex records in Braille and quickly navigate them.
Using spreadsheets or tables with screen readers works, but sometimes, there's nothing better than a truly "hands-on" approach. This is especially true with diagrams, street maps, or office layouts/seating charts.

I can keep "private papers" much more private because hard-copy Braille is only "hackable" by a small population which is very widely distributed across the country.

There is also resistance to change. Unified English Braille is different than what we've all gotten used to over the past sixty years. Many people don't want to have to learn something new. For some, the difficulty of doing so precludes them from needing to do such a thing. But before anyone gives themselves a free pass and free rein to rant, I challenge them to make a good-faith effort and try. "Proficiency" is different for everyone. The person who only needs Braille to label things at home probably won't need to learn UEB. But anyone trying to start or lengthen a career may want to consider what can be gained by learning the new code. Just today, I had an opportunity to work with the contract management team in the state agency where I work reviewing the Braille documents produced by the vendor that provides them. I was able to read the document quickly, and because of all the new typeform indicators in UEB, I was also able to verify which parts of the document were in bold or italicized.

As for less Braille being available: I understand less being made available because fewer people know how to use it. I also understand that producing hard-copy Braille can be expensive and require specialized equipment like embossers or translation software that many small businesses and organizations don't have access to. It's also true that storing significant amounts of hard-copy Braille requires a lot of space. (I know about this firsthand as I regularly have to weed out my Braille music collection when I find new materials that meet my students' needs better and in light of the finite amount of cabinet space I have in my house.)

For those who trumpet the glories of technology making Braille production "easier than ever": That may be true, but if you don't know how to produce quality Braille documents, running your material through a magic "fast translation program" will not "guarantee beautiful Braille with the press of a button". You might get Braille, but I'll bet it won't be pretty!

Lastly, the Marrakesh Treaty is also heralded as a boon for Braille availability because it paves the way for a freer sharing of materials across international borders. This is true in theory, but there is a difference between a country "signing" that treaty (which means they agree with its sentiments and goals) and "ratifying" it (which means they are making a public commitment to work toward achieving those goals).

If you are still reading at this point, I close by saying these opinions are mine alone, and I submit them with respect. I can't know everyone's situations, and I don't presume to try. However, we are extremely fortunate in the United States to have the luxury to debate whether Braille is over-rated. In too many places around the world, access to Braille-or even a decent education-is still far beyond the reach of the average blind person.
Until we can shift the attitude of a majority of humanity so that they see that being blind doesn't confine someone's potential as a thriving, giving member of their society, Braille can never be over-rated, and we can never stop fighting to preserve, improve, and spread its power to as many blind people as we can. If it means teaching one child at a time, or convincing one old woman that reading with her fingers is possible, then do those things. Keep doing them again and again and again. We have to keep doing them until we reach that "critical mass". And we're not there yet.

Stephanie Pieck

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