[nabs-l] Obtaining electronic text

[Joshua Lester]

I mentioned Bookshare in my last post. I wouldn't mind the Jaws
reading my textbooks, I just want consistancy, something the
audiobooks don't provide. Blessings, Joshua

On 2/7/11, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
> Joshua,
>   I agree that braill is the foundation and cornerstone for literacy
> among blind people...and, sadly, braille needs are not being met in
> our schools in a lot of places.  Braille is great, it's escential
> even...but "braille or nothing at all" seems a bit much to me.
> Consider a couple things:
> 1.  Paper braille is cumbersome, roomy, and inconvenient.  Especially
> for large books.
> 2.  Refreshable braille is great, but it doesn't solve everything.
> For one, it's expensive.  Also, from my experience, computer
> translated braille does not handle things like math or graphics very
> well at all.
> 3.  It's really nice and convenient to have jaws speed read through
> large books.  At least for me, reading documents with jaws is faster
> than reading them in braille.  I'm a slow braille reader...I sit
> somewhere around 120-130 words a minute, and jaws can read things to
> me at a consistently faster pace.
>   That's not to say I don't use braille.  One of my textbooks, a logic
> book with all sorts of graphics and symbols, is in paper braille.  I
> still do some of my reading in braille because it's real reading, not
> just listening.  And braille taught me how to be a better speller.  I
> use braille some now but, perhaps more importantly, it gave me a huge
> boost in my education.  So I say braille is necessary, it absolutely
> should be taught...but it's not always the most efficient or practical
> way to do what needs to be done.  Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.
>  But I'm sure glad I learned it, and I hope to improve my braille
> skills still.
>   All the best,
> Kirt
>
>
> On 2/7/11, Joshua Lester <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu> wrote:
>> I know the RFBND readers are volunteers. I appreciate all that they
>> do, but the last 5 or 6 recordings of textbooks haven't been their
>> best. They used to be better. The best book they recorded was my
>> Freshman English 1 book. I still believe that Braille is the answer.
>> I'm probably the only conservative NFB member on this list. I joined
>> the NFB last year, but I'm old school when it comes to Braille, and I
>> always will be. It's Braille or nothing at all! It bothers me that
>> most blind people that have just lost their sight in the past 8 to 15
>> years don't know Braille. That's in Arkansas. They won't take classes
>> at the Arkansas School for the Blind, or Lions World Services for the
>> Blind, they'd rather have computers read everything to them. I like
>> Jaws, and all of these computer programs, but Braille literacy should
>> come first. Maybe, I should join NAPUB, as well. Blessings, Joshua
>>
>> On 2/7/11, David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> wrote:
>>> Joshua, when you compare RFB&D and NLS readers you are comparing
>>> apples and oranges.  NLS readers, almost exclusively are paid
>>> professionals, actors, radio and TV people, etc.  RFB&D readers are
>>> volunteers, who by and large don't do badly.
>>>
>>> Dave
>>>
>>> At 02:26 PM 2/6/2011, you wrote:
>>>>I don't know who posted about the RFBD books. I found it funny that
>>>>the narrators keep tripping up on words. Even in my history and
>>>>Geography books, they have so many "ums," and "urs," that it's
>>>>laughable. They need better readers. The Library of Congress narrators
>>>>weren't that bad. Blessings, Joshua
>>>
>>>
>>>
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