[nabs-l] Using A Braille Embosser In College

[bookwormahb at earthlink.net]

Brianna,
Hi, well I don't agree with the obsolete statement.
Its true that given the large amount of reading and new textbooks you have 
in college,
audio formats will be your primary way of reading and obtaining information. 
You'll read slides/handouts from professors. You'll read your texts in audio 
format through RFB and/or electronic text.

But you will certainly need braille and will use it daily, especially if you 
used braille to study in high school!  Some are already auditory learners; 
others like me used braille a lot in public school and still do!
You need a braille notetaker with a braille display!  This way you can take 
notes and read them.
As others have said, you can also download books and read them that way.
Your english classes and perhaps history courses may require reading novels 
or parts of them.
These novels may be available online.  You can then download them to the 
computer and then to a thumb drive or SD card so you can put that into your 
notetaker and read.
For instance using bookshare or web Braille from NLS.
I had to read the Prince for history; I had to read some classics and novels 
for english including Death of a Salesman, The Glass Manassury, and To Kill 
a Mocking bird.
Although I read them on audio format I'm sure they are also available in 
braille.

As to the question of the embosser, that is up to you.
Will you want to have hard copy braille of notes or handouts?
Are you one who likes to see braille and read it down the page rather than 
linearly on a display?

I have an old embosser; we did not get it through the agency though; I think 
we bought it used; I can;'t remember how my family got it for me.
I use it sometimes; but use the display more.
I find the embossed braille helpful to study particular concepts having odd 
spelled names or something difficult.
Also to study something like Grammar in english or another language, I need 
braille and particularly hard copy braille!
Audio just is not real helpful.

So when you justify equipment, definitely have a way to access braille 
whether it be a display on your notetaker or a display hooked to a laptop or 
desktop.
You may or may not need the embosser.  But if you do not get that, you 
should have a braille writer, I mean the old fashioned perkins brailler!
I say this because there will be some times where you need hard copy 
braille.
Two instances:
1. you do a presentation and need notes in a speech class or something else.
2. You need to read something in class or you need to memorize something for 
an acting class or something.
You'll want something hard copy then.

Ashley

-----Original Message----- 
From: Brianna Scerenscko
Sent: Saturday, February 26, 2011 7:31 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: [nabs-l] Using A Braille Embosser In College

Hello NABS Members,
My name is Brianna. I will be entering college next Fall and am
working on writing up my justification list of technology I will need
for college. I have spoken to three braille instructores that I know
and  two of them said that braille kind of becomes opsalete and that
you mostly use audio formatts in college, but the third one said that
I will need a braille embosser. I have access to an embosser in school
and I never use it.
Any feedback would be extremely appreachiated.
Thank You
Brianna


On 2/26/11, Michelle Clark <mcikeyc at aol.com> wrote:
> One of my members called a few days ago  and was advised that rooms are
> getting low. It is my opinion that this Convention will not be the one 
> that
> if one really wants to go to wait around to make arrangements. They might
> find themselves having to book at Motel of the Crabshack!
>
>
>
> Michelle
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bfs1206%40gmail.com
>

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nabs-l:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%40earthlink.net