[nabs-l] Braille Under Siege As Blind Turn To Smartphones

[Chris Nusbaum]

Hi=20Anjelina=20and=20everyone,

Although=20there=20is=20technology=20out=20there=20which=20can=20help=20us=
=20access=20
information=20a=20lot=20faster=20than=20Braille,=20there=20is=20still=20an=
=20
importance,=20in=20my=20opinion,=20to=20Braille.=20=20Yes,=20there=20is=20t=
echnology=20
that=20we=20can=20use,=20but=20I=20don't=20think=20it=20can=20replace=20Bra=
ille=20as=20a=20
form=20of=20literacy.=20=20I=20believe=20that=20as=20print=20is=20the=20for=
m=20of=20
literacy=20for=20the=20sighted,=20Braille=20is=20the=20form=20of=20literacy=
=20for=20the=20
blind.=20=20Perhaps=20the=20best=20way=20for=20me=20to=20express=20my=20opi=
nions=20on=20
this=20issue=20is=20to=20paste=20here=20a=20submission=20I=20wrote=20for=20=
the=20Readers'=20
Forum=20of=20the=20Matilda=20Ziegler=20Magazine=20for=20the=20Blind,=20in=20=
response=20
to=20previous=20posts=20in=20that=20Forum=20which=20expressed=20mixed=20fee=
lings=20
about=20the=20importance=20of=20Braille.=20=20What=20are=20your=20thoughts=
=20on=20this?

Chris

This=20is=20the=20Readers'=20Forum=20submission:

In=20response=20to=20previous=20posts=20in=20the=20Reader's=20Forum=20regar=
ding=20
Braille:

There=20is=20an=20interesting=20debate=20within=20the=20blindness=20communi=
ty=20and=20
in=20the=20community=20of=20people=20working=20with=20us=20regarding=20Brai=
lle=20and=20
its=20importance=20in=20the=20digital=20world=20in=20which=20we=20live.=20=
=20There=20is=20
no=20question=20that=20we=20have=20seen=20a=20remarkable=20advancement=20in=
=20
technology,=20including=20technology=20for=20the=20blind,=20and=20this=20
technology=20will=20continue=20to=20advance=20and=20become=20more=20accessi=
ble.=20=20
Although=20a=20lot=20of=20information=20isn't=20accessible=20to=20us,=20jus=
t=20look=20
at=20what=20we=20have=20in=20the=20way=20of=20technology=20that=20could=20e=
asily=20make=20
Braille=20obsolete:=20notetakers,=20screen=20readers,=20iDevices=20with=20
VoiceOver,=20etc.=20=20All=20this=20technology=20is=20very=20good=20and=20a=
llows=20us=20
to=20access=20information=20like=20never=20before;=20don't=20get=20me=20wro=
ng=20
there.=20=20But=20it=20can't=20replace=20Braille!=20There=20is=20technology=
;=20there=20
is=20audio;=20there=20are=20ways=20out=20there=20for=20us=20to=20access=20b=
ooks=20besides=20
hardcopy=20Braille;=20but=20in=20my=20opinion=20there=20is=20nothing=20that=
=20can=20
replace=20Braille=20literacy.=20=20Yes,=20you=20can=20read=20books=20using=
=20audio=20
(human-produced=20or=20synthesized,)=20but=20that's=20not=20literacy!=20Any=
body=20
who=20is=20familiar=20with=20the=20English=20language=20(or=20whatever=20la=
nguage=20
the=20audiobook=20is=20produced=20in)=20enough=20to=20listen=20to=20a=20per=
son=20
talking=20can=20do=20that!=20But=20literacy,=20in=20my=20opinion,=20is=20th=
e=20ability=20
to=20communicate=20effectively=20and=20efficiently=20using=20some=20system=
=20of=20
reading=20and=20writing.=20=20Even=20in=20today's=20technologically-driven=
=20
society,=20there=20is=20still=20a=20huge=20emphasis=20placed=20on=20literac=
y;=20most=20
jobs=20require=20you=20to=20be=20able=20to=20read;=20you're=20definitely=20=
not=20going=20
to=20get=20into=20any=20kind=20of=20college=20without=20being=20able=20to=20=
read;=20
literate=20people=20are=20typically=20regarded=20in=20society=20as=20educat=
ed=20and=20
so=20are=20much=20more=20respected=20than=20those=20who=20can't=20read.=20=
=20Even=20the=20
technology=20that=20sighted=20people=20use=20is=20all=20print-based,=20in=20=
that=20
the=20sighted=20user=20must=20read=20the=20print=20on=20the=20screen=20to=20=
get=20at=20any=20
information=20on=20the=20computer/mobile=20device=20and=20to=20operate=20th=
e=20
device.=20=20So,=20we=20really=20are=20the=20only=20people=20whose=20form=20=
of=20literacy=20
(and=20the=20teaching=20of=20it)=20is=20effected=20negatively=20by=20advanc=
ements=20
in=20technology.=20=20However,=20this=20technology,=20in=20my=20view,=20doe=
sn't=20
even=20come=20close=20to=20making=20Braille=20obsolete.=20=20As=20print=20i=
s=20the=20form=20
of=20literacy=20for=20the=20sighted,=20so=20Braille=20is=20the=20form=20of=
=20literacy=20
for=20the=20blind!=20I=20believe=20we=20still=20need=20Braille=20and=20that=
=20it=20is=20
very=20important=20to=20us!=20If=20you=20ask=20anybody=20who=20says=20we=20=
don't=20need=20
Braille=20anymore=20the=20question:=20"So=20should=20we=20stop=20teaching=20=
sighted=20
children=20print,"=20you'd=20most=20likely=20get=20a=20resounding=20"No!"=20=
So=20why=20
should=20we=20eliminate=20our=20form=20of=20literacy=20just=20because=20the=
re's=20
technology=20that=20can=20replace=20it?=20Braille=20is=20still=20our=20form=
=20of=20
literacy,=20and=20I=20think=20eliminating=20it=20or=20stopping=20the=20teac=
hing=20of=20
it=20would=20place=20all=20blind=20people=20at=20a=20severe=20disadvantage=
=20to=20their=20
sighted=20peers.

Chris=20Nusbaum
Taneytown,=20Maryland


Chris=20Nusbaum
Email=20and=20Google=20Talk/Keychat=20(on=20the=20BrailleNote)=20ID:=20
dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
Skype:=20christpher.nusbaum3=20or=20search=20for=20Chris=20Nusbaum

"The=20real=20problem=20of=20blindness=20is=20not=20the=20loss=20of=20eyesi=
ght.=20=20The=20
real=20problem=20is=20the=20misunderstanding=20and=20lack=20of=20education=
=20that=20
exists.=20=20If=20a=20blind=20person=20has=20the=20proper=20training=20and=
=20
opportunity,=20blindness=20can=20be=20reduced=20to=20a=20mere=20physical=20=

nuisance."
--=20Kenneth=20Jernigan

-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20"Anjelina"=20<anjelinac26 at gmail.com
To:=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Mon,=2013=20Feb=202012=2021:49:22=20-0500
Subject:=20[nabs-l]=20Braille=20Under=20Siege=20As=20Blind=20Turn=20To=20
Smartphones

Good=20evening=20fellow=20students,
What=20are=20your=20thoughts=20about=20this=20NPR=20article?
Since=20technology=20is=20such=20a=20large=20part=20of=20our=20daily=20live=
s,=20
especially=20as=20students,=20how=20do=20you=20keep=20up=20with=20your=20Br=
aille=20
skills?
Besides=20using=20my=20BrailleNote=20for=20taking=20notes/reading,=20labeli=
ng=20
items=20=20and=20the=20occasional=20Braille=20leisure=20novel,=20I=20don=E2=
=80=99t=20have=20
as=20much=20access=20to=20Braille=20as=20I=E2=80=99d=20prefer.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/02/13/146812288/b
raille-under-siege-as-blind-turn-to-smartphones
Anjelina
_______________________________________________
nabs-l=20mailing=20list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To=20unsubscribe,=20change=20your=20list=20options=20or=20get=20your=20acco=
unt=20info=20
for=20nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/dotkid.nusbau
m%40gmail.com