[nabs-l] Taking Action to Improve Braille Literacy

[Anmol Bhatia]

I also think that all blind students especially those who are in high school should be required to produce their work in print and be required to convert their own print matterials. Although, in college students can get disability services to convert print matterial related to school, but every student is required to hand in assignments in print. Every blind individual needs to adjust to communicating in print or using main stream technology since majority of the society is not blind and in order to deal with the sighted world communicating in print is a must.

Anmol
I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers.
Hellen Keller


--- On Wed, 5/9/12, Salisbury, Justin Mark <SALISBURYJ08 at students.ecu.edu> wrote:

> From: Salisbury, Justin Mark <SALISBURYJ08 at students.ecu.edu>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Taking Action to Improve Braille Literacy
> To: "nabs-l at nfbnet.org" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Date: Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 2:35 PM
> I agree with the points that Arielle
> made, and I particularly think that we need to focus on the
> proper training of Braille teachers at this point in the
> game.  I don't think we currently have enough good
> Braille teachers in the United States to fulfill the needs
> of an optimal system.  
> 
> I was fortunate enough to grow up in Connecticut, so I was
> urged to start learning Braille by my high school and state
> agency at the beginning of my junior year, only a few months
> after I became blind.  I wanted to resist it at first
> because no kid likes the idea of more classes that aren't
> dominated by the opposite sex or physical activity, but I
> soon realized that my school and state agency were right;
> Braille is important!
> 
> I just finished 4 years of college in North Carolina, where
> I am also finishing my second term as President of the NC
> Association of Blind Students.  I have learned a lot
> about both states' systems, and I observe a vast difference
> in the prioritization of Braille.  There are often
> trained Braille teachers in the wealthy and
> densely-populated school districts in NC, but students with
> residual vision are encouraged to depend on what they have
> left.  I wouldn't know Braille today if I had grown up
> in North Carolina.  In my understanding, students who
> are not from equipped school districts who wish to receive
> Braille instruction are often forced to attend the
> residential school for the blind in Raleigh.  Veteran
> teachers at the residential school for the blind have told
> me that it has become the place for students with multiple
> disabilities or from impoverished backgrounds (while anyone
> who can be mainstreamed is), and they have seen a decrease
> in the morale and expectations as this shift has occurred.
> 
> I bring up the residential school topic because, if we were
> able to make the shift tomorrow to a most efficient system,
> I believe we would need all of the students and Braille
> teachers to be located in centralized hubs.  I believe
> attending a residential school should be a choice, but it
> seems to currently be a requirement for many students if
> they want a shot at learning Braille. 
> 
> We need more Braille teachers who are properly
> trained.  
> 
> The Next Step:
> To inspire people to enter the field, we need widespread
> budgetary allocations for the positions of Braille
> teachers.  North Carolina Central University
> consistently struggles to fill its TVI program because
> people aren't applying.
> 
> We should all write a book on this topic.
> 
> Justin
> 
> Justin M. Salisbury
> Undergraduate Student
> The Honors College
> East Carolina University
> salisburyj08 at students.ecu.edu
> 
> “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed
> citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing
> that ever has.”    —MARGARET MEAD
> 
> 
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