[nabs-l] National Federation of theBlindApplaudsNewJerseyRulingon Braille Instruction for Blind Child

Sun May 13 03:34:56 UTC 2012

Sophie, there is more to the story. read the BANA articles in the braille 
monitor. Basically they are revising the code to combine nemeth and literary 
braille. Again read the stuff about BANA, there are three articles there in 
the monitor for more info; it’s the braille authority of north america, 
bana.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Sophie Trist
Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2012 10:03 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of 
theBlindApplaudsNewJerseyRulingon Braille Instruction for Blind Child

They're trying to get rid of Nemeth? But don't they realize that
the mathematical system will be screwed without Nemeth?

----- Original Message -----
From: Joshua Lester <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sat, 12 May 2012 20:22:14 -0500
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of
theBlindApplaudsNewJerseyRuling on Braille Instruction for Blind
Child

Good grief!
Since we're discussing Braille, what's the latest on one of our
famous
Braille codes, the Nemith code?
Are they still trying to get rid of it?
Thanks, Joshua

On 5/12/12, Sophie Trist <sweetpeareader at gmail.com> wrote:
OMG, I'm so sorry, Chris. (Sophie smacks herself in the head
with
her cane.) That's the thing about e-mails. Please forgive me. :)

  ----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing
list<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sat, 12 May 2012 18:22:53 -0400
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the
BlindApplaudsNewJerseyRuling on Braille Instruction for Blind
Child

Sophie,

I agree.  I took Marc's statement to mean that totally blind
people could in fact read and write, just with audio technology
(e.g.  text-to-speech software.) As I said in my previous email,
my point was that we couldn't read or write independently (when
I
say "read," I mean reading
written text, as sighted people read print,) without Braille.
If
a low-vision person has enough vision to read large print, of
course, they could read the written word independently in that
format.  But sometimes, even for low-vision people, reading
large
print becomes a tedious and difficult process, making it
necessary for them to learn Braille in order for the process of
reading and writing to be more efficient.

By the way, I'm a guy! :)

Chris Nusbaum

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."
2 Corinthians 5:7

Sent from my BrailleNote

  ----- Original Message -----
From: Sophie Trist <sweetpeareader at gmail.com
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing
list<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
  sent: Thu, 10 May 2012 15:06:25 -0500
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind
ApplaudsNewJerseyRuling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

Marc,

I believe that when Chris said, "Without braille, we couldn't
read or write,", she was speaking of the totally blind.  From
your
e-mail, I gather that you still have a good bit of my vision
left.  I am completely blind, so there is no possible way that I
could learn print.  Okay, I can learn to sign my name, but
that's
about it.  So for those of us who are totally blind or whose
vision is not reliable enough for them to read print (sorry, but
I think you're a minority on this list), without braille, we
could not read or write.

  ----- Original Message -----
From: Marc Workman <mworkman.lists at gmail.com
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Thu, 10 May 2012 08:40:45 -0700
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind Applauds
NewJerseyRuling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

I guess I'm in a small minority of those who had Braille forced
on them as a child.  I resisted it with every argument an eight
year old can muster.  At several times throughout my primary and
secondary education, I was made to learn and relearn Braille
even
though I didn't use it then and have rarely used it since.

Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying I was right to
resist.  There are lots of things that children resist learning
for one reason or another (e.g.,second and third languages,
musical instruments, dance), and all of these skills contribute
to the production of a more well-rounded and talented person.
Braille falls into this category for me.  Knowing it better
would
likely help me get a job, but so too would being more fluent in
french, particularly in Canada.

Where I do take issue, and I've expressed this before, is with
statements like this one from Chris:

  "Without Braille, we can't read or write."

And I'm not picking on you, Chris, I could have found others
making the same point in this thread.  If Chris's statement is
true, then this email and every essay I wrote in my undergrad,
masters, and PhD programs were written by someone who is
illiterate.  Without being too immodest, I think I write better
than a majority of sighted people, and that's not bad for an
illiterate person.

Any child that wants to learn Braille or any parents that want
that for their children should receive the instruction they
desire.  Adults too should receive the support to learn Braille
if
they so desire.  What I think is worth pointing out is that
Braille isn't necessary for blind people to be able to read and
write, Braille isn't necessary for blind people to be
successful,
and in some cases, mine in particular, the dozens of hours spent
learning Braille may more effectively be spent learning other
skills.

Cheers,

Marc
On 2012-05-08, at 5:41 PM, Chris Nusbaum wrote:

  A big amen to that! I couldn't have said it any better! I was
actually
  having a similar conversation with my school librarian today,
who asked me
  whether I saw Braille withering away with the advancement of
audio
  technology.  I told her I didn't, and even if I could see that
happening, I
  wouldn't want it.  Why do I not see Braille going away? Because
there are
  enough blind people who are passionate about Braille to prevent
that from
  happening! Why would I want Braille to continue as the primary
source of
  reading and writing for the blind? Because reading books in
audio format,
  although it is a good method for reading materials sometimes,
isn't true
  literacy.  Braille is our form of literacy.  Without Braille,
we
can't read or
  write.  This means that we can't get a job, or go to college,
or
keep up with
  our sighted peers.  So, I think we definitely still need
Braille
because it
  is our form of literacy, and if we get rid of Braille, we
should
get rid of
  print too!

  Chris

  -----Original Message-----
  From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
  Of Arielle Silverman
  Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 10:42 PM
  To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
  Subject: Re: [nabs-l] FW: National Federation of the Blind
Applauds
  NewJersey Ruling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

  It's sad that this required three years of legal contention to
resolve.
  What's even sadder is that for thousands of other children,
these battles
  aren't being won in the end or even being fought in the first
place.  Parents
  capitulate to the professionals' insistence that their child
doesn't need
  Braille, or they want to fight but don't have the time, energy
or legal
  resources to stick it out.
  The saddest thing of all, and an irony too, is that so much of
the denial of
  Braille instruction is being perpetrated by the very people
entrusted to
  promote and teach Braille--teachers of the blind! I just read a
few weeks
  ago about a preschool child whose TVI refused to provide her
with Braille
  copies of the storybooks her classmates were given in school.
Instead, the
  teacher thought it sufficient to give the child stuffed toys
representing
  the characters in the stories.  I can understand using toys to
substitute for
  the pictures, but if the sighted kids are getting copies of the
stories, why
  not give the exact same content to the blind child as well? I
might add that
  in today's electronic world, and even before computers existed,
transcribing
  a book for preschoolers is not difficult.  And even in this
case
with the
  Millers, the NJ Commission for the Blind backed the school's
decision not to
  provide Braille.  If even the folks who are charged to teach us
literacy
  don't stand behind Braille, who will? In my opinion a certified
teacher of
  blind children who refuses to teach Braille, or who refuses to
hold their
  students to competitive reading standards, is not deserving of
that
  certificate.
  I sincerely hope that this victory will set a meaningful
precedent to bring
  about big changes for those parents who are fighting for
Braille
today and
  in the future.
  Arielle

  On 5/7/12, Joshua Lester <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>
wrote:
  How old is the child?
  I got Braille instruction, when I was just starting school!
  Why is it, that they did this, with this child?
  Any word on how old he is?
  Thanks, Joshua

  On 5/7/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
  I agree, how  sad.

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Loren
  Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 8:09 PM
  To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list' ;
  blindtlk at nfbnet.org ; nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
  Subject: Re: [nabs-l] FW: National Federation of the Blind
Applauds
  NewJersey Ruling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

  It's extremely sad that this took 3 years to come to this
decision.
  Would
  anyone deny a sighted child print instruction for that long?
  Congrats to the Millers for sticking with it.  You did a great
thing for
  your child.

  Loren Wakefield

  -----Original Message-----
  From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
  Behalf Of Chris Nusbaum
  Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 5:54 PM
  To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org; 'National Association of Blind
Students
  mailing list'; nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
  Subject: [nabs-l] FW: National Federation of the Blind Applauds
New
  Jersey Ruling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

  From: Freeh, Jessica [mailto:JFreeh at nfb.org]
  Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 8:57 AM
  To: Undisclosed recipients:
  Subject: National Federation of the Blind Applauds New Jersey
Ruling on
  Braille Instruction for Blind Child

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

  CONTACT:

  Chris Danielsen

  Director of Public Relations

  National Federation of the Blind

  (410) 659-9314, extension 2330

  (410) 262-1281 (Cell)

  <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org> cdanielsen at nfb.org

  National Federation of the Blind Applauds New Jersey Ruling on
Braille
  Instruction for Blind Child

  After Three-Year Battle, Hank Miller Will Receive Braille
Instruction

  Oceanport, New Jersey (May 7, 2012): After a three-year
administrative
  and
  legal battle against their local school board, the Oceanport
Board of
  Education, Jeffrey and Holly Miller obtained a ruling (docket
number:
  2011
  17218) from an administrative law judge that their
eleven-year-old son
  Henry
  "Hank" Miller was improperly denied instruction in Braille, the
reading
  and
  writing code for the blind.  The legal victory, obtained with
the
  assistance
  of the National Federation of the Blind <http://www.nfb.org/
(NFB),
  comes
  on the heels of

<http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/Letter%20to%20Secretary%20
Duncan%20re
  %20Braille%20Literacy.pdf> a letter from 26 U.S.  Senators
urging
the
  Department of Education to take steps to ensure that blind
children who
  need
  Braille instruction receive it.

  Holly and Jeffrey Miller brought the legal case on behalf of
their son,
  Hank, whom they adopted from China and who is blind due to
albinism and
  nystagmus.  Hank has limited vision that allows him to read
enlarged
  print
  for short periods of time, but he is unable to read for
sustained periods
  of
  time.  Although Hank's parents continued to tell school
officials that
  their
  son was experiencing visual fatigue and was having difficulty
reading,
  the
  school board and its consultant, the New Jersey Commission for
the Blind
  and
  Visually Impaired (CBVI), insisted that Hank was a proficient
print
  reader,
  notwithstanding his continued placement in a special resource
room for
  language arts.  In a nearly ten-day hearing, held under the due
process
  provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act
  of
  2004, Mrs.  Miller testified that she watched Hank routinely
struggle with
  his homework, suffering from eye strain and fatigue, but was
unable to
  convince school officials or the CBVI that Hank needed Braille
  instruction.
  She also testified that Hank's schoolwork was not of the same
quantity
  and
  quality as that of his classmates.  Although experts from the
school and
  the
  commission claimed that Hank was a "visual learner" and should
  participate
  in the "sighted world," experts hired by the Millers and the
NFB
  concluded
  after thorough assessment that Hank could not read print for
extended
  periods of time without eye strain, neck and back pain,
fatigue,
and loss
  of
  reading speed and comprehension.

  In her order, Administrative Law Judge Lisa James-Beavers found
that the
  school board and the commission displayed a clear "bias against
Braille."
  She found that the school board and the commission had failed
to
assess
  Hank's "sustained reading ability" with print, relying instead
on reading
  assessments involving only brief passages, and citing Hank's
alleged
  failure
  to complain about struggling to read print.  The judge was
unconvinced by
  the board and CBVI's contention that Hank could rely on audio
technology
  as
  reading demands increased through his school years, noting that
"as
  pointed
  out by all of petitioners' well-qualified experts, listening
does not
  equate
  to reading.  One does not enhance the active skill of
comprehending text
  by
  passively listening, even if one is following along with the
reading."
  The
  order noted that "the CBVI failed to do what Oceanport relied
on
them to
  do,
  which is to help construct a program that would give H.M.
meaningful
  educational benefit considering H.M.'s future needs."  Judge
  James-Beavers
  ordered that Hank Miller be provided with Braille instruction
for
  forty-five
  minutes, five days a week, and that the school board provide
compensatory
  instruction because of the three years that Hank was not
provided with
  Braille instruction, in the form of intensive Braille summer
programs or
  tutoring.

  Dr.  Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the
Blind, said:
  "Based on the experience of countless parents of blind children
and blind
  adults who had never learned Braille and have contacted us over
the
  years,
  the National Federation of the Blind has consistently argued
that blind
  children are being improperly assessed and denied Braille
instruction
  when
  it is clearly appropriate.  Now after a thorough and
comprehensive
  examination of the evidence in Hank Miller's case, an
independent judge
  has
  confirmed what we always knew.  We hope that school and agency
officials
  across the nation take note of this landmark ruling and commit
to giving
  blind children access to Braille, the true key to literacy for
the vast
  majority of children who are blind or losing vision.  The
National
  Federation of the Blind will continue to stand with families
like the
  Millers who find themselves pitted against the educational
establishment
  in
  obtaining the equal education to which their children are
entitled and
  which
  they deserve."

  Holly Miller, Hank's mother, said: "I am obviously thrilled
with
this
  ruling, although I am still saddened that it took such a
prolonged battle
  to
  achieve it.  I am stepping forward to tell Hank's story in
hopes
that
  other
  parents of blind children will not have to struggle as we did.
I thank
  the
  National Federation of the Blind and all of the individuals and
experts
  who
  came forward to assist in this case.  I plan to strongly and
publicly
  advocate with the National Federation of the Blind for Braille
  instruction
  for blind children."

  The plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Sharon
Krevor-Weisbaum
  of
  the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein, and Levy, and Jayne M.
Wesler of the
  Cranbury firm Sussan and Greenwald.

  For more information about the National Federation of the
Blind,
please
  visit www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org/> .  For more information
about
  Braille, the reading and writing code for the blind, please
visit
  www.braille.org <http://www.braille.org/> .

  ###

  About the National Federation of the Blind

  With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the
Blind is
  the
  largest and most influential membership organization of blind
people in
  the
  United States.  The NFB improves blind people's lives through
advocacy,
  education, research, technology, and programs encouraging
independence
  and
  self-confidence.  It is the leading force in the blindness
field
today and
  the voice of the nation's blind.  In January 2004 the NFB
opened
the
  National
  Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research
and
  training
  center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.

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

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/isaiah5719%40
mchsi.com

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

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%4
0earthlink.
  net

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

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/jlester8462%4
0students.p
  ccua.edu

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

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40g
mail.com

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

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/dotkid.nusbau
m%40gmail.c
  om

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

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mworkman.list
s%40gmail.com

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

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sweetpeareade
r%40gmail.com

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

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/dotkid.nusbau
m%40gmail.com

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

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sweetpeareade
r%40gmail.com

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

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/jlester8462%4
0students.pccua.edu

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
for nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sweetpeareade
r%40gmail.com

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