[NABS-L] Is braille overrated

[Ben Fulton]

As someone who lost their vision later in life, I found braille difficult to
learn. I barely know the alphabet, and I only use it in the home for
labelling. It would take me a very long time to read a document of any
length. I know I could get better with practice, but that itself takes time.
I am comfortable with my current skills, and I use a computer for
everything, but I had already learned the rules of grammer and spelling. I
admit that spending several years without seeing the words and just
listening to them has made my spelling drop a little, but then there is
always spell check and other useful computer functions. I think if anyone
wants to learn braille and use that then it is a wonderful tool and everyone
should have access to it. I have not been able to afford a braille output
for my computer and for some reason the Assistive device program that
supplied me with a computer, would not give me a braille output device,
because my braille skills were not sufficient to use it. I made the argument
that having the device would help me improve my braille skills, but instead
they supplied me with a printer that is bulky, and cumbersome. So, I have
never really used the printer, and consequently have not improved my braille
skills at all.
 
Also, in places where room numbers are put next to the door in braille, it
is important to know how to read it.