[Nfb-hi] Fwd: Follow NFB on Twitter

[Dr. J. michael jones]

My Dear Dr. Pink: please let me try to share some light on your question about Braille and it’s usage for older people and people in general.
For some  background I have taught, in my life, Braille to a person who was 90 years old and to persons who were 3 years old, for these persons and for all in between Braille had the utility that they wanted.
You see Braille is a reading skill and a tool for organization, and like all skills people choose to acquire as much of the skill as will help them at the time.  Sometimes people acquire a little of the Braille skill and find that later they want more of the skill.  Some will find enough Braille to just read elevator buttons and floor indicators and some people will want to read “War and Peace”.  Braille should not be thought of as a mutually exclusive skill nor should it be taught in a vacuum.  Research shows that people who acquire a high level of proficiency in reading Braille earn more money and live a more independent life.  However, that is not to say that you can’t have either  without Braille, because you certainly can.
The short answer to your question is that acquiring a little or a lot of Braille only helps, and there is no harm for having gained the skilled;  even learning just the numbers and letters gives freedom.  Dr. J. Michael Jones, Honolulu Hawaii> Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:20:11 -1000> From: pinkhawaii at gmail.com> To: nfb-hi at nfbnet.org> Subject: [Nfb-hi] Fwd: Follow NFB on Twitter> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------> From: <pinkhawaii at gmail.com>> Date: Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 10:23 AM> Subject: Re: [Nfb-hi] Follow NFB on Twitter> To: NFB of Hawaii Mailing List <nfb-hi at nfbnet.org>> > > Dear Chris and ALL. I am only blind for 7 years, now age 75. What are the> advantages of learning Braille if you are elderly? Can you still learn it> with arthritis and neuropathy? I understand that 90% of us legally blind can> see a little in different ways. Since only less than 10% of ALL LEGALLY> BLIND know Braille. What could my young blind family friends do with Braille> if they learn it? Would they and also the elderly be better of, learning the> Internet and typing to communicate with all blind and seeing alike? Most> blind can hear. Zoom Text and Jaws can read aloud all our communications. We> can even communicate with the deaf, since they can see our writings. So> would free high speed Internet for ALL deaf and blind persons not be better> for our education and communication with ALL??? Is it not easier to get a> job in communication and data entry etc.? Would free high speed Internet not> be better for ALL the MANY lonely housebound blind, deaf, handicapped and> elderly? Could not the few deaf or blind persons, now using Braille and> American Sign Language, ALL join the whole community without isolation for> communication and education? Could we not get better paying jobs by working> at home and save expensive gas and mileage with free high speed Internet> access??? We could even teach on the Internet with voice, sight, camera and> writing! We could ride the present wave of the future. We could even save> the very high cost of the "free" Video Relay Services at $7.- per single> minute, paid by the taxpayers. Message centers could relay computer messages> to persons without computers. American Sign Language could than be> transmitted over the Internet with cheap web cams directly from person to> person. Computers could also translate Braille into voice and print. The> technique is here, we only need to implement it and save tons of money! Let> the WHOLE WORLD communicate with our now so isolated handicapped.> by Dr. Heinz-Guenther Pink> Advocate and program evaluator for the blind, deaf and handicapped.> Member: NFB Communication Council> and ATRC Advisory Council of the State> Member of Senator Chun Oakland's Deaf-Blind Task Force.> Founder: Computer College of Hawaii since 1963, pinkhawaii at gmail.com> 410 Magellan Ave. Apt.1002, Honolulu, HI. 96813 , Tel 808: 537-1875> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 5:58 PM, Danielsen, Chris <CDanielsen at nfb.org>wrote:> > >> > Dear Fellow Federationists:> >> >> > I am writing with exciting news! You can now follow the latest news and> > information from the National Federation of the Blind, the Voice of the> > Nation's Blind, on Twitter. To follow our Twitter updates, go to <> > http://www.twitter.com/NFB_voice>www.twitter.com/NFB_voice. You'll need to> > join Twitter if you don't have an account.> >> >> >> > Twitter is a social networking site that allows you to keep track of your> > friends, family, and interests online. In addition to signing up for Web> > updates for the National Federation of the Blind, you can also opt to> > receive our Twitter updates via text message on your mobile phone. And> > while you're at it, follow the 2009 Braille Readers are Leaders campaign as> > well, by going to <http://www.twitter.com/brailleliteracy>> > www.twitter.com/brailleliteracy> >> >> >> > We hope lots of you will follow our new Twitter feed­and don't hesitate to> > send us a direct message if you have questions or comments about what you> > read.> >> >> >> > Sincerely:> >> >> >> > Chris Danielsen> >> > Director of Public Relations> >> > NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND> >> >> > _______________________________________________> > Nfb-hi mailing list> > Nfb-hi at nfbnet.org> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-hi_nfbnet.org> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for> > Nfb-hi:> >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-hi_nfbnet.org/pinkhawaii%40gmail.com> >> > > > -- > > > > > -- > Dr. Heinz-Guenther Pink> Advocate and program evaluator for the blind, deaf and handicapped.> Member: NFB Communication Council> and ATRC Advisory Council of the State> Member of Senator Chun Oakland's Deaf-Blind Task Force.> Founder: Computer College of Hawaii since 1963, pinkhawaii at gmail.com> 410 Magellan Ave. Apt.1002, Honolulu, HI. 96813 , Tel 808: 537-1875> _______________________________________________> Nfb-hi mailing list> Nfb-hi at nfbnet.org> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-hi_nfbnet.org> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nfb-hi:> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-hi_nfbnet.org/j.michaeljones%40live.com
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