[nfbcs] Fwd: Happy Birthday Mr. Braille! - $200 discount on our Braille products

[slery]

Everett,

The definition of literate is:
literacy - Ability to read, spell and to communicate through written
language.

Can you read (not listen) and write? If so, you are literate.

When we read a story to a toddler that is sighted, do we say that they are
literate (have the ability to read and write)?

Just because the blind have developed many varied ways of ACCESSING the
printed word, it does not necessarily make them literate.

Are you reading this email or listening to it? 

Listening is a very important skill and very valuable for obtaining
information. However, it is not a substitute for actually reading. I am sure
that you will be able to respond to this email by typing (a form of writing)
but that is only half of the equation.

Please understand that this definition of literacy is not meant to put
people down. It is merely a fact and statistic that needs to be improved if
blind people want access. Public schools are denying blind children the
right to literacy the same way black people were denied the right to read
and write. It was actually illegal to teach them these skills because the
white man knew that it would make the black man his equal.

The blind do not have equal access to reading and writing and we do not have
equal access to jobs. I listen to the paper every day and hear how awful it
is that the state might reach eight percent unemployment. We would all be
dancing and shouting hallelujah if the blind reached that number.

Just a little something to think about.

Cindy

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org 
> [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of E.J. Zufelt
> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 1:06 PM
> To: NFBnet NFBCS Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfbcs]Fwd: Happy Birthday Mr. Braille! - $200 
> discount on our Braille products
> 
> 
> Good afternoon,
> 
> "[Braille]  is the only method by which the blind can be 
> truly literate".
> 
> I take exception to this statement.  I know only enough 
> braille to play 
> poker.  I am completely blind and I consider myself more 
> literate than the 
> average individual who has sight.
> 
> Everett
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
> To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 12:06 PM
> Subject: [nfbcs] Fwd: Happy Birthday Mr. Braille! - $200 
> discount on our 
> Braille products
> 
> 
> 
> >
> >HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. BRAILLE!
> >
> >Longueuil, January 6th, 2008  -  January 4th 2009 marked the two  
> >hundredth
> >anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. Louis Braille is 
> the inventor of 
> >the Braille reading and writing system used internationally 
> by people who 
> >are blind and visually impaired. It is the only method by 
> which the blind 
> >can be truly literate.  Statistics show that 85% of employed 
> blind people 
> >use Braille to perform part of their job.
> >
> >HumanWare has been at the forefront of providing 
> award-winning Braille
> >solutions for both students and professionals. HumanWare's 
> BrailleNote note 
> >takers are used by thousands of students and professionals 
> who create and 
> >access documents and books to be read in Braille.  HumanWare 
> offers other 
> >Braille solutions from the pocketsize BrailleConnect for use 
> with mobile 
> >devices and laptops, several sizes of the Brailliant Braille 
> displays for 
> >the workplace, and personal and institutional Braille embossers.
> >
> >HumanWare will be celebrating this two hundredth anniversary 
> throughout 
> >the
> >year with many future announcements. To begin the year with the true 
> >spirit, HumanWare is pleased to offer to all of our customers in the 
> >Americas a $200 discount on the purchase on any of our 
> Braille products.
> >
> >HumanWare realizes that much work remains to be done to 
> insure that all
> >blind individuals have an opportunity to learn and use 
> Braille. HumanWare 
> >has worked on many initiatives in the past to make Braille 
> more accessible 
> >and will vigorously pursue these activities in 2009 and 
> beyond to make 
> >illiteracy among the blind a thing of the past.
> >
> >This offer is limited to the month of January 2009 and 
> applies only to 
> >the
> >following products:
> >
> >. BrailleNote mPower
> >. BrailleNote Deaf-Blind Communicator
> >. BrailleNote PK
> >. BrailleConnect
> >. Brailliant
> >. Mountbatten Brailler (in U.S.A. only)
> >. ViewPlus Braille Embossers
> >About HumanWare
> >HumanWare (www.humanware.com) is the global leader in assistive
> >technologies for the print disabled. HumanWare provides 
> products to people 
> >who are blind and have low vision and students with learning 
> disabilities. 
> >HumanWare offers a collection of innovative products include 
> BrailleNote, 
> >the leading productivity device for the blind in education, 
> business and 
> >for personal use; the Victor Reader product line, the 
> world's leading 
> >digital audiobook players, and SmartView Xtend, the first 
> fully modular and 
> >upgradeable CCTV-based video magnifier.
> >
> >For more information:
> >HumanWare
> >Nicolas Lagace
> >Tel.: (450) 463-1717
> >E-mail: nicolas.lagace at humanware.com
> 
> David Andrews and white cane Harry.
> 
> 
> 
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%40zufelt.ca


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