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

Wed Jan 7 09:50:37 UTC 2009

Good evening Cindy,

I'm pretty sure that there is no such thing as "the definition" of the term 
literate.  I personally disagree with the definition that you have provided, 
finding that it is outdated.  Perhaps I'm to much of a post-modernist to be 
able to accept that there is a definition of the term by which I have to 
order my life.

I think that we will have to agree to disagree here.  I really think that 
literacy does not depend on the medium used in communicating  information.

Thanks,
Everett

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "slery" <slerythema at insightbb.com>
To: "'NFBnet NFBCS Mailing List'" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 2:53 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Fwd: Happy Birthday Mr. Braille! - $200 discount on 
ourBraille products

> 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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