[nobe-l] Fwd: [bana-announce] BANA Launches LouisBraille200th Celebration Activities Listing
Carolyn Brock
mmebrock at SpiritOne.com
Wed Nov 12 03:44:10 UTC 2008
Mary,
It should be no harder for a sighted person to learn Braille than
for a blind person. Remember that Braille is not a foreign language
(as is signing for the deaf) but rather a different way of
reading/writing the language you already know. The code itself is
extremely simple; I predict that you could learn all you need, Grade
2 included, in a few weeks. But, especially with the interpoint
Braille, written on both sides of the page, it would be extremely
difficult to read visually; I therefore suggest that you learn to
read it by touch. That may take more time simply because you will
have to train your fingers to the necessary sensitivity and your
brain to take in the information in a way to which it is unaccustomed.
Without exception, the partially sighted people I know have
reported that it is actually a disadvantage to have some sight; you
will certainly be tempted to ""cheat" and look at the Braille. When
I was learning it, I used sleepshades or read in the dark to avoid
the temptation. Even now, after nearly twenty years, I find that I
read Braille better if I don't let my eyes look down toward the
page--even though I cannot see the Braille on the page. There is
something about the sub-conscious visual tracking which actually
blocks the tactile recognition. I have known other partially sighted
people who deliberately look straight ahead, even up, to avoid this
interference.
If you are determined to learn it, you should have little trouble
as long as you are prepared for some frustration over the tactile
recognition until you get used to it.
Good luck, and stay in touch with this list!
Carolyn
More information about the NOBE-L
mailing list