[Ohio-talk] Are Blind People lemmings?

[Aleeha Dudley]

Hi all, 
 I agree entirely with what Colleen has just said. Even though I am young, I don't think I will give up my 9 contractions either. That's just  the way I have been taught. this, however, should not be your  reason to not renew your membership with NAPUB. I have two points to make for my reasoning for this. The first is that since so many children are going without Braille education and so many newly blind adults or adults who have been blind for years do not use Braille or simply do not have the opportunity to learn it, it needs to be promoted and taught as much as possible, no matter what code it's in. Braille is still a very important tool for the blind, especially in terms of literacy and education, and therefore should be promoted. 
  The second point I have to make is about standing behind your Federation family, even though you may not agree with everything they say. I know someone at the convention, I do not remember who, talked for a bit about this. This is not made as an anger-provoking statement, and I hope it is not seen as such. Though you may not agree with everything your Federation family stands for, you should always stand by your family in the eyes of the public and other organizations of the blind. We are, after all, a family, and one's responsibility is to stand by one's family in all decisions, is it not? 
I hope this message has not offended anyone and I apologize if it has. Please feel free to reply with your comments. 
I hope all are recovering from whatever was so generously shared at convention! I myself did not get it, but I hope everyone who did is faring well.  
Best Wishes, 

Aleeha dudley 

On Nov 10, 2012, at 2:39 PM, Colleen Roth <n8tnv at att.net> wrote:

> Hi Milena,
> I wasn't hapy about the proposed changes years ago when we first heard about them.
> I am not happy we are going to change to UEB but I still think we should promote Braille.
> If my notetaker continues to support translation from Grade 2 Braille to text I will continue ! use that.
> I will probably learn UEB because I still want to teach Braille to others.
> I love all of my contractions too.
> I find certain things rather cubersome and we do not need to have things take up more room.
> However, we were outvoted and must live with this.
> I gues for me I will write in Braille with all of my friend contactions when it is for my personal use or when I write to someone who can read Grade 2 Braille.
> We still need to promote Literacy and for many of us that means Braille.
> Yes sometime in the future we can let children in on our nine contractions.
> I personally do not plan to retire any of my current books.
> I just hope that when I can no longer use them someone will still want them.
> Let's promote Braille Literacy no matter what our feelings are about UEB.
> I guess I better look for a hardcopy of some Study Materials.
> I actually want to read the changes in a hardcopy book.
> I really do not want to go to a Website because I am not sure I can access Bana's Website with my Braille Sense.
> Enjoy writing braille as long as you draw breath.
> We have always experienced changes to the codes and have survived them.
> 
> Colleen Roth
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From:  <mzavoli at roadrunner.com>
> To:  Ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
> Date: Friday, Nov 9, 2012 08:41:40 PM
> Subject: [Ohio-talk] Are Blind People lemmings?
> 
>> 
>> 
>> Hello Everyone,
>> 
>> Although I wrote about Braille at the end of a previous message, it has been brought to my attention that many might have missed my comments, and so I am restating my thoughts under a separate subject line.
>> 
>> I amm expressing my displeasure at NAPUB for what's about to happen to our well-crafted, space-efficient and cherished Braille system.
>> 
>> I voted against the BANA Braille changes at this year's national convention because Braille is fine the way it is.  Braille will become more cumbersome to read the way BANA plans to change it.  This is all an attempt to placate those who say that Braille is hard.  By lowering our standards to become "team players" we are harming ourselves and future generations of blind children and adults.  
>> 
>>  I love all of my contractions, and to have nine of the most commonly needed ones gone, feels like I've suffered a Braille amputation!!!
>> 
>> Our complying with the demands of people in Europe or other parts of the world and settling for the inferior code they want makes us nothing more than lemmings.
>> 
>> Imagine how the "blindness professionals" will say that Braille is even more long and cumbersome than it used to be, and they will have more reason to argue that Braille should not be inflicted on blind children.  Democratizing Braille should not mean lowering standards.
>> 
>> NAPUB has lowered the standards for American braille, and I will not support or renew my membership in NAPUB.
>> 
>> I will be a Braille maverick.  As my way of silent protest, I will continue to write Braille the "old fashioned" way.  One day, I'll be at a national convention telling blind youngsters about the good old days and showing them my secret Braille contractions.  As they gather around, I'll say, "I know nine secret contractions that they didn't teach you in school."  I bet anything they'll be very interested!!!  
>> 
>> Milena
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
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