[Ohio-talk] Braille and NAPUB discussion

[Cheryl Fischer]

I've been reading the comments on the Braille changes and NAPUB and want to
say a few things.

 

First, while a drunken bash may not seem to be analogous to changing the
Braille code, I think Milena's point was that if some members of your family
are participating in what you feel is a harmful activity, you should not
feel obligated to support them. 

 

It seems to me that the direction National NAPUB leaders have put their
energy in over the last 10+  years has been to get the NFB to support the
BANA changes to Braille. The NAPUB website does not say what NAPUB actually
does. There is a mention of the Braille Readers are Leaders program, but it
does not sound like this program is actually run by NAPUB. I don't know. 

 

So, what happens to our NAPUB dues? Are they used to pay for NAPUB leaders
to travel to BANA meetings? If so, I can teach someone in my community to
read Braille  and refer teachers and parents of blind children to the
Braille Readers are leaders contest without contributing money to NAPUB. 

 

I hope that what some of you have been writing, that our refreshable Braille
technology devices  will give us the option to read in grade 2 Braille, is
true. I've been thinking that the companies that make and sell these devices
might see their sales drop otherwise. There are already very few words per
line on a refreshable Braille display. With the BANA changes, there will be
even fewer, and I would be aggravated to have to slug over words that have
been made longer by these changes. I've been thinking about buying a Braille
Sense, but I think I'll wait to see if they continue to offer the grade 2
reading option.           

 

Does anyone know what the nine contractions being removed are? I've heard
that I N g and e d will be gone. Just think of how often those are found at
the ends and in the middles of words! Also, the of and with contractions
stand alone and are also used as parts of words. Then there's e n and I n
and s t. Now I'm also hearing about a l l y and a t I o n. That makes nine.
Is that the correct and entire list? Someone told me e r was on the list.
That would make ten.  

 

Well, I wish I and others who are unhappy with BANA changes had spent more
time fighting against them over the last ten years before they were voted on
at our last National convention. We are as responsible for this outcome as
those who promoted the changes.

 

Cheryl