[Perform-talk] Michigan protesters highlight need for Braille education

[Donna Hill]

Hi Friends,
Does anyone know if any of these folks are in the NFB? It sure seems 
like they might be, but the article doesn't say.
Donna
***
 From Lansing State Journal


Advocates of Braille push for support
Group says education decreased drastically over last few decades

BRITTANY SMITH • BRITTANYSMITH at LSJ.COM • JUNE 24, 2009 • FROM LANSING 
STATE JOURNAL


As technology has improved over time, people who are blind or visually 
impaired have benefited from
computers
and other devices that can read to them and help with their navigation. 
But this same technology also hurts the blind community, according to a 
group of Braille literacy advocates who attended Tuesday the first 
Lansing Braille-A-Thon
at the Capitol. The event was hosted by the Quality
Education
Team for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.

The group of attendees came in support of Braille education, which they 
say has decreased drastically over the last few decades.

"We have to better evaluate how we educate our blind youth," said Geri 
Taeckens, coordinator of Braille-A-Thon and a commissioner for the 
Michigan Commission
for the Blind. Advocates argue Braille education is the key to success 
for those in the blind community.

According to Taeckens, only 10 percent of the children are learning 
Braille. Only 30 percent of adults who are blind are employed and out of 
that number,
90 percent are competitive Braille readers, the highest skill level 
achievable. In Michigan, approximately 50,000 people are blind or 
visually impaired,
according to the Michigan Commission for the Blind.

"All this technology is great, but it's only a supplement. Kids need to 
know Braille," said Taeckens, who learned Braille at age 3.

Tim Paulding, 29, of Kalamazoo, didn't learn Braille until after he 
graduated from the college. He said learning Braille later in life 
proved to be difficult.

"If I had learned to read Braille as a child, reading now wouldn't be so 
difficult, college wouldn't have been as difficult," said the University 
of Michigan
graduate. He now works at the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training 
Center as an events coordinator, helping children learn Braille and 
social skills.

For Greg Botting, 15, of Ionia, and a student representative for the 
group, Braille education is critical.

"We're losing Braille in the blind community," Botting said. "It's our 
way of survival."

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