[Pibe-division] Students' Braille Reading Preferences?

[Marianne Denning]

All of the above.  Many students have a notetaker if the school
provides it for them. It can be used as a braille display for a
computer, a iDevice or stand alone.  It also allows the option to read
textbooks required by the school. The portability of a notetaker can't
be beaten by anything yet.  Some students have both a notetaker and a
braille display for the computer.  Some students have a braille
display only.  I think science and math textbooks still need to be
hard copy braille.  I would also recommend this for students in
elementary grades so they can increase reading speed.

On 12/1/15, Allison Hilliker via PIBE-Division <pibe-division at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> A colleague asked me a question today that I didn't have a clear answer for.
> Since you guys talk to way more blind students on a daily basis than I, I
> thought I'd ask here.
>
> What is the most common way that K-12 students are preferring to read
> electronic Braille these days? Are most students still using note-takers
> like a Braille Note or Braille Sense? I suspect this method is still very
> common, but I would guess that it is less popular than it used to be. Is
> that true? If kids use note-takers, do they prefer BRF, DAISY, or another
> file type for reading texts?
>
> If your students are not using a note-taker, are they using iPhones/iPads
> with Braille displays, are they hooking displays up to computers and using
> their screen reader with the display, or a combination of those? Are Macs,
> PCs, Chromebooks, or tablets most common?  And if the answer is that it
> varies, then which option are your Braille readers liking best? Does the
> answer change depending on whether they are reading a textbook or a
> recreational title?
>
> Lastly, are any students preferring embossed hardcopy Braille these days, or
> is electronic the norm?
>
> Just curious. Thanks in advance.
>
> Best,
> Allison
>
>
>


-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053