[Pibe-division] Help with braille

Tue Nov 17 16:33:47 UTC 2015

Excellent words of wisdom, Amanda! Braille Rocks!

Eric Guillory, PIBE President
Director of Youth Services
Louisiana Center for the Blind
101 South Trenton Street
Ruston, LA 71270
Voice: 800-234-4166
Fax: 318-251-0109
Twitter: ericguillory
Skype: brllovingdad
www.louisianacenter.org

"Together, we are changing what it means to be blind."

-----Original Message-----
From: PIBE-Division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Amanda Gough via PIBE-Division
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2015 8:27 PM
To: 'Professionals in Blindness Education Division List' <pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Amanda Gough <amanda.gough at xtra.co.nz>
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Help with braille

Hi Pauline

A couple of points you could try to push the validity and importance of
braille:

- They will never be able to read their child a bedtime story using a speech
synthesiser.
- Blind people who don't use braille are much more likely to end up
unemployed than braille users.
- It is a much faster, and less obtrusive way to identify items by braille
labelling them than by using something like KNFB reader (Not knocking KNFB
Reader, it has a place and it's brilliant).
- You'll never learn to spell well using a speech synthesiser.
- You can't add your own 'voices' to characters whose words are read to you
in synthesised speech.
- Braille and technology are not mutually exclusive... and you're going to
be far better off with BOTH.
- And most importantly, sighted people are still learning to read print, and
until the day that is no longer deemed necessary, braille is also necessary.

I would also seriously look at ensuring they received plenty of mentoring
and role modelling from proficient braille users who use braille as part of
their everyday lives - people who are also technologically literate, and
could/do use synthesised speech for certain tasks, but opt for braille in
other circumstances because it is the best tool for the job.

There are plenty of stories on the NFB website and in other places where
blind people tell the readers why braille is so important to them, and how
it enhances their lives.  Perhaps you could get your students to read these?

I am also interested that you say a lot of your students have reduced finger
sensitivity and need jumbo braille.  I'm just wondering why this is?  Do you
have a lot of diabetic students? I have never taught jumbo braille (except
when teaching a symbol using the swing cell with marbles or similar, then
it's mega-jumbo!)

Good luck

Amanda
(in New Zealand)

-----Original Message-----
From: PIBE-Division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Smith, Pauline L via PIBE-Division
Sent: Tuesday, 17 November 2015 9:02 a.m.
To: 'Professionals in Blindness Education Division List'
Cc: Smith, Pauline L
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Help with braille

Good Afternoon,

I face the same issues Adrijana raises here when working the adults/young
adults I teach.  It is very difficult to get most of them to do
practice/homework assignments.  Most of them don't take my class seriously.
Also, many don't see a reason to learn or use Braille since there are
talking devices that can accomplish tasks with less effort.  Also, not much
outside material is produced in jumbo Braille, which many of my students
require due to reduced sensitivity in hands and fingers.

Any tips for motiviating and improving of my Braille instruction are
appreciated.

Pauline Smith, TVI
Braille Instructor

-----Original Message-----
From: PIBE-Division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
adrijana prokopenko via PIBE-Division
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2015 2:34 PM
To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
Cc: adrijana prokopenko
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Help with braille

When you think about it, that is how we did it as children, just kept
reading, reading and reading, even though not much was available, I remember
our alphabet book was about 40 years old when we got it for the first time
and our teacher often gave us notebooks of former students she had we could
read stuff from. Nowadays students are never going to take what we did, many
talk back at their teachers or protest, which makes things even more
difficult and it is even harder when they read articles of how braille is
staying backwards and then try to beat us up with those arguements, I really
wish and hope that when editors and others write such articles, they have in
mind that students are also reading them, so that they could get a more
positive point reach them.

On 11/16/15, adrijana prokopenko <adrijana.prokopenko at gmail.com> wrote:
> That is what I think as well, but in my country of Macedonia you can't 
> really find much braille to read in English and they can't even master 
> grade 1, let alone grade 2.
>
> On 11/16/15, Marianne Denning via PIBE-Division 
> <pibe-division at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Or just like reading print.  Read, read, read.  Braile must be under 
>> the fingers regularly.
>>
>> On 11/16/15, rjaquiss via PIBE-Division <pibe-division at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> Hello Adrijana:
>>>
>>>      I am not a teacher, but it is my understanding that if you want 
>>> to get good speed reading braille, you have to read braille. I use a 
>>> braille display, but I often use embossed braille materials. Reading 
>>> braille takes practice just like learning a musical instrument.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Robert
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: PIBE-Division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>>> Behalf Of adrijana prokopenko via PIBE-Division
>>> Sent: Monday, November 16, 2015 10:28 AM
>>> To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
>>> Cc: adrijana prokopenko
>>> Subject: [Pibe-division] Help with braille
>>>
>>> It seems as reading braille is becoming more and more difficult and 
>>> slower and slower for many of my students as years go by. I am sure 
>>> there are more reasons than one that causes this, ranging from lack 
>>> of braille materials, bad quality braille, students with multiple 
>>> disabilities, the influence of computers and other technology and so 
>>> much more. I was just wondering how other teachers come to terms 
>>> with this problem and what it is that they use to help themselves in 
>>> the process. Besides my experience, I have tried using different 
>>> games, aproaches and ways to improve their speed and make them love 
>>> braille more, but it doesn't give me good results most of the time.
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
>> Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
>> (513) 607-6053
>>
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>>
>

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