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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I am forwarding a response to a question that Penny posted
on these listservs. Please address any questions or concerns directly to
Louise Walch. You will find her to be very willing to share the work of
this Board and to answer all questions you may have. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Sheila</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A name=OLE_LINK52></A><A
name=OLE_LINK51></A><A name=OLE_LINK50><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK51"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK52">Hello
Penny,<BR><BR>In regard to your question about the five-year recertification
requirement, here is some background to help explain our rationale:<BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"></SPAN></SPAN></A></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK50"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK51"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK52">The NBPCB was formed to insure that
professionals working in the field<BR>maintain high standards. Braille, like
many skills, may erode over time if<BR>it is not being used. If a candidate were
to be certified indefinitely, the<BR>NBPCB could not verify to employers that
that person is in fact still<BR>current in his/her Braille literacy. As a
result, the five year retesting<BR>policy is put in place to insure that
candidates are not only competent at<BR>the time of their initial test, but that
they maintain this competence<BR>throughout their professional career. This, we
believe, is the only<BR>responsible course of action to insure that qualified
persons are working in<BR>the field of providing braille literary skills to
children and adults. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Furthermore,
please be assured that we are making every effort to keep the cost to candidates
as low as possible.</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK50"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK51"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK52"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK50"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK51"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK52"></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK50"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK51"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK52">I hope I have sufficiently answered your
question. If you have further<BR>questions, feel free to contact me again by
e-mail at </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><A
href="http://mail.nbpcb.org/src/compose.php?send_to=Braille%40nbpcb.org"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK50"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK51"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK52">Braille@nbpcb.org</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK50"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK51"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK52"></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK50"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK51"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK52">, or<BR>call the NBPCB office at (318)
257-4554. Please also visit our website at<BR><A
href="http://www.nbpcb.org">www.nbpcb.org</A></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK50"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK51"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK52"> for more information.<BR><BR>Best
regards,</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Louise</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>Louise G. Walch<BR>NBPCB Coordinator<BR><A
href="mailto:Braille@nbpcb.org">Braille@nbpcb.org</A><BR><A
href="http://www.nbpcb.org">www.nbpcb.org</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT></DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=penny.reeder@gmail.com href="mailto:penny.reeder@gmail.com">Penny
Reeder</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=brltrans@verizon.net
href="mailto:brltrans@verizon.net">Sheila Amato</A> ; <A
title=aernet@lists.aerbvi.org
href="mailto:aernet@lists.aerbvi.org">aernet@lists.aerbvi.org</A> ; <A
title=pibe-division@nfbnet.org
href="mailto:pibe-division@nfbnet.org">Professionals in Blindness Education
Division List</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, February 22, 2009 11:58 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [AERNet] National Certification in Literary Braille -
New York test venue</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Dear Sheila and others,<BR><BR>I wonder what the rationale
could be for the requirement for recertification in braille? I can
understand the requirement for recertification in all kinds of other topic
areas, but it seems to me that once someone has demonstrated competency with
braille, he or she is unlikely to lose that competency. It seems like
more of a money-making scheme to me than a rquirement that could be based in
any legitimate need. The code does not change very much over time, and
the skill set continues to remain the same.<BR><BR>There is no similar
requirement for certification or recertification in hand-writing, or
keyboarding, or reading.<BR><BR><BR><BR>What do others
think?<BR><BR>Penny<BR><BR><BR>At 11:41 AM 2/22/2009, Sheila Amato
wrote:<BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite">
<DIV align=center><B><I><A name=OLE_LINK10></A>Braille Test Coming to
</I></B><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><A
name=OLE_LINK10></A><B><I>New York, March 15<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns
= "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><BR></I></B></DIV><BR><B><I> <BR></I></B><BR>
<DIV align=center><B>THE NATIONAL CERTIFICATION IN<BR></B></DIV><BR>
<DIV align=center><B>LITERARY BRAILLE (NCLB)<BR></B></DIV><BR>
<DIV align=center><B><I><BR></I></B> </DIV><A
name=OLE_LINK5></A><BR><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times"><A
name=OLE_LINK4></A>As you may be aware, the National Literary Braille
Competency Test (NLBCT) of the National Library Service (NLS) has been
transferred to the administration of the National Blindness Professional
Certification Board (NBPCB). With the NLBCT as its cornerstone, the NBPCB
has established the National Certification in Literary Braille (NCLB), which
is a complete professional credential that requires recertification on a
five year cycle. Individuals who were certified with the NLBCT prior to 2006
will need to retest through the NBPCB; however, the initial fee may be
waived if the applicant can show proof of original NLBCT
credential.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times">The NCLB is currently the only nationally
recognized certification in literary Braille. The examination has not been
substantially changed from its earlier version once administered by the NLS,
however a five year recertification requirement has been instituted in the
interest of maintaining high standards. The exam is not aimed at
transcribers. Rather, it is a valid test of a person’s ability to
competently read, write, and understand contracted, literary Braille, and is
being targeted to all individuals who teach Braille professionally, and/or
those seeking to be credentialed in this area.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times">See the following details for testing in New
York:<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times">Date:
Sunday, March 15, 2009<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times">Time:
8:00am-5:00pm (Doors close 8:30am)<BR></FONT><A
name=OLE_LINK12></A><BR><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times"><A
name=OLE_LINK11></A>Location:
Lighthouse International (6<SUP>th</SUP><A name=OLE_LINK11></A> Floor
Studio/Jr. Ballroom)<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times">111
East 59<SUP>th</SUP> Street<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times">New York, NY 10022-1202<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times">Cost:
$250 combined application/testing fee<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times">Deadline:
Sunday, March 1, 2009<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times">Subsequent NCLB examinations will be convened
wherever an appropriate venue can be procured, and sufficient applicant
numbers make it possible. Please contact the NBPCB for more
details.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"> <BR></FONT><BR>
<DIV align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times">To apply online go
to:<BR></FONT></DIV><BR>
<DIV align=center><FONT color=#0000cc><B><A
href="http://www.nbpcb.org/nclb/application/">www.nbpcb.org/nclb/application/</A><BR></B></FONT></DIV><BR>
<DIV align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"><BR></FONT> </DIV><BR>
<DIV align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"><BR></FONT> </DIV><BR>
<DIV align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times">or to download the
NCLB Candidate Guidelines please visit:<BR></FONT></DIV><BR>
<DIV align=center><B><A
href="http://www.nbpcb.org/pages/downloaddocuments.php/">www.nbpcb.org/pages/downloaddocuments.php/</A><BR></B></DIV><BR>
<DIV align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"><BR></FONT> </DIV><BR>
<DIV align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"><BR></FONT> </DIV><BR>
<DIV align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times">For additional
information please visit the NBPCB website at: </FONT><A
href="http://www.nbpcb.org/"><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times"
color=#0000cc>www.nbpcb.org</A> </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times">,
call the NBPCB office at (318) 257-4554, or contact Louise Walch, NBPCB
Coordinator, at: </FONT><A
href="http://mail.nbpcb.org/src/compose.php?send_to=braille%40nbpcb.org"><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times" color=#0000cc>braille@nbpcb.org</A>
</FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times">.<BR></FONT></DIV><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"> <BR></FONT>You are subscribed to AERNet,
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