[Trainer-talk] braille literacy the braille coin

[Josh]

hello
And here is what I say to the below message.
1. it's not enough that kids are educated.
2. easy access to braille and equal access must be a right of all blind people regardless of whether or not they are in school, working or not working. whether they earn $100 a month in spendding money or earn $40000 per year. 
3. the price of braille embossers musst come down.
4. the price of braille displays must come down.
5. braille takes more space to store than printed materials do.
6. not everyone has the space  to store braille.
7. the solution iss braille displays, braille displays braille displays! lets get a 25 line 30 cell and a 25 line 40 cell display on the market, this display should also be able to display tactile graphics as well as braille through the use of pins or braille cell dots not being spaced apart. when braille text is displayed the unneeded pins stay down, when graphics are displayed with text the needed dots are used. 
The display can mix text and graphics, the ddisplay has flash memory for storeing braille books of all kinds including braille books with both text and graphics. Commands in the text seen only by the software let the display know when upcoming symbols are text or graphics. And the display must cost no more than $500. The display must also have a payment plan option like serotek does with their products. So with this display no big bulky braille books. no needing space to store braille books. and for the person needing portable braille keep the one line 18 cell and 12 cell displays. Also, keep slates styluses and braille writers, because they still have a good purpose and do things the baille displays cannot do. So, anyone willing to make the full page display that can display text and graphics and store braille text books and other materialls? 

Josh

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: Marc Maurer 
To: jkenn337 at gmail.com 
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 11:02 AM
Subject: How many children in America are not taught to read?


The answer is 90 percent if the children are blind. That represents 52,070 students who are not learning to read. Most Americans are shocked to hear this statistic. And we should be. 


There are three primary reasons for this educational crisis: 

1. There are not enough Braille teachers.

2. Some teachers of blind children have not received enough training. 

3. Many educators do not fully understand the significance of Braille instruction. 



To bring critically needed attention to this educational crisis, the United States Congress authorized the minting of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar with a portion of the sale of each coin going toward a comprehensive Braille literacy campaign. 

Learning to read and write is fundamental to education, which in turn is paramount to full and equal participation in American society. This coin, the first U.S. coin to have proper tactile Braille, symbolizes independence, opportunity, and the potential of blind people to make significant contributions to society when they are taught to read and write using Braille. To learn more, read our report The Braille Literacy Crisis in America or watch our video Change with a Dollar. 



Please purchase this unique and beautiful coin now and help solve this educational crisis for blind children in America. The law authorizing this 2009 silver dollar requires that any coins not sold by midnight on December 31, 2009, be melted down. Time is of the essence--a 90 percent illiteracy rate is not acceptable and the opportunity to purchase this coin will soon be gone. 



Be part of the solution. Give the gift of literacy. Create new opportunities. Buy the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar today. 


Marc Maurer, President
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND