[blindkid] I'm writing a research paper and need help

Fri Apr 1 16:48:46 UTC 2011

Ruby Ryles did the research on the connection between braille literacy and employment of blind people.

http://nfb.org/legacy/bm/bm98/bm980204.htm

Dave Hammel

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org>
To: empwrn at bellsouth.net; NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children) <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Fri, Apr 1, 2011 11:37 am
Subject: Re: [blindkid] I'm writing a research paper and need help

First of all, I agree entirely. Nothing is more important for my daughter than 
raille. She reads and writes well above grade level and reads and writes more 
ften than any child her age I have ever known. (She is eight.) She just happens 
o be blind... 
I just loaded 12 new braille books onto her BrailleNote this morning, ranging 
rom  Carlotte's Web to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe...all the the way up 
o a couple of Harry Potter Books. I cannot help but look at this from the other 
ide a bit. I'd suggest the question might not be "why do we need braille" so 
uch as "why would we not need it?"
As to resources, the thing that keeps coming to my mind is that I would check 
ith the NFB National office. They often refer to information at conventions and 
n literature which makes me think they have specific numbers and percentages of 
he blind population which is braille literate. 
They also often tell how of the blind adult population, a vastly greater ratio 
f braille literate blind people are employed as compared to those who cannot 
ead braille. This is really just a discussion of literacy in general which 
eeds to be adapted for the mechanism used to read.
Get the figures above and compare them to the sighted population's numbers. Some 
ighted people cannot read and they must then rely on other sources for 
nformation, be that the TV or Radio, recorded books, or someone reading things 
o them. I don't think it would be hard to convince most people that, as a 
hole, those sighted people are less successful and productive members of 
ociety as compared to sighted literate people. So it is then with the blind, 
rom pre-schoolers to students to adults. One key reason my daughter does so 
ell with braille is she was learning it so early in life. I believe she was 
oming along very well with her braille by at least age three.
There is one third sub-group, if you will. Low Vision. That is where it gets 
uzzy because some people with low vision have no (or minimal) problem(s) 
ealing with print, while it is nearly impossible for others and there is a 
hole spectrum in between the two. My thought is that some of that population 
eally needs braille and some may not benefit so much from it (however I don't 
hink it is EVER a bad thing to know). One sometimes overlooked aspect of the 
ow vision discussion is also that a good many of that population are likely to 
ave further vision loss at some point in their lives and they would then shift 
cross that spectrum from braille being somewhat helpful to it becoming more and 
ore so, right up until they cross a somewhat  fussy threshold-- once they can 
o longer make practical use of print at all.
Maybe someone else here can suggest a good contact at the National Office to get 
ome of those figures? Or perhaps there are already reports and articles 
vailable with that?
Richard

n Apr 1, 2011, at 10:10 AM, Marie wrote:
> Great thesis, Kathy! I don't think you'd find anyone on this list who would 
isagree. Smile. I wish I was aware of specific references for you. I don't but 
 did want to thank you for picking this particular topic although it may 
ifficult for you to find specific references other than the observations of 
arents, children, and adults. Hopefully your paper will add to a growing body 
f papers on the topic!

 Marie

 Marie (mother of Jack, born May 2005)
 Check out our blog at http://www.allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com for glimpses 
nto our busy life with a boy who is busy growing and developing in his own way 
n his own time

 -----Original Message-----
 From: Kathy B <burgawicki at yahoo.com>
 Sender: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org
 Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:20:55 
 To: Carol Castellano<carol_castellano at verizon.net>; <BVI-Parents at yahoogroups.com>; 
blindkid at nfbnet.org>
 Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,
   \(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
 Subject: [blindkid] I'm writing a research paper and need help

 Hi All-

 I am writing a research paper and am looking for information to support my 
 thesis.  Can any of you point me in the right direction?  Below is my thesis. 
 Carol, I included you specificly because I can use expert opinion, and I 
 consider you an expert. 

 Even though  technology is so advanced that some believe braille reading for 
he  
 blind is no longer needed, reading it is indeed important and essential  for 
 both blind children and blind adults: this form of reading expands a  
 vision-impaired person's world. In fact, reading for the blind also increases 
 creative and critical  thinking and plays a huge role in helping blind adults 
 contribute to  society.

 Thanks!!

 Kathy

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