[access-uk] Re: Does the digital age spell the end of Braille? - News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent
- From: "Norman Waddington" <normanwaddington504@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 22 May 2014 14:09:51 +0100
Hi John,
All good points indeed. One problem the price of Braille displays and
benefit cuts surely puts them out of reach to the home user?
Norman.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of John Farley
> Sent: 21 May 2014 18:20
> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Does the digital age spell the end of Braille? -
> News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent
>
> Sorry, I am a late contributor to this chain.
>
> Here is a short history.
>
> I went blind in my late teens some 4 decades ago.
> At that time it was essential to learn braille in order to gain employment
> in a professional capacity.
>
> I then learnt computing techniques in the world of IT using braille as my
> main media. This enable me to compete effectively in my chosen line of
> work
> and move up the career ladder.
>
> So, after a number of years I started to use windots, an application that
> would produce braille on a refreshable display from DOS applications etc.
> This worked well and the ability to get into other applications than I
> could
> before was a great improvement.
>
> As time went by I moved across to Window-eyes. At that time the braille
> output was still my major working environment, although the speech was an
> additional useful add-on.
> Then came the world of e-mail where my ability to fully take part in the
> communications streams was essential and worked well.
>
> I now work in an environment where most of my work is with words and now
> speech is my main tool. However, whenever I need precision my refreshable
> braille display is always there. It is so very useful.
>
> Another very simple, domestic use for it is in reading numbers. That is
> normally either for phone numbers or debit / credit card information. It
> is
> so much easier when on a phone to read the numbers off from braille rather
> than slowly go through the 16 digits on speech output.
> I guess that if I did not have the braille unit then I would have
> transcribed these to braille on paper anyway.
> How do non-braille users or even non-PC users manage such tasks?
>
> So, unless there is some future change in that kind of application that I
> cannot foresee I would say that braille usage will be around for a very
> long
> time to come.
>
>
>
> My two penny worth.
>
>
>
> Regards, John
>
> Contact on : (Home) j.farley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> or : (work) john.farley@xxxxxxxxx
>
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