Re: the Personal Computer was the greatest thing ever invented for the Blind

  • From: "Yadiel Sotomayor" <yadosotomayor@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:52:00 -0400

?Allen:


This is where technology and old school braille comes together. What about 
braill displays? There you have the hole dictionary ten times full and still 
carry it on your backpack. Braille is, I believe, the most important tool you 
can give a blind child during his or hers education and a newly blinded adult 
or youth. Braille is the only equivalent we blind folks have for atual print. 


From: Alan Dicey 
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 1:14 PM
To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Subject: the Personal Computer was the greatest thing ever invented for the 
Blind


Hello Friends,
I have absolutely no objection to our Blind Children learning Braille, but be 
realistic!

If I was to put one thousandth of what I have on my computer, into Braille 
format, I would need at least the Empire State Building to store it!

Just having my Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary  in Braille format 
would probably put me out of my computer room.

Some of the arguments those who use to promote Braille are just so non-sensible 
that it defeats their cause.

For example:
"should we experience some sort of major power failure there are going to be 
thousands of blind people in a world of hurt"

I would think we as Blind People would fair better than Sighted People if we 
had a "major power failure  "

I use my Dymo Tape to make Braille Labels once in a while, but I would not have 
those large enormous Books of Braille sitting around in my house!

With Best Regards,
Alan
Miami, Florida
Alan Dicey, President
United States Braille Chess Association - USBCA
"Yes, Blind or Visually Impaired People Can, and Do, Play Chess!!!"
United States Braille Chess Association Home Page:  
http://AmericanBlindChess.org

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Cy Selfridge 
  To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 12:39 PM
  Subject: RE: the Personal Computer was the greatest thing ever invented for 
the Blind


  Tom,

  My friend, I could not agree with you more on this one.

  One of my concerns is that, should we experience some sort of major power 
failure there are going to be thousands of blind people in a world of hurt 
because they will be dead without their electronic gizmos. (LOLLOLLOL)

  While managing to compose school work was a royal pain when I was in High 
School and college at least I knew how to spell and punctuate.

  In high school we had to learn to dissect and diagram sentences and that, my 
friend, was a genuine challenge. The final test on that was the Preamble to the 
Constitution. As I recall the finished product looked more like a Brillo pad 
than anything else.

  Cy, The Anasazi

   

   

  From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
Tom Lange
  Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 10:28 AM
  To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject: Re: the Personal Computer was the greatest thing ever invented for 
the Blind

   

  Hi,

  I've used Optacons since 1978, when I was hired by IBM as a programmer 
trainee.  The Optacon was the only way that I could read my 3270 display 
terminal at the time; the Talking Terminal wouldn't read the APL characters 
that I used to write code.  I agree with the statement that the Optacon really 
helped me to see how things are laid out both on paper and on screen, which is 
a huge help.

   

  While screen readers have been a godsend, I have definitely noticed a decline 
in blind people's ability to spell the written word, and I blame this on the 
de-emphasis on Braille in our educational system.  It appalls me that only 10 
percent of blind people in the U.S. read Braille, and, if it were up to me, I 
would make Braille education mandatory, unless it could be demonstrated that a 
student has a physical limitation that prevents him/her from reading Braille.  
90 percent Braille illiteracy is, to my mind, nothing short of obscene.  You 
can talk about lack of manpower to properly teach it, lack of funding, et 
cetera et cetera, but what that says to me is that there's a callous disregard 
by the government for the literacy of blind people in this country, and that 
makes me furious. Surely I can't be the only one who feels this way.

   

  Tom

   

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