Well, just as a point of view, those of us who are deaf blind depend on braille as a form of basic communication, without which we'd be in a word, sunk. There will ALWAYS be people who will use it, out of necessity if nothing else. My Best ! all Jack > ----- Original Message ----- >From: Terrie Lee <terrieiphone@xxxxxxxxx >To: Missouri List <Missouri-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>,The Accessible Phones Discussion List <blindphones@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Missouri Chat <chat@xxxxxxxxxxx >Date sent: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:57:53 -0600 >Subject: [real-eyes] Fwd: Article: Braille Under Siege As Blind Turn To Smartphones >Terrie l.arnold >Begin forwarded message: >From: "Alan Paganelli" <alanandsuzanne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >Date: February 13, 2012 5:06:01 PM CST >To: <Blind-chit-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >Subject: Re: Article: Braille Under Siege As Blind Turn To Smartphones >Reply-To: Blind-chit-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >The wining keeps going on from the braille camp how braille is declining and how many people just don't use the format any more. As the world moves faster and faster, the use of braille will decline. Will it ever vanish completely? I don't think so. If not, why aren't blind people using it as much. Because of the size of a braille book and because for large books braille is way to bulky and not easily produced in mass. The paper isn't even standard. It's thicker and more costly. The printed book is on the way out as well and you should hear the wining. There is nothing like the smell of a new book. True but that smell can be synthesized and made to go into book readers. As synthetic speech gets better and better, the day may come when you won't be able to tell the difference between a real human reading a book or a synthesized voice reading it. I just don't see Braille lasting as more then just a note taking means. In my opinion, save a tree, burn a braille boo > k <grin> Just kidding!. >Alan >Teenagers; Tired of being harassed by your parents? >Act now!!!!! >Move out. >Get a job. >Pay your bills wile you still know everything. >Please click on: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~alanandsuzanne/ >There, you'll find free files of my arrangements and performances played on the Yamaha Tyros 1 keyboard. I often add files so check back regularly! >The albums in Technics KN-3000 format formerly on my website are still available upon request. >Thanks for listening! >----- Original Message ----- >From: Lisa belville >To: blind-chit-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 2:47 PM >Subject: Article: Braille Under Siege As Blind Turn To Smartphones >got this off of the Blind Tech list and thought it would make for good >discussion. >http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/02/13/146812288/b raille-under-siege-as-blind-turn-to-smartphones >Braille Under Siege As Blind Turn To Smartphones >12:47 pm >February 13, 2012 >list of 8 items >Twitter >Facebook >Google+ >+1 frame >Click here to publicly +1 this. >+1 frame end >E-mail >Share >Print >Comments (2) >Recommend (1) >list end >by >MEGAN VERLEE ># >Audio for this story from >All Things Considered >will be available at approx. 7:00 p.m. ET >list of 1 items >Transcript >list end >The National Federation of the Blind estimates that today only one in 10 >blind people can read Braille. That's down dramatically from the early >1900s. >Steve Mitchell/AP >The National Federation of the Blind estimates that today only one in 10 >blind people can read Braille. That's down dramatically from the early >1900s. >Like a lot of smartphone users, Rolando Terrazas, 19, uses his iPhone for >email, text messages and finding a decent coffee shop. But Terrazas' phone >also >sometimes serves as his eyes: When he waves a bill under its camera, for >instance, the phone tells him how much it's worth. >Terrazas is blind, and having an app to tell bills apart can be a big help. >For one thing, it means he doesn't have to trust clerks to give him correct >change. Terrazas' daily life is full of useful technology like this, but it >also has a downside: The more he uses technology, the less he uses Braille, >the alphabet of raised dots that the blind read with their fingers. >"All through elementary school I used Braille," Terrazas says. "But when I >got a laptop, I switched over and I went away from Braille. If you don't use >it, you lose it. And that's what happened to me." >Terrazas uses software that reads out loud what's on his computer screen. >These days, he's slowly re-learning Braille as a student at the >Colorado Center for the Blind, >south of Denver. >The center puts a lot of effort into convincing students they still need >Braille to be independent and employable. Director Julie Deden says >technology >is making the nearly 200-year-old writing system more accessible than ever. >She shows off an electronic reader that's about the size of a paperback. >Instead >of having to lug around massive volumes of printed braille, this reader >allows Deden to just sweep her fingers over little plastic nubs that rise >and fall >with each line of text. >Still, Deden worries that technologies like smartphones are also masking a >serious problem - Braille illiteracy. >"People will let it go and they'll say: 'Well, you know, they're not really >illiterate. They just don't really use Braille or print very much, but >that's >just because they're blind,' " she says. "I think that it's kind of an out, >and technically they really are mostly illiterate." >Blind people choosing not to learn Braille is only one part of the equation. >Chris Danielsen with the >National Federation of the Blind >says his group is increasingly butting heads with school districts trying >to get out of federal obligations to provide a Braille teacher. >"They will tend to say, 'Well we have screen magnification software, we have >all these tools available, and in light of that we don't think it's >necessary >for a blind person to be taught Braille,' " Danielsen says. >The federation estimates that today only one in 10 blind people can read >Braille. That's down dramatically from the early 1900s. Jackie Owellet lost >her >sight as an adult, after an operation. Standing in a cafe in a Denver >suburb, Owellet says learning to read Braille was the last thing on her >mind. >"When am I ever going to use Braille? I'm never going to sit down and read a >novel in Braille. You know, I'd rather download an audio book from iTunes," >she says. >But last year, while taking classes for her yoga instructor certification, >it became clear that having a mechanical voice reading off teaching notes >didn't >make for a very soothing yoga experience. >"So I realized there is a use for Braille," Owellet says. "I think everybody >uses Braille in their own way. You know, I think that everybody finds what >they need to use Braille for." >Advocates for Braille are hoping blind people like Owellet will continue to >find enough reasons to keep their tactile system of writing alive, even >amidst >the growing chorus of computer voices. >BlindTech is owned by Michael Capelle: >michael.capelle@xxxxxxxxxxx >To send a message to the list >BlindTech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >To search list archives: >http://lists.blindtech-list.info/pipermail/blindtech-blindtech-li st.info/ >If you have any questions about this list, or the day-to-day opperations, >please don't send those questions on list, instead, please write: >blindtech-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >To manage your subscription options, go to >http://lists.blindtech-list.info/options.cgi/blindtech-blindtech- list.info >women are not complicated. Seriously. How hard is it to say "you're pretty" >and give us chocolate? >Lisa Belville >missktlab1217@xxxxxxxxxxxx >__._,_.___ >Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic >Messages in this topic (2) >RECENT ACTIVITY: New Members 3 >Visit Your Group >Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest â?¢ Unsubscribe â?¢ Terms of Use >.. >__,_._,___ >To subscribe or to leave the list, or to set other subscription options, go to www.freelists.org/list/real-eyes To subscribe or to leave the list, or to set other subscription options, go to www.freelists.org/list/real-eyes