[access-uk] Re: Does the digital age spell the end of Braille? - News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent

  • From: "Adrien Collins" <adriencollins22160@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 26 May 2014 17:57:48 +0200

Hi 

When I was at school, I was always taught how and when to
use punctuation, it is important in use in writing essays
and other class work in education.

Regards

Adrien


-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Iain Lackie
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 2:34 PM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Does the digital age spell the end
of Braille? - News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent

Standard English Braille has always included punctuation.
Only 
capitalisation has been missing. However, the books we used
at school for 
learning to read always included capitalisation. We were
never expected to 
use it in written Braille. I think this was a pity.

Iain

-----Original Message----- 
From: Eleanor Martha Burke
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 11:56 AM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Does the digital age spell the end
of Braille? - 
News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent

Continuing the discussion Jackie, I learned Braille at
school and still use
it, however I did not learn capitalisation, other than that
I was informed
that one always puts a capital letter after a full stop.
American Braille
however, includes capitalisation and punctuation.  It was
only as an adult
Braillist that I learned all the symbols that indicated
punctuation such as
underline, italic etc.  As for spelling I am not good at
spelling and I
personally attribute this to Braille Grade ii but there you
are!

-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Jackie Brown
Sent: 22 May 2014 11:32
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Does the digital age spell the end
of Braille? -
News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent

Hi Vince

Not sure how much we are wandering here, but I do think it
is relevant to
assistive technology.

What concerns me about the reliance, if you like, on speech
all the time for
visually impaired youngsters - especially those with no
sight at all - is
that they are less likely to spell, punctuate and capitalise
appropriately.
You miss these things with speech unless you are patient
enough to go
through everything you listen to letter by letter.  If these
crucial
elements are not taught to blind children in mainstream
education because it
is considered that Braille is unnecessary, I really believe
the kids are
missing out.

Had my son been born with any eye condition, I would have
taught him to read
and write Braille myself, unquestionably.  While I type more
than Braille
these days, I am lucky enough to be able to swap just like
that.

Martin has acquired sight loss due to RP, but he taught
himself to read and
write grade two Braille a few years ago in case he ever
needed it.  While he
reads with his fingers quite slowly, he has a great memory
for everything he
taught himself.

I just can't see Braille dying out in the immediate future,
certainly not
while I am alive with any luck! (smile).


Kind regards,

Jackie Brown
Twitter: @thebrownsplace
Skype: Thejackmate

-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Vincent Thacker
Sent: 21 May 2014 23:35
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Does the digital age spell the end
of Braille? -
News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent



Jackie,

I didn't achieve registration as blind until I was about 54,
by which time I
had too much else going on to fit learning Braile in as
well. Sorry to say
that I've taken the line of least resistance and use a
screen reader for
almost everything.

I did learn a bit of Braille at my local blind society in
the end, but
didn't get any further than "a sad lad" and "dad will yell
at you" and such
things. Then I had to stop because of other commitments.

But I agree that for children, it's surely an advantage to
know Braille,
even just as a quality of life measure. How else are the
kids going to get
any private reading, or private writing, for that matter?
Great though audio
books are, they are not the same as reading a book in print.
It's too
passive somehow to my mind. I'm sure reading Braille would
come closer to
the printed word.

Just my tuppence worth, as someone who knows nothing but
won't shut up.

Vince.




========================================
Message Received: May 21 2014, 05:02 PM
From: "Jackie Brown"
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc:
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Does the digital age spell the end
of
Braille? - News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent

Hi Clive

Yes, same goes for me. And I do believe children born blind
should
still be
strongly encouraged to read and write good Braille wherever
this is
possible.


Kind regards,

Jackie Brown
Twitter: @thebrownsplace
Skype: Thejackmate

-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of
Clive.Lever@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 21 May 2014 16:28
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Does the digital age spell the end
of
Braille? -
News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent

Hello,

I read less and listen more. This is partly because there is
much
more
literature accessible to us now that listening to audio
books has
become a
sighted thing. However, one reason I don't have a personal
problem
with this
change in my reading habits is that I already know how to
communicate in
writing...I hope! However, I'd hate to have been born blind
and
never had
the chance to read and write independently.

Best,
Clive


Clive Lever
Diversity and Equality Officer
Kent County Council

Office: 01622 221163
Email: clive.lever@xxxxxxxxxxx


Kent County Council
Room G37
Sessions House
Maidstone, Kent.
ME14 1XQ




-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of
Gordon Keen
Sent: 21 May 2014 16:21
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Does the digital age spell the end
of
Braille? -
News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent

Hi

Yes that was my take on the article as well, however I
decided to
post the
article as I felt that some might want to visit the
exhibition with
a view
to expressing their opinion once they had actually attended.

Regards

G

From Bridgerule in glorious Devon, England.
.

On 21 May 2014, at 15:44, Iain Lackie
wrote:

> I wasn't aware that the journalist was dismissing braille.
If
anything,
the professor was concerned that blind people were being
denied
access to
braille due to the rise of the use of other digital sources
of
information.
I think it unfair to blame the journalist for expressing the
fears
of
someone else. If braille is not taught, of course it will
die out. I
have to
say that even as a braille user, I read much less braille
than I
used to. I
don't read any less, however.
>
> Iain
>

** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following
link:-
**
[mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on
the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq

** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following
link:-
**
[mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on
the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq

** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following
link:-
**
[mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on
the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq





** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following
link:-
**
[mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on
the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq


** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following
link:-
**
[mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on
the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq 

** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following
link:-
**
[mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on
the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq

** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq

Other related posts: