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

  • From: Karl Proud <karl@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 22 May 2014 12:11:48 +0100

I would have thought that capitalisation and other punctuation would be easily 
taught using type and speech as well as if using braille?

Karl
On 22 May 2014, at 11:56 am, "Eleanor Martha Burke" 
<eleanormarthaburke@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

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 
   > 
   
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