Well, all of my important phone numbers and addresses are on braille index
cards. The computer can die. The electricity can go off. I have an ongoing
shopping and errands list in braille in the braille writer in the kitchen.
That's the braille writer that was just repaired. I have a braille writer in
the office with a 5 by 7 card in it where I jot down anything I want to
remember like book titles that I read about in articles. I have a way of
keeping a personal schedule on index cards . I make braille labels for all
my medication containers. And I've started labeling boxes that I can't
identify by sight anymore like plastic bags. So they'll never take my
personal use braille away from me. But the rest of it? I've said some of
what I think on other lists, but although some folks agree with me, there're
always apologists for the new braille, people who believe authority figures
or have been convinced by the arguments, or the tech enthusiasts because, of
course, these changes are related to the technology revolution.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Friday, October 28, 2016 1:12 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: My Complaint for the day before I go to bed.
And here I thought that I was the last person to rail against the new
Braille code. I wonder what will become of my old Braille 'N' Speak, if I
do send it back for new batteries. I doubt they can alter the code that is
implanted in the unit, so it should continue writing the old 1960 Braille.
Since I damaged my prime Braille reading finger, and can't feel anything
with the tip and pad of that right index finger, Braille has become too slow
to enjoy pleasure reading. I can still write, using the Braille 'N' Speak,
as fast as I can type. I keep all my client information, my personal
address/phone list, my family birth dates and wedding anniversaries, and
several personal files. I have transferred a large amount from my Braille
'N' Speak to my computer for safe keeping.
About the only Braille I read anymore is the Braille In Brief, in the NLS
publication.
I guess I'm finally getting to that "Dog in the Manger" point in time, where
I have to admit that I really don't want to learn new tricks.
Carl Jarvis
On 10/25/16, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I received an advertisement from the National Braille Press of booksmy God, what they've done to the braille! Of course I knew.
and other stuff to buy for the holidays. It comes in the form of a
braille magazine. I decided to look through it. Reading pages of
braille used to be a real pleasure for me. I remember sitting down
with a braille book after dinner while Fred did the dishes, and
reading peacefully for one or two hours. That's one of the things
that's lost to me now, for several years, because handling the books
became too difficult and I didn't want to purchase or learn to use a
braille display. I absolutely can't imagine reading being a
pleasureable passtime for me if I need to manipulate an electronic
device. So I was looking forward to these lovely pages of braille. But oh
I even have a book with all of the changes. But it's so stupid andsymbol, no doubt, like a bullet or bold.
cumbersome. It's braille written to satisfy sighted people. Some of
the contractions are gone. That's a step backward. They're spelling
out hings that were contracted and it takes up more space. They
apparently have a different way of indicating a dollar sign, also more
cumbersome. I did read an explanation for it at some point. Stupid.
They didn't want people to confuse the dollar sign with a period.
Well, we never did, once we learned grade 2 braille. And then there is
something else which I can't figure out and I didn't have the time to
find it in my book of changes. But it is something to indicate a print
Again, stupid! These things have meaning in print because they draw
the eye.
In braille, they just clutter the page and give you one more thing to
decipher. But they don't, as in print, make reading and understanding
easier. They make it more difficult. The wonderful thing about grade 2
literary braille was that it was an efficient way to read tactually,
with as few things to touch as possible, while allowing you to get the
full meaning of the page. Knowing it, never stopped students, blind
from early childhood, from learning how to type acceptable term
papers. It nevr stopped us from being able to read braille books
printed in England. But back in the late 80's, (and I remember exactly
when because I met people on one of the Evergreen trips who were
involved in starting the movement to change the braille code), some
folks, very establishment types, people who felt that they had
superior knowledge and insight, were talking about this modernization
plan. Who knew or cared? We were on a trip to New Zealand and
Australia. I didn''t focus. And if I had? Could I have stopped them?
One of the things about blind people, a strength or a weakness?, is
that they want to be as much like sighted people as possible. They
want to blend in. Well fine, if you're talking about clothing. But not
fine when you're talking about methods of reading.
Miriam
