[bookshare-discuss] Re: About Braille
- From: "Rose Combs" <rosecombs@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 07:15:08 -0700
Although I use talking books for pleasure reading, and use a Braille
Note and use the speech a lot when it comes to something I need to
remember, something technical, or for spelling of words, I do best with
braille. One of the things I like about today's world is that I can
carry around loads of reading material on the Braille note with a
compact flash card, can read using the display anywhere, doctor's
office, on the bus, in a car, while standing waiting for a ride, at
night when the house is asleep and I don't have all those huge boxes and
volumes to lug around with me. If I am here at home and reading for
pleasure I can turn on speech and crank up the speed or not, put the
unit on the table and do dishes while listening, catch up on mending, or
something.
Recently, to keep this related to Bookshare, I went to my doctor and he
is starting to push low carb diets. I came home and immediately was
able to download several books on the subject from Bookshare, transfer
them to the Braille Note and have been reading up on the
benefits/complications easier than it would have been for me to go to
the book store and then beg someone with a scanner to scan for me--my
scanner is very old, and I don't have a SCUZZI card for my new computer
and have never attempted to scan a book, when I did use it, it was
mostly to scan in work-related memos and such. With a Braille note
taker, a computer, Bookshare and Web braille as well as the talking book
program my ability to read anywhere is phenomenal, and the ability to
carry around books on several subjects as well as pleasure reading is
almost but not quite comparable to what sighted people have.
Rose Combs
rosecombs@xxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: Jana Jackson [mailto:jana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 2:09 PM
To: bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: About Braille
Hi, Rick and Dilsia! Same here. I work in the field of assistive
technology, and I was absolutely furious about a year ago when I heard
that a fellow speaker at a conference for vision teachers who,
incidentally represented RFB&D, stated confidently that Braille is
becoming obsolete and unnecessary. I certainly don't deny the need for
audio material for those of us who are blind, but Braille isn't any less
useful or necessary, especially when one is proficient with it. To me,
that's like saying that it's okay for a blind person to be illiterate.
There are certainly cases where for whatever reason, Braille may not be
practical for someone, but it should be available and its instruction
encouraged, nonetheless. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now! <Smile>
Jana
----- Original Message -----
From: <Rick.Roderick@xxxxxx>
To: <bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 2:03 PM
Subject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: About Braille
> Hi Dilsiaa,
>
> I agree with you. I am blind and hard of hearing. Bookshare has
> enabled
me
> to read so much. I prefer using a braille display or notetaker to
> talking books.
>
>
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