THOUGHT PROVOKER 8

Literacy Braill Print

     "This is our Individualized Education Plan team. We have agreed upon all but one aspect of Jonny's schooling, print or Braille." The stern team leader looked around the conference table at all in attendance.

     "Well, the low vision testing shows he can read regular size print when using a CCTV." Said the reading teacher.

     "At home if he puts his head down close to the page, and if the lighting is right, he can read the large print you find in children's books." Contributed his mother.

     "During my most recent evaluation, I've seen him use a hand held magnifier for some reading. Secondly, from approximately four inches distance, he can print using a marking pen and the heavier lined note paper." Said his vision teacher.

     "How do you all see him taking notes in class or handling the reading load in high school? Then if he goes to college, there will be even more reading. How about managing presentations from notes before a group?" Ask the VR counselor.

     "Team, how do we vote?"

RESPONSES
e-mail responses to newmanrl@cox.net

**1. "I think the vote should go for the Braille. Granted he can read with assistance now, but the thing that the voters have to take into account is that he might not always be able to read print in any form. Of course, the concerns about eyestrain and headaches caused from eyestrain never did get mentioned by any of the people who are making the decisions. I think that that would play a part in the decision also."

Rhonda Sampley (Bellevue, Nebraska, USA)

**2. "I think that the thought provoker really answered itself. Everyone needs to be able to read and write at the same speed as their peers in school in order to keep up with them in the learning experience. It is imperative that a child be able to do that. If this little guy is having that much trouble with the printed word, Braille will be a relief once it is learned. NO eyestrain and the speed will be a big benefit as class work becomes more complex and more time consuming. It has also been proven time and time again that the younger one learns something, the easier it is to learn. This is especially true of reading and language. So it is better for the child to be trained in Braille at a young age when they are having that degree of difficulty in reading print."

Rory Conrad (Dunlap, Iowa, USA, rccrash@mail.pioner.net)

**3. "I've always felt Braille is a must for blind or visually impaired persons! I am totally blind and have been since birth. I was fortunately taught Braille before and during kindergarten and use it every single day of my life in one way or another. Sure there's technology, but what happens when the power goes out? Tapes can break. Computer systems can crash. If you rely only on technology you're still illiterate. Statistics have shown that 90 % of blind persons who are employed successfully use Braille! Sure the child in the story has low vision, but that probably won't be usable nor reliable for the rest of his life. Teach him Braille while he's young and can learn it easily. I've seen many friends struggle to learn Braille in high school or beyond in their adult lives. Yes, it can be done. However, they've all said to me that they wished they'd of had the chance to learn Braille when they were younger. Their reading in high school and college would have been easier and less stressful and time consuming. The way I see it, literacy = education = empowerment = independence and "a life" =career and being a fully contributing member of your nation, state, community and most importantly your family."

Amy Rut (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA)

**4. "Braille and print. No need to limit anyone to one source of access. I lost my vision slowly through a series of surgeries. I started out with large print and a magnifying glass. As time wore on, I needed larger and larger print. Now I need Braille, even though I use the computer extensively. It is somewhat as a new language, why only learn one when so many are available?"

Pam McVeighAt (Herman, Nebraska, USA, pmcveigh@huntel.net)

**5. "My response is easy: The student won't always have the CCTV with him to read with. He might not always have enough vision to read even with the CCTV. Will this student be able to refer back to his notes in College? Will he have time to do all his reading one word at a time, in good light? Will large print always be available? Probably not. Braille skills will greatly enhance this student's life, from college to beyond.

Just a comment: A representative from the Department of Labor once told me he wouldn't even attempt to get a legally blind person a job unless the person knew Braille. Forget College. Here we get to the nitty gritty. You are expected to be able to read and write. Period."

Lori Stayer (Merrick, New York, USA)

**6. "Well, it has been a while since I have had the chance to respond to one of your stories. This one is all too familiar, and it goes well beyond (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA) the realm of the classroom. I believe there are two factors at work in the tendency for educators to avoid teaching children to read with the use of Braille. Yes there are many arguments presented for the use of print or electronic media over Braille, but I am convinced that the real reasons have nothing to do with these arguments. Yes educators will point out that print is the most commonly used media, and if a child is going to be "competitive" he or she needs to be able to access print. Of course this is true. Also, they will point out the need to use electronic media effectively in an age where such systems are becoming the cornerstone of our communications, and of course this is also true. Yet in all of these arguments nobody is considering taking away any child's pencil and paper, but the slate and stylus are viewed as undesirable in this age of modern technology. What parent could imagine sending a child to a school where learning to read and write with ease and comfort would not be a primary goal of the educational process? Yet being denied the means to write notes or having a simple easy to transport way to read anywhere you wish has become the experience of many blind and visually impaired children. The facts about the need for Braille speak for themselves, but educators are still unwilling and even determined to avoid teaching this most basic skill. Why is this happening? I believe that educators share in the same prejudices as those that are suppose to be less familiar with the needs of children, and that they have chosen to find the means to justify their own prejudices, rather that recognize and meet the needs that truly exist. This is not to say that educators that wish to do the right thing do not exist, but they are usually not properly prepared to meet the demands of teaching Braille. Most have only forty hours of Braille training, and they are simply not comfortable with reading and writing it themselves, and therefore, they feel very uncomfortable in teaching this subject to anyone else. The fact that many of the resource teachers now call themselves "Vision Teachers" clearly sums up the attitude and misdirected preparation many of these individuals have received through their training. There is much to be sad about in this situation, and the solution, as simple as it should be, will be very hard to reach. We must all try to remember that teachers can be trained just as easily to reinforce and teach our children our societal prejudices as they can the ability to think openly."

Jeff Altman (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA)

**7. "I know I am inferior as a sighted person. I can see to get around, don't use a cane (my choice). But for reading, its only print I make that is large and very black on white. I can use a CCTV (device to enlarge or magnify the printed word). However, I seldom see print out there that I can read; not in a restaurant or store or in a job. Oh yes, we blow it up, did at school and in a job I tried for a while; it was all too slow and I fell behind. I feel bad. Don't do like I did, I was lazy and didn't learn Braille to help the print. And, I believed my teachers, they pushed the print and I wish they could see me now."

(Person living in Omaha, Nebraska, USA)

**8. "I definitely know that to look at this question of "Braille or print" as an either or type of thing is wrong. It needs to have its focus on "We make sure our people get the skills they need for all occasions. Then we watch out and not get in the learner's way. So, the person needs the best, he needs both Braille and print. Braille will be superior in some places, print in others."

(From a person in Counsel Bluffs, Iowa, USA)

**9. "As I read this story, it sounds more and more like what I went through in school...whether or not I should use Braille or print. In grade school, I used a CCTV and even tried to learn how to use a hand held magnifier. Starting in 2nd grade, I went to the school for the blind in Vinton, Iowa for the summers. I watched those around me reading Braille and wanted to learn so badly. So, the next summer I went back and asked if I could learn Braille. I was told that I had enough vision and would get by. Of course, I was disappointed but went on anyway. Throughout the next few years through 7th grade I continued to use the CCTV and regular print books at home with the help of my mom and grandparents. Then, when I moved to Nebraska in 8th grade, I learned that I could use other alternatives like large print and did not have to use a CCTV nor have someone go around and help me in my classes as I did in grade school. So, I started the transition to large print and at the same time was taught Braille. I learned Braille by the end of my 8th grade year I completed the literary code and started to teach myself the Nemeth Code in 9th grade during the first semester. I brushed up on my Braille reading and started using it full fledged in 10th grade for everything...worksheets to tests, to books. I continued to use it through my senior year in high school and then as I went into college I changed media's to tape texts and notes and things like that. I don't like that as much for I physically can read a Braille page and get more out of it than listening to someone read onto a tape, but I have not been able to get Braille materials successfully enough nor fast enough to keep up with my class load. So, I have reverted to taped materials for now, but still use Braille for notes and now tests here as of late.

My whole reasoning for discussing my background in school was to show that I went through that same sort of thing only I realized that Braille would help me tremendously! I feel that it is important to teach the child when they are young how to read Braille. I never had that experience until later in life so I always try to encourage any youngster to learn their Braille skills and practice their reading so that when they get into higher grades and levels they will be able to succeed. I sometimes wonder what I would do with out Braille, but I think back and see that I was successful in my school performance and without that experience of using the low vision equipment I would have never learned that Braille was the way to go!"

Carla Kay Laesch (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, carlakay@inetnebr.com)

**10. "Just a short little story with its own moral. Around twenty years ago, or a bit more, we had a French gentleman named Oleg Tretiakoff make a presentation to our staff and give a demonstration of the device he had invented. It was called the Digi-cassette. It was a freestanding Braille display device; that is, a version of the refreshable system. In fact, it was about the first. While he was here, we had him do an interview with Richard Parker at Radio Talking book. I still vividly recall one of his remarks about Braille during the course of that interview: "There is a world of difference between reading and being read to." In many ways, that tells us all we need to know about why Braille literacy is so essential for blind persons. You cannot be a truly educated person unless you can read and not merely be read to."

James S. Nyman (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA)

**11. "I was lucky. They "couldn't tell" when I was small if I would be able to
use print or not. This leads them to the assumption that even if I became
able to use it I would never be an efficient reader. Braille was something
I got from the beginning. For that, I am eternally grateful.

During one of the summers of my early childhood, I did learn to write some
print. I eventually learned to read it. During college and my school
years in the Douglas, Wyoming public school system, when I could not get a
book in Braille or on tape, I did read some using a CCTV. Like most
people, I found success with this method when the amount of reading was
relatively lite. When heavy reading was necessary, I attempted to do it.

It took many years and a better understanding of the non-visual techniques
I now use to realize why I had so many headaches. As I think back, I
needed a break after each paragraph. I eventually developed better skills
at using readers and getting information read ahead of time.

Through my high school years, Braille was vital. One of the reasons I
succeeded with the closed circuit television was that I was only using it
for short periods of time for actual reading. I also enjoyed it for other
things such as working crossword puzzles. The blessing I did not realize
at the time was that so much of what I needed was in Braille. I was also
lucky that the consultant working with me encouraged me to use Braille
because of the benefits it had. I remember not liking to look different.
He told me how different it looks when you are hunched over a book
struggling to read with a magnifying glass.

I am glad I learned print. It comes in handy for seeing what things are
and getting the bills off of my dining room table. Braille is still very
important to me though, especially when I have something I need to write
out and read later or a long document which needs to be read. Things like
web site address and e-mail addresses make much more sense to me in Braille
because I can look at them and make better sense out of them than I can
with speech as it makes one word out of 3. It is also much more relaxing
for me than reading with speech.

Along with the benefits I have already discussed, there is the great
knowledge that if I need to, I can scrap my technology and use Braille just
as those in many offices use print to do their work without benefit of a
computer or palm-top note taking device. It gives me great confidence
knowing that I could tell an employer "Of course I can do your job. I use
Braille for keeping track of my work and dealing with papers. I will use a
reader as needed to deal with printed material."

As an SVI counselor, I would probably find myself encouraging this child's
parents to get Braille instruction for their child from us if he was unable to get it in the schools. I would also present them with rule 51 which presumes that a child who cannot make efficient use of print will get Braille instruction."

Nancy Coffman (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA)

**12. "What is Jonny's medical problem, if diabetes, neuropathy is a consideration
that needs to be looked at. He may not be able to read braille in the
future. Also, what does Jonny want to do? If he absolutly does not want to
do braille, is it the schools job to force him? What about Adaptive
Computing, and teaching Jonny computing, scanning, and other electronic
media? I see to much open area yet in doing an evaluation."

Mike Wardin (Columbia, Missouri, USA)

**13. "Luckily, the choice between print or braille was easy in my case; I have
been totally blind since the age of four months. I received braille from
the beginning, and like another responder said, am eternally greatful for
it. However, I was also taught to write in print, using it for simple
things as notes to people, etc. In the case of the child in the story, I
think both should be used. I have a friend who has been low vision all her
life, but was never taught braille. Now that her vision has failed, she is
having to learn braille in high school, and it is very hard. She is having
to read children's level books, because of the simplicity of the braille.

This could have been spared if both braille and print had been used. Use
the remaining vision, but don't rely solely on it."

Alicia Richards, (Oincoln, Illious, USA, arichard@lccs.edu)

**14. "I wonder if you know that New York is in no better shape than many
foreign countries? Braille is the exception, and it is always a struggle to
get any child with a little vision efficient Braille instruction. The Federal
law may help, but we have had no success with the state laws.

Here is something to think about: All it would take to turn us from a civilized society to savagery is for one generation not to teach its children to read."

Lori Stayer (Merrick, New York, USA)

**15. "I have only been totally blind for a year or so but I have a
hard time reading Brail because I have to test my blood sugar every day
and that makes it hard to feel the Brail and write it.

If our children
are learning different languages in school and they are learning it very
well, they should teach brail for the kids or people who wont to learn it
or make it manditory like they are for children to learn forgn speach. I
teach as much as I can to my children when I can."

Tim OmStead (Fremont, Nebraska, USA,
Littleoz @ Juno dot com)

**16. "I credit this as a worthy subject. One wonders how anyone could be so
superficial as to believe that this child would not need Braille. How could
any professional be so weak as to lean on a family's desperation to avoid
providing Braille? How could a fearful parent or loved one help but be
influenced improperly by such an unethical "expert?" Nevertheless, to the
Braille-wise, it is obviously no question. More than this, now, it is the
"law of the land," thanks to the NFB."

Michael Floyd, President
NFBN (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA)

**17. "Yes, it will be a pleasure to tell you about braille in South Africa. Here
goes:

We now have 11 official languages in South Africa, 9 of which have fully
functional grade 2 braille systems and the tenth has just been drafted.
Most South Africans are fluent in at least two languages and therefore have
to learn those grade 2 braille systems.

Our English braille is mainly British braille but we use the capital sign
and we've also adopted a few minor local rules. For computer notation we
use the American system, but we use the British maths code.

A grade 2 braille system for Afrikaans was developed in the 1930s and is in
wide use. Afrikaans is a language that developed mainly out of Dutch and is
still closely related to Dutch. The Afrikaans grade 2 braille system has
just about the same number of contractions as English braille. Because of
the Afrikaans way of creating compound words, we sometimes have problems
with bridging when using computerised braille production - contractions
across word boundaries when the words are written together.

The grade 2 braille systems of the other African languages are fairly new.
The languages fall into family groups: Zulu, Xhosa, Swati and Ndebele are
languages of the Nguni family. Xhosa and Zulu have had grade 2 braille for
some time and the system for Swati has just been drafted and work on the
Ndebele system will commence soon. The next family is the Sotho group which comprises Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho and Tswana and they all have grade 2 braille. The remaining two languages, Venda and Tsonga, are unrelated and have grade 2 braille. The developers of the braille systems of these African languages have learnt from the mistakes of their predecessors and have kept things fairly simple and straightforward.

Our braille authority is a committee called Braille SA which is a subcommittee of the South African National Council for the Blind. I serve on Braille SA as a representative of the South African Blind Workers Organisation which owns Braille Services, the largest braille production unit in Africa. There are three major braille production units in South Africa, namely Braille Services of the S A Blind Workers Organisation, the braille press of the Pioneer School for the Blind in Worcester and the S a Library for the Blind in Graham's Town.

The three production units concentrate on different areas. The Pioneer School concentrates on material for their pupils and for students. The S A Library for the Blind concentrates on producing leisure reading material for library members. At Braille Services we produce a wide range of
material: several monthly and bimonthly magazines, material for several schools for the blind and other students, books for individuals, documentation for meetings attended by blind people, restaurant menus, exam papers. Braille Services is the only unit that produces braille in all official languages. The Pioneer School is the only unit that produces braille music and maths. All the production units use the Duxbury Braille
System and we have locally developed translation tables for Afrikaans, the Nguni languages Xosa and Zulu, the Sotho languages, Venda and Tsonga. We have adapted the British translation table for local use.

South Africa actively participates in and supports the Unified Braille Code
(UBC) project and there are currently two South Africans serving on the ICEB exec and several other serving on various UBC committees. As you will probably realise, with our language diversity and the mixed origins of even our English braille, we would greatly benefit from a Unified Braille Code.

My involvement in all this: I am currently chairman of the Committee for
Braille Services of the S A Blind Workers Organisation and in that capacity
represent the Organisation on the braille authority. I serve on some of the UBC project's committees. I developed the braille translation table for Afrikaans and adapted the British one for our use and now maintain them. I have trained two of my friends in table development and they will maintain
the translation tables for the African languages.

This has been a brief overview, but I could probably go on and on about this subject which is rather near to my heart. Please feel free to ask if you have questions about anything specific that I haven't covered."

FROM ME: "I wrote Christo back and asked more specifically about the teaching of Braille and/or print to partially sighted children, as in our Provoker."

"Here in South Africa we have a similar situation. People who can't use
print or large print learns Braille whereas those who can still get by with
enlarged print tend not to want to learn Braille. Some do, but they are far
in the minority. I think the reason is a subconscious struggle against
blindness and the perception that, by learning Braille, they are accepting
the inevitable. I always advocate that partially sighted people should also
learn Braille for various reasons. Not only do many of them become blind
later - especially those suffering from RP, but Braille would offer them so
much reading flexibility, e.g. they could then read when they don't have
their special equipment handy or where the light is to bad or while they're
travelling, etc.

We have several schools for the blind here and fortunately Braille is
considered to be important. Unfortunately schools don't do enough to try
and persuade partially sighted children to learn Braille.

I know some people who were partially sighted as children and then lost their sight and then found them to suddenly be illiterate, because, when they were young, they resisted learning Braille. I've seen them resist up until the very last and then they find it very difficult to learn Braille."

Christo de Klerk (Alberton, South Africa)

**18. "I have been otherwise occupied for some time now and have missed
contributing to these wonderful thought-provokers. I have thought they
were really neat from the beginning, but now that I have moved far away
and miss my friends, it is so neat to feel a little more connected by
reading the responses of others and being encouraged to contribute my own
response.

I was born blind and never had enough vision for adults to quibble over
which medium I would use for reading. Braille was the obvious choice and
like many others, I am grateful for this.
I noticed as early as kindergarten that most of the kids at the school
for the blind struggled with print and most of those who did read Braille
read extremely slowly. I wanted to read as well as my mom read in print.
I learned the alphabet quickly and read all the kids' books I could get
my hands on. I even read the ones I thought were embarrassingly silly.
The availability of Braille was a major problem back in the 1950's and
1960's and some of the Braille text I used was done by a couple of my
teachers. I still have the booklets of poems and stories my second-grade
teacher Brailled herself and gave us as gifts that year.

I did learn to read at a perfectly normal speed and read aloud to my
sister when we were very young, and much later, to my sighted daughter
when she was very young. This idea that Braille is slow really is a
fallacy. Two current examples I can think of prove this point. What a
bummer it would be to always depend on someone else to keep my
different-colored yarns separated for me for my crocheting. What if I
needed to change colors, the cat had gotten into my yarn and had a
hay-day and there was no one around to help me get it straightened out?
Simply by separating the different colors and putting Braille labels in
the bags makes my response time to switching colors as normal as that of
a sighted person's response.

Then just recently as we had moved to Washington state, the movers were
taking boxes off of the truck and they, my sighted husband and
mother-in-law were trying to identify the boxes so we could group similar
items together and avoid cardboard chaos. As I jumped in to help, the
assumptions on the part of everyone except Jim were that it would be too
hard for me to find my Braille labels and read them. I observed them
struggling to lift and turn boxes, read upside down, and try to get the
shadows just right to read and then--"Oh! whose handwriting is this? I
can't read it" and so forth. I literally grabbed a box, felt around for
my label, turned it to where I could read it, (I could read most of them
upside down) and really, I was not any slower. I know that those little
rectangle labels full of dots looked like something really foreign and
probably useless to those who don't know or use Braille. Sometimes we
have to be maybe more than assertive and actually demonstrate using
Braille before some people believe its worth.

In the story, after the question was posed, all the comments around the
table had to do with how Johnny was using print. The same attention was
not given to how Braille might or might not be effective. The scary
thing about this is that I think it is entirely possible and probable
that this is exactly what happens in hundreds and maybe thousands of
similar IEP meetings--Braille is not given equal consideration. I think
that Johnny could possibly make good use of both in differing
circumstances but the staff and his parents (not just his mom) (unless
this is a single-parent family) be involved in a tedious process of
determining when to use which medium at different levels of Johnny's
development and skill levels.

One last thing. When I was told my new address and phone number I was
having trouble remembering them. Even after I had given them to my
family, had typed them to someone and had put them on tape, I still was
unsure. Right before we moved, I found myself picking up an index card
and Brailling this information. I felt silly doing this for my own address and phone number, but guess what? Once I had written them down and read them back, they are stamped into my memory. It seems that for
some things, I actually think in Braille. Neat! Also, when one reads
something in Braille, unless it is refreshable Braille, it stays there.
My problem with being read to or even reading speech on the computer is
that words come and go and do not necessarily stick in my memory. I had
trouble explaining this when I was working at reservation centers as they
objected to my taking notes in Braille. I told them I would remember a
lot better and a lot more when I used Braille just as they do when they
read print. When the rest of the employees read the computer screen,
they are still reading print. When being read to is compounded by
inflection and pronunciation problems, sometimes I was a little less
efficient than I know I would be if I had Braille on my computer. We
haven't gotten to the Braille equivalent in technology yet, though
refreshable Braille can be interesting but have its limits. I am not
complaining about speech, it has opened doors for me, or rather, has
allowed me to open some doors. However, I still prefer Braille. For me
Braille and print are not really equal. Braille is better. I think
Braille could make life a lot better for many blind persons, including
those who believe that technology replaces Braille. No way! Braille is
really useful and it is neat and artistic. Some words and names really
look neat and pleasant in Braille, in fact Braille can be used not just
as letters and numbers and music but also as tactile art.
Oh, one more recent example. When Jim and I moved up here our computer
was down until just last week. I am glad I had the foresight to ask for
some referral information in Braille from my rehab counselor and that she
gladly complied. The disc of information she gave me is fine now but
would have been totally useless for about a month.
I know I am rambling on but this is an important subject to me and also
it is so neat to be sharing with each other. Thanks!"

Laurie Merryfield (Bellevue, Washington, USA)

**19. "In Australia most children attend normal sighted schools and they
are taught by an itinerant teacher. These teachers assist vision
impaired children to learn different skills they need for education
and assist them with keeping up with the other children in the school.
Everyone else is taught by the Royal blind society. How people look
upon Braille is a very complex answer. There are some people whom
regard Braille as the key to Literacy, while others use it as a form
of accessing information and only use it when they need it. The final
group regards Braille being too difficult and expensive. These people
regard audio and electronic text as a preferred media because it is
quicker and easier.

Personally I feel that Braille is a necessary
tool for any person who cannot read large print. Braille is equal to
print, while electronic text is very close second. I do not regard
Audio as important as the other medias that I have mention. audio is
very useful for novels and the like, but if you use a lot of technical
information, then audio just does not cut it. But if Audio is the
only media that you can use, then you have to use it.

One thing I find is that in Australia, the governments do not assist
vision impaired people to purchase equipment to assist them with
buying equipment that could allow them to read Braille much easier.
E.G. An Braille Lite 40. I feel this is the best solution for
Braille. The main reason for this is that you can store a large
number of electronic text on the Braille Lite and then you can convert
them into Braille (if they are not already in Braille) and read them
at your convenience, instead of lugging around x number of volumes for
one book."

Sean Murphy (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)

**20. "It seems obvious that the kid should be taught Braille as early as
possible. from the information provided in the story, it is not clear if
there is danger of the kid's eye condition and his vision worsening. It
seems obvious, however, that he can read print only with great difficulty
and aids. CCTV equipment seems not easily portable and touching noses with a
book using a magnifying glass doesn't sound like a very healthy nor
dignified way to read, either.

the greatest advantage is the boy's age, though, I think. Young kids learn
just so much more easily than at later stages in life. there is a lot of
natural curiosity and the senses are not as set in their ways as in an
adult. I would imagine that a six-year olds tactile senses could be taught
a lot more easily to be used to read than ten years later in life or even
more.

sighted friends told me just the other week that their five-year-old
daughter developed a fascination for Braille by discovering the Braille
label on the package of some cough syrup she was taking. (Over here, some
medication packages at least come with the name in Braille on them.) the
little girl is in kindergarten and can't really read yet, but her mom says
she gets really excited when she discovers Braille lettering somewhere and
eagerly tries to feel the shape of the letters. For Emily, Braille is a
fascinating language and something she is eager to explore. I think she
will get a Braille Christmas card with at least her name Brailled on it in
addition to the "marry Christmas" messages.

I do think that it would be a good idea to introduce all kids to the
Braille alphabet in grade school. From what I heard, you guys teach sign
language at some schools. Doing the same with Braille would only make sense
to me. I think it goes beyond mere communication skills although I think it
would be great if a sighted student could Braille a note for a blind peer.
I think by learning Braille or sign language, kids would become more
sensitive to the needs and challenges of those around them. Kids learn
easily and it would be something they could share, something where a sight
impaired or deaf student might actually have an edge over their sighted,
hearing peers, something where they could teach and help the "normal" kids.
To me, it also is a matter of politeness and trying to meet the other where
they are, meet them on their level rather than expecting the others to
adapt. Now, I was faced with blindness at age 33. When I could no longer
read print, the question of learning Braille became a necessity. Yet I
shied away from it. To start learning Braille would have meant to admit the
finality of my blindness, something, though I intellectually knew about it,
I could not bring myself to face, still can't. Yet I did start fumbling
with the Braille alphabet eventually, but not because I was so realistic
and well adjusted that I decided it was good for me or anything. It was a
much more personal thing that made me decide to do so. Through the Internet, I
had come in contact with a few blind people (this was before joining this
list ), some of which became good or even best friends. Two months ago,
I was faced with wanting to write my best friend a birthday card. I wanted
to more than send him an email. I wanted him to have a real card to look at
and to read and to show to his friends and carry around with him if he
liked. and since that friend is blind, it meant finding a means to
communicate and meet him where he was. And I started to Braille. Back then,
it was a very painful process of looking or rather feeling up each letter
and copying it. But I did do it, my friend got his card. I then decided I
wanted to write Christmas cards to my blind friends, and I wanted to really
write those, not copy character by character. I have reached that stage
now. It was a minor breakthrough.

Anyway, my point is that for me the motivation was to be able to relate to
my friends on their level. When I reflected on that the other day, I
realized that I probably would have wanted to learn at least the Braille
alphabet even if I had not lost my sight. To me, it is a little the same
way I feel about other countries and other languages. Over here in Europe,
different national states and the languages spoken there are much closer
together. I don't like to travel to a country where I can't at least ask
the local people in their own language if they speak English or German. For
me, that is a matter of politeness. I don't just assume anybody speaks
English, and I think I should not assume that every blind person has to
find a means to read a printed card I send them. Not everyone has a scanner
available all the time and I would not want my friends to have to ask
somebody else to read their mail for them, not if there is something I can
do to get around that fairly easily. Learning to read Braille with the
fingers is something else. I still can't read half of what I slate, but
learning the alphabet, the system behind it, and to write it so that
sighted people can effectively communicate with their blind peers is
something I think should be encouraged. With kids at least, having them
learn to read by touch without sight would further their understanding of
blind people. I don't see sighted people learning Braille as the sighted
making extra accommodation for the blind, by the way. I see it as something
that should come naturally out of the desire to get to know the others and
their world, just as learning another language and about a different
culture would.

The sending out of this month's thought Provoker coincided with a
discussion I had with two friends of mine. Most of the blind people I know
are on your side of the ocean. My afore-mentioned best friend Doug is a
teacher at a school for the blind in Minnesota. Through Doug, I learned quite
a bit about the attitude towards blindness over there, the way things are
approached, etc. and I hope some of that will eventually rub off on me.

More recently, I have come in contact with another teacher at a school for
the blind on this side of the ocean. That German guy is a casual friend I
got in contact with through a German mailing list. Anyway, we talked a bit and
touched upon different approaches. My German friend said that if a person
was still able to make out the Braille dots with their eyes or could still
read print with aids at all, Braille would not be pushed over here, but all
other means would be utilized to help the person use whatever sight they
have left.
To me, that approach does not make much sense. I mean, there is nothing
wrong with sight and I enjoy and appreciate every bit I have left, but I
want to come to the point where I know that I can be happy and OK without
any sight. then any remaining sight for as long as I have it will be an
additional benefit, an additional blessing, but nothing that is essential
and that would crush me when I do lose it. This is one of the big differences in the approach to blindness over
here as opposed to over at your end. I think over yonder, the goal is to
teach people to be OK with blindness, to know they are respectable and
worthy beings with or without sight. Here, blindness is counteracted with
skills, and in the case of partially sighted individuals pushed to the back
as long as possible. Here, the feeling I get about how blindness is that, is
considered something tragic (and I am not saying it is not in some ways)
and something like that is best avoided facing as long as possible.

The discussion with my German friend about teaching Braille arose in
context of a more general one about the use of sleep shades when teaching
partially sighted people. I know that at Doug's school, sleep shades are
encouraged to the point of being pushed and forced on people. I generally
think that the use of sleep shades makes a lot of sense, but think it
should not become legalistic. Anyway, it is again a matter of learning
things without sight for one to be ready when all sight is gone and secondly
to come to know one is OK without sight. I wish I could go to school over
yonder and learn just that. With my remaining sight deteriorating and
sometimes pulling ugly tricks on me, Doug a little while ago encouraged me
to put on shades to take the edge out of the fear of darkness. In my case,
it is not a matter that much of "cheating" by vision as I don't have much
left, but more a matter of learning to be OK without light. Putting on
shades would put me in control of that. I tried that, but totally freaked
out. I will save the shades for the time Doug is with us.
I do want them, though. I do want to learn to be OK and happy and to
appreciate beauty and everything without sight. The shades have come to
symbolize the different attitude for me in some way. I am just not ready to
face the darkness all by myself yet.

My German friend said that shades are not used in teaching people over here
at all. He said they might be used for demonstration purposes on a few
occasions at best, but would never be pushed. He actually thinks that they
would be counterproductive as they might frighten people. To me, that
approach does not make sense at all. The German government is very stingy
and selective about people they consider worthy of receiving blind related
training that goes beyond basic use of a cane. One criteria is that the
person should have been working before blindness hit, which I hadn't been
for a while. Training a blind person costs money obviously. To receive
that kind of training here, a person must not have more than 33% of their
vision left. That is still quite a bit of sight, tough, and I guess those
people can get by without Braille. What I don't understand is that if the
money is spent on training the person and they lose some more or all of
their remaining vision, they will be in need for retraining, which would
cost more. To me, it just doesn't make sense that they are not first taught
to do things without sight and then maybe afterwards in addition to
utilizing what they have left. It is so weird.

Somebody who knows both systems commented that shades are not pushed over
here because they are not popular exactly with students and therefore hard
for the teachers to enforce or rather explain or "sell." And everybody
likes it easy, I guess.
Mind you, I am not an official spokesperson for the German system here. I
can only relate what little I got in contact with, found out, and
struggled with. I would rather be blind and learn about blindness and
being blind over there, though, if I had a choice. I wish it was just all
one world where we could all learn from each other without limits imposed
by language, country, passport, etc."

Doris Schmill (Berlin, Germany, dorisschmill@gmx.net
OR schmill@mail.students.go-on.net )

**21. "Many of you have already stated my opinion for me. Let me just sum things
up and say that in this case the child obviously needs to learn Braille.
And, unless there is some major medical reason to not learn it, illiteracy
is being promoted here."

Shelley Johns (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA)

22. "I am resending my first reply as you had mislaid my comment to do with
Braille. I should add one other point to that response. When I observe
that use of Braille seems to be lessening because all the books are now
centralized in one location, I should add that this may only apply to
reading for pleasure. Talking Books may have taken over that function. It
would be incorrect of me to presume this means that less people are learning Braille."

Rosalie Glynn (Albany, West Australia)

**23. "I just wanted to drop a note about Braille Literacy month which is January.
It might be a good time for those who are interested to read at story
hours, participate in public readings at bookstores, libraries and schools
and where-ever their interests take them.

Another thought I had about this thought provoker has been on my mind for
some time now. Many schools teach sign language so that all students can
communicate with their deaf peers. I don't necessarily think that it is
due to lack of interest, but mentors would be needed. I think there would
be a surprising amount of interest in having a Braille club within schools
so that children in that school could also learn to communicate with their
blind peers. It might be a way to spread the awareness that people can
compete on terms of equality using Braille.

I hope these thought provokers help us all to see what we can do to make
life better for ourselves and each other."

Nancy Coffman (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA)

**24. "I am very opinionated with the topic of Braille and Print. I find it
sometimes very difficult to think "Why wasn't I taught Braille?" I was
born with partial vision and was able to read print. Even now, I am still
able to read the print on a page. But remember this is still large print.
When I was growing up, I had to deal with the issue of headaches, taking 15
to 20 minute brakes when my eyes were tired but I had more work to do, and
reading at a slower pace compared with my classmates.

I think that the reason why allot of parents aren't having their children
taught Braille is the way that the professionals in the field present it in
the wrong way. If someone says "Well, we could teach your child Braille
but it's bulkier, slower, and less accessible to others in the long run."
What else is a parent to think? That's why I think that it is important
for people who use Braille very efficiently to get out there and say
"Braille is Good!"

Personally I think that Braille is much better than print. Still, if a
child is able to read print it should be taught in combination with Braille
as long as the Braille skills are kept and used at the same level as other
school age students. What I mean is you don't want a child to be shown
Braille and then realize the fact that they can still use their vision more
and more and use the Braille less and less. That compromises one of the
most important reading mediums given to them."

Denna Lambert

(dlamber@comp.uark.edu (

**25. "I am the Director of a rehabilitation center for the blind in Texas. I was born "legally" blind with "stable" vision. I was not given the opportunity to
learn Braille as a child since my vision was so "good and stable".
I learned Braille as an adult because of friends with whom I wanted to communicate. I was very motivated to learn it for that purpose and so that I could
teach it. As a rehab teacher I taught it to mostly totally blind students since at that time we did not require students at the center to learn Braille
and did not generally encourage use of Braille or cane travel by students with "low vision" although we did push CCTVs and magnifiers to maximize use of
vision for reading. I held to that philosophy of print being somehow better than Braille for persons who were as I describe now "blind with some vision".

It was a combination of working with consumer group representatives from the national organizations (NFB and ACB) that resulted in my re examining my position
not only on Braille but cane travel, use of the blindfold in training of persons with some vision.
What I found was that students and staff in some cases while very comfortable with promoting use of vision and low vision devices and technology for persons
with limited vision were quite often opposed to requiring Braille or cane skills travel or blindfold training to these folks. Part of the answer seems
to be in what the teacher is comfortable with and with the societal norm...vision and print. Part of it is also due in my opinion to how we feel about
being "blind" using the non visual techniques and whether or not we believe they are equal to vision or somehow just to be used as last resort by persons
who are totally blind.

I now support the use of Braille, cane travel and encourage training under blindfold for persons who have some vision as necessary "tools" which can be
used instead of or in conjunction with vision. However, basic skills of blindness as tools are not the only benefit. There is also a development of confidence
in the learning and application of the skill that can enhance one's potential for employment and all around daily living.

There are those who have cried "what about choice?" My answer is that they have the choice of whether or not to come to the rehab center. Also, it is only
a choice if you are able to exercise it. That is, I can choose to use Braille or not only when I have the ability to use it. And "informed" choice comes
through the experience of trying it.

There are to be sure some exceptions. We recently had an individual who had neuropathy in their fingers and for whom Braille was difficult to discern tactually.
We discontinued it. What amazed me is that he came in to complain that he was taken out of the class! He uses his limited vision but is taking Braille
and learning very slowly.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of providing a class to staff on the History of Braille. It is noteworthy that while things change they also remain the
same. History records how raised letter s were used in some initial attempts to educate the blind in Paris and other places around 1785 or so. This was
a very important step in the movement by educators to provide literacy to the blind. Louis Braille's system was not adopted in the Paris school for some
25 years partly due to resistance of a tactual system of dots in favor of raised letters that were readable and used by sighted educators. Today, in my
opinion the resistance is similar. If educators back then were reluctant to used a tactual dot system for persons with no vision like Louis Braille, it
is not surprising that sighted educators would be more likely to continue teaching use of print instead of the Braille system to persons with some vision.

At the rehab center we are trying to promote acceptance, learning and use of non vision techniques to persons with low vision. We promote use of technology
too. However, neither low vision devices, technology nor remaining limited vision which in most cases is not stable nor even as effective should be allowed
to limit the learning opportunities and tools afforded by skills such as Braille.

**26. "It is the question of the non vision technique of speech technology required for persons who are legally blind with some functional vision. Most of us agree that for basic
typing/keyboarding the use of vision should be discouraged. However, when it comes to Windows, MSWord, etc. should the consumer be given the choice not
to learn speech and use large print when for most the use of large print is not as functional as speech in terms of speed, stamina, lighting, contrast, etc.
I have taken the position that speech should be taught to all, or most as the default with large print screen readers as a secondary approach to give those
with functional vision an additional tool. This is similar to my position re Braille being required of all students rather than promoting use of CCTVs and
large print before or as a substitute for Braille. Learning speech will not hurt anyone just as Braille and for most is more effective. A very few who
can use vision very well and who do not have a progressive condition can be recommended for large print in technology a Low Vision Instructor who has
the expertise to evaluate vision functioning. also, if a student has a hearing deficit that may make a difference. However, speech should be the default.

Most students with some vision are likely to prefer large print to speech screen readers since they prefer using vision to non vision learning. However,
this choice is often not the most efficient. at any rate, this is the most recent issue regarding non visual training at our rehab center. I think it could
be worked into a good Thought Provoker. Let me know what you think.

To be sure, use of the blindfold in training of persons who are legally blind but have some visions not the outcome, but a very effective strategy toward
the outcome of independent and confidence.”

Edwin Kunz (Texas USA)

**27. "In general it seems as if I have more sight then many people on this listserv. (I have no sight in my right eye, but think I can see light, and low vision
in the left eye. I have been told that my vision is bad enough to be labeled "visually impaired".)

Relating this to the Thought Provoker, in high school, I didn't receive any special services for my sight. My parents and I didn't know about the GREAT services that the Department of Rehabilitation could provide me. I struggled through high school dealing mostly with the physical problems my high school
presented me (I am also physically disabled) and didn't think much about my vision since I could read standard 12- point print. I did once check a book out of the library that was large print (14-16 point) because of the bad shape of the standard book.

The summer before college, I did find out about the Dept of Rehab and began to explore my vision needs for college. My college requires that all students
have a computer so I went through an evaluation to decide whether Dept of Rehab should buy a PC or a Mac for me. During the evaluation, I experimented
with both formats. My family had a Mac at home where I just dealt with its standard format. (I know that Mac's have the Close view option magnifier but I found this difficult because it would only magnify parts of the screen, not the whole screen, which I found distracting.) It was decided that I should
have a PC since it had more accessibility options to it.

I also experimented with a CCTV but found it to be similar to the Mac Close view experience and didn't see myself using it. If there is a is a textbook that
is too small for me to read, I have found that it is best for me to use a program called Kuirsweil where I can scan the text, enlarge it, read it on the
screen or have it read to me.

As my experience proves, there are many ways to get college work done, through standard reading, enlarged print, a CCTV, the computer, enlargement and reading
software and even Braille for those that use it. I think the IEP team therefore, shouldn't assume that there will be one way for Johnny to succeed in high school. Johnny may need several pieces of adapted equipment and should be allowed to use this equipment if need be, if there are ways for it to be properly
paid for.”

J Fuller (NABS)

**28. "Well from my own personal experience I think he should be taught both and
then he should be allowed to choose which is easiest. I personally think
that if I had been taught Braille I would have an easier time here at
college. Instead it takes me ten times longer to do things trying to read
small print with magnification and I have to write notes for presentations
big and with a black marker. Also if every other person gets to choose what
is best for his/her self then why is it that visually impaired/blind
students and others with disabilities not given the opportunity to choose,
or have a say?”

Jannel Morris (NABS, St. Joseph, Missouri USA)

**29. "I think he should have learned braille because it would have made his life
much easier. You never know if a person's vision could get worse either."

Lisa (NABS)

**30. "As I've also said before, I am a rehabilitation counselor with the Division
of Blind Services in Daytona Beach. I have worked in this position for 14
years. Prior to that, I worked for the Social Security Administration. In
both positions, I have had to access information quickly. I have some
vision, and can read print with strong magnification. Never the less, I am
extremely grateful that I had a vision teacher who taught me braille. It
serves me well every day. I use braille for labeling files and other
information. I also enjoy reading for pleasure in this medium as it
prevents headaches and eye strain.

There are some people with 20/200 or better vision that can read
competitively using print. If a person's eye condition is stable, and if
they can read and write at a competitive speed, they should not be forced to
learn braille. But, all too many times, I see partially sighted people who
don't read or write very well. These people are very hard to place on jobs,
etc.

Please feel free to share my thoughts in any way you see fit.

Warmest regards,
Mary Ellen Ottman

**31. "I am 40 years old and have uveitis with cystoid macular edema. I have
decided to learn Braille because I cannot imagine the possibility of
never being able to read. At the moment, my vision is okay for
driving(according to my eye specialist) but I do experience allot of
eyestrain in reading. My vision in one eye is like looking through a
dirty windshield and there is one spot in particular that remains in the
central vision. I think it is best to learn Braille at a younger age if
there are sight problems. I never thought when I started my university
studies a couple years ago that I wouldn't be able to complete it
because of my vision. Now that looks like a real possibility. My
advice would be not to limit oneself to only the written word. We never
know when vision impairment can occur in our lives and it is better to
be prepared."

Marilyn den Hollander (USA)

**32. "I am a visually impaired college student who was taught to read print only when my vision teacher discovered that I was reading the Braille dots with
my eyes. Now with the fear of going blind as a very real possibility, I wish I would have learned Braille earlier. Blind and visually impaired friends
whom I tell this to laugh when they hear I can read print. Most of these friends have only been taught Braille, but for good reasons. However, one friend
in particular, is supportive of me and is encouraging me to learn Braille. But, like someone said, it gets harder as the student gets older. That is
something that is a real possibility -- how best to learn and retain Braille now that I am 20 years old.

I don't know if this response made any sense, but if someone out there understands my concerns and would like to discuss this further, please feel free
to write off list.”

Alexis Read (Moorhead, Minnesota USA alread@cord.edu)

**33. "I was never taught or encouraged to learn Braille, even though I did go to kindergarten at a school for the blind and handicapped, and had a resource teacher
when I was mainstreamed into the public school system after kindergarten. I am legally blind but was always taught and told to use my sight. I can understand
why. At the same time, now I wish I had been able to learn Braille as a kid. I still don't know how to use it, but there are times when it would be helpful
or easier; it would be a lot faster for me once I acquire the skill. A few years ago, I mentioned to my eye doctor that I wanted to learn Braille, and
he said "Why? You can still see well enough to use print." The prospect of my becoming totally blind someday is real, but I don't know to what extent---or
if anyone can really tell what the chances are of it happening. But, I think it would be better to learn it now while I do have my sight and don't absolutely
need Braille to manage, rather than waiting until I really do need it to try learning it. Not only will it be harder because I will be even older, but
it will also be harder because I'd be under pressure to learn it, because it will be so necessary. I have my textbooks on tape, or scanned onto a disk
so my computer reads them, and reading glasses to read most other printed material. But knowing Braille would be like having fluency in a second language.
Now my obstacle is finding the time to be taught and to practice. But one of these days, I will jump in and get started.”

Cam F. (USA)

**34. In response to this thought provoker, like many have mentioned, Jonnie should learn Braille. This would not only reduce the risk of eye strain, but time needed for getting school work completed would be less going the Braille route than the print route. I don't think that Braille should be the exclusive format, however. Books should also be available to him on cassette, particularly come high school and college. By the time one gets to high school and
college, the reading load is much more than in grade school. Moreover, it seems that having books put on cassette is cheaper than transcribing them into Braille. Of course, like everyone, Jonnie should have the choice to continue with reading entire books in Braille or have the books on cassette, depending on how he learns best. Thus, novels, textbooks, etc., should be equally available in Braille and on cassette just as it is already available in print.

If I was an education specialist, Braille literacy and learning to use audio books would be my main focus. Print would only be used for learning how to write printed letters and cursive writing so that short notes to sighted people could be written as well as being able to sign your name on legal documents, checks, business letters, etc. Of course, if the person has enough sight to read large print, I would not take that ability away from them. They would
still be allowed to read the size print they can read, but they would also have the ability to read in other formats when they reach their limit because of eye strain.

When I was in school, while I learned Braille, I learned print in a sense of how to write printed and cursive letters as well as learned how to use the optacon. My main focus, though, was keeping with Braille format since I could read Braille much faster than I could read with the optacon. Starting in fourth grade, though, some of my books were on cassette, which helped for reading very long books for book reports. I would have had no problem with reading the entire novels in braille, but the books on cassette helped me complete my work much faster and more efficiently. As I progressed through my
school years and, particularly through college, most of my books were on cassette. The only books I had in Braille were my Spanish and math books. Of course, all my notes were on cassette as well as in Braille. A combination of the two kept me skilled with Braille yet allowed for reading materials to be more portable via cassette books.
As for learning print, as I mentioned earlier, I learned the shapes of different kinds of printed letters via the optacon and my vision teacher teaching me how to print and hand-write. This not only helped me as far as getting an idea of what sighted people see on
a page, but it helped me in being able to write short memo notes to my parents and friends as well as for being able to sign my name on my checks and other legal documents. One area of concern that was not touched on much was neuropathic conditions affecting a blind person's ability to read Braille.
As Resps. 12 and 15 pointed out from personal experience, diabetes neuropathy and diabetics testing their blood sugar on their fingertips can affect the ability to feel the dots let alone distinguish what set of dots are what. Such is the case with my husband, John. Within the last seven years that he and I have been together is when he's noticed that his sight is slowly deteriorating. Despite that new glucose meters today do not require that you
draw blood from your fingertips to check your blood sugar level, he still suffers from diabetes neuropathy. Yes, there are many text materials available on cassette or can be accessed via a computer through speech, but, as someone pointed out, what happens when the power goes out or the batteries run down
in your tape recorder? What happens when your computer bites the dust, thus not allowing you to have access to your speech software? What does one who is in a predicament like John and many other blind diabetics are in do? John is fortunate to have me available to read Braille materials to him (his
personal talking book or reader). In fact, I found a book one time that was only available in Braille that he was interested in, so I ordered it and read it to him. However, I'm sure that there are others out there who are not as fortunate to have someone dependable to readily provide such service either because the other blind people are busy or they don't know of any other blind people they can network with. In such cases like that, this is where we as the blind community have to work together and make sure that we are reaching outside ourselves to people who are not as lucky as my husband is.

Linda.

**35. I had a little bit of trouble with this one since I have been able to read only Braille ever since I first started reading. One time a VI teacher I had
in school worked with me on the Optacon but I couldn't effectively decipher all the letters. Does anyone remember the optacon? I have not seen any others.
I think Braille should be recommended to anyone who cannot read print, even if they do have a bit of remaining vision.
I do not, however, consider those who can't read Braille illiterate. There are a number of reasons for someone being unable to read Braille, one of which
is loss of sensitivity in one's fingers.

Jake Josehl, USA