Blind out of touch with Brialle

Sweetmind · 06-15-2006, 05:47 PM

Sunday, June 11. 2006
Democrat and Chronicle
Page 20 A

Quote:

Less instruction causing literacy decline

John Faherty'The Arizona Republic

Arielle Silverman has always loved to read. From ittle Women in fourth grade to Jane Eyre in high school, books were a constant companion.

She could slide her fingers across the page and feel the world. Those words, however, have done more than make her well-read. They have secured her place in society.

Silverman, blind since birth has now finished her junior year at Arizona State University with a double major in biology and psychology, and a grade piont average of 3.9.

She is ambitious, thoughtful and well-spoken. And the 21 years old is convinced that she couldnt have achieved this without fluencey in Brialle.

A generatioin ago, 50 percent of blind schoolchildren used Brialle, according to William M. Raeder, president of the National Braille Press in Boston. Now he says, it's less than 12 percent.

Young blind students today are still instructed in Braille, but in the past few decades more students have been mainstreamed and no longer receive daily instruction.

That is significant, beacuse reading and writing Braille is a skill that needs maintenance. The less a student uses it, the more likely it s that the skill will diminish or even disappear.

Despite the reduction in Braille literacy, there are more ways than ever for the Blind to acquire information. Much of the orld is moving away fro words on a page and toward electronic-digital information. The profliferation of books on tape means blind people no longer have to wait to read the latest bestseller. Talking computers have brought the blind to the world and the world to the blind.

These advances have placed a generation of blind young adults and children in an information paradox: They have more knowldedge at their disposal, while their ability to read and write declines.

"If the literacy rate for sighted people was 10 percent, that would be a huge issue." Silverman says. "I think kids arent being taught Braille, and they arent being given enough time to practice."

Silverman is sightless beacuse of Leber congenital amaurosis, an inherited retinal degeneratie disease. But her parents never considered not teaching her to read and write.

"I grew up thinking reading is one of the greatest joys of life," says Sharona Silverman, Arielle's mother.

Because of her parent's commitment to literacy, Arielle was sent as a child to the Foundation for Blind Children in Phoenix to learn Braille. She could read by age 5. Then she was mainstreamed in public schools.

Now she is president of the Arizona Association of Blind Students.

One can argue that it does not matter how you read War and Peace, as long as you know the story and the genius of Leo Tolstoy.

"there is no correlation between Braille literacy and educational achievement," says Joanne Phillips, deputy associate superintendent for exceptional student services with the Arizona Department of Education.

Karen Wolfe of the American Foundation for the Blind strongly disagrees.

"You can't be literate just listening," she says. "Literacy helps us think and communication our thoughts. You will never be truly literate without Braille.

The AFB says the employment rate for the blind in this country is 32 percent. And Blindinc.org says that 93 percent of the employed blind read and write braille.

Other box:

Quote:

Behind the drop

The reasons for the national decline in Braille literacy are many, but the main reasons are:

Mainstreaming of blind students.
Increased technology, such as talking computers
More books on tape/CDs.
Increased number of bllind children born with additional physial or mental handicaps, often the result of premature birth.

Now I am gonna to say this again to make it clarify. Here is my statement.

Quote:

Oral rules is not the winner anyhow. You need to open your eyes and see that we do need to have our hands to talk instead of depending on oral method only. Not all deaf people feel comfortable with our Deaf voices or depending on those devices which are not the same as hearing voices. We all did the best that we can. Why cant you just accept that fact? It s our limitation in some ways that wont match up to the hearing s way.

It s not actually 100 percent effective for us to do with the lipreading or hearing alone. We do not hear everything with those devices. People need to know the truth and face the reality of who we are as far as being deaf. No need to hide the truth. That 's all I am asking.

Thats when people set us up with the delaying lanugage that is not a real literacy, we want. Deaf people need to have the tools that we use, our eyes (see), Brain (learning process that fits our deafness), and our hands to speak with or without orally speaking.. Thats equal! Deaf humans have the right to make their own choices not for their parents wishes or sakes. I am asking for fairness for Deaf children 's ASL that is a very beautiful language with facial expressions, true expressions, body language, and emotion tones. It helps us to understand better that is very important in our lives. It fits us very well... Thats a big difference if you mind. Thats a positive outlook as opposed to forcing kids to be oral or "hearing" only.

Deaf cannot compare to Latened Deaf who used to be hearing. That is not fair to make people believe it.

**Ears do not think but Brain does.**

Now it s proven that the parents forced us to hear and speak only that doesnt help us to have great literacy. Now ASL is one of our tools to use to communicate and READ and WRITE....which are the most important thing s for Deaf children to have rather than just force or trying to conform us into a hearing child. NO MORE excuses for the parents not to learn ASL or encourage those kids to read in early age. I m so grateful that I did my hardwork to help my hearing children to have good reading and writing skills all along before they depend on their ears.

Those devices are full of it. It is all about money. This articles proves me right.

Sweetmind

Oceanbreeze · 06-15-2006, 08:48 PM

How does this correlate with the blind being out of touch w/ braile?

Sweetmind · 06-15-2006, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oceanbreeze

How does this correlate with the blind being out of touch w/ braile?

Here are a few sentences from the article I posted...if you had read it you would have seen this and therefore your question would have been answered.

Quote:

A generatioin ago, 50 percent of blind schoolchildren used Brialle, according to William M. Raeder, president of the National Braille Press in Boston. Now he says, it's less than 12 percent.

Young blind students today are still instructed in Braille, but in the past few decades more students have been mainstreamed and no longer receive daily instruction.

That is significant, beacuse reading and writing Braille is a skill that needs maintenance. The less a student uses it, the more likely it s that the skill will diminish or even disappear.

I am trying to compare this to the fact that deaf children need ASL like blind need Braille. I strongly believe that this is very unfair..its like taking their independence away..must someone read their books to them instead of them using braille to do it themselves. Thats like whats going on with ASL, that SEE is not helping us in many ways because it is related to spoken languages that we cannot hear everything. Duh!

Quote:

"You can't be literate just listening," she says. "Literacy helps us think and communication our thoughts. You will never be truly literate without Braille.

Hope that answers your question.

Sweetmind

loml · 06-15-2006, 09:32 PM

pseudonym

ismi · 06-15-2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetmind

I strongly believe that this is very unfair..its like taking their independence away..must someone read their books to them instead of them using braille to do it themselves.

Erm ... no. First, in order to read braille, you have to have the braille version of what you're reading available, and that is far less common than audio versions. Second, you don't have to have someone read *to* you when you're blind - speech synthesizers are quite good. As I type this, I'm IMing with a blind guy who is using a program called JAWS that reads what is on his screen. In fact, that method of computer use is far more popular than braille readouts.

The decline of braille literacy may or may not be a problem - I don't have the background to agree or disagree with that article, but I suspect it's not as clear-cut an issue as it's portrayed as. However, either way, your statements don't hold water. If you're going to bring in examples from other communities (as in this article about braille, and a previous one about the American School in London), at least get your facts straight.

Sweetmind · 06-15-2006, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ismi

Erm ... no. First, in order to read braille, you have to have the braille version of what you're reading available, and that is far less common than audio versions. Second, you don't have to have someone read *to* you when you're blind - speech synthesizers are quite good. As I type this, I'm IMing with a blind guy who is using a program called JAWS that reads what is on his screen. In fact, that method of computer use is far more popular than braille readouts.

The decline of braille literacy may or may not be a problem - I don't have the background to agree or disagree with that article, but I suspect it's not as clear-cut an issue as it's portrayed as. However, either way, your statements don't hold water. If you're going to bring in examples from other communities (as in this article about braille, and a previous one about the American School in London), at least get your facts straight.

Can you just think outside the box for once! geez! nitpickin every comment I make, Cant you find anything better to do with your time? *RME* Its gettin real old!

Sweetmind

Heath · 06-15-2006, 10:40 PM

Link to the article so I can send it to my mom please?

gnulinuxman · 06-15-2006, 11:03 PM

Interestingly, it seems hearing and speaking is emphasized so strongly in blind and deaf "education", but sighted hearing people have rigorous literacy requirements in school... Literacy benefits everyone, not just sighted hearing people.

Sweetmind · 06-15-2006, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heath

Link to the article so I can send it to my mom please?

Sunday, June 11. 2006
Democrat and Chronicle
Page 20 A

Not from the internet its in the newspaper.

Sweetmind

Boult · 06-15-2006, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heath

Link to the article so I can send it to my mom please?

Heath, the title was actually "Can't read this?"
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...aille0601.html

by same author from Arizona Repbulican

and this article is longer than above.

Like Sweetmind said that it was in newspaper not on D&C's website because it did not originate from D&C to begin with. It came from Arizona Republican that D&C had a permission to reprint it in their newspaper. Therefore D&C renamed the title to "Blind out of touch with Brialle" (actually it is spelled Braille )

ismi · 06-16-2006, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetmind

Can you just think outside the box for once! geez! nitpickin every comment I make, Cant you find anything better to do with your time? *RME* Its gettin real old!

Can't you find anything better to do with your time than argue extremist viewpoints using data that you haven't bothered to take the time to understand?

Rose Immortal · 06-18-2006, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ismi

Erm ... no. First, in order to read braille, you have to have the braille version of what you're reading available, and that is far less common than audio versions. Second, you don't have to have someone read *to* you when you're blind - speech synthesizers are quite good. As I type this, I'm IMing with a blind guy who is using a program called JAWS that reads what is on his screen. In fact, that method of computer use is far more popular than braille readouts.

The decline of braille literacy may or may not be a problem - I don't have the background to agree or disagree with that article, but I suspect it's not as clear-cut an issue as it's portrayed as. However, either way, your statements don't hold water. If you're going to bring in examples from other communities (as in this article about braille, and a previous one about the American School in London), at least get your facts straight.

I know somebody who uses that JAWS software you're talking about...it seems to be very versatile. I'm going to have to ask him, next time we talk, what his opinion of this article is. I'm not sure if he reads Braille or not, but either way I imagine there are ways for people to educate themselves very effectively.

Believe it or not, Socrates couldn't read or write because it hadn't been invented yet. It was Plato who set the Socratic Dialogues into writing for us. The ancient mind was more geared towards oral learning and recitation to a degree that we find impossible to understand because we're so dependent on writing. I imagine that a blind person would acquire the same kind of skills.

I do imagine Braille would be helpful, too--again, I'll have to ask to find out more about this.

Sweetmind · 06-21-2006, 11:29 PM

I have asked his permission for me to write about him as a latened deaf blind to share his thoughts of being deaf and blind that he is dealing with it every day. Also, I thanked him for allowing me to educate people about Deaf blind.

The reason is why I did this because some of you have a very disrespectful toward Deaf blind that I dont appreciate it. Thanks!

My friend was discussed about this in a Blind club meeting. He learned a little braille once but he wants to learn more before he will become full blind. Anyway, he and others agreed that blind need to learn braille just as deaf need to learn American Sign Language. He want to attend Braille class after he end his ASL classes. And he had a conversation in ASL with my counselor at the agency for the Blind. She told him that Braille is hard to learn but once he get used to it, it will be easy. Just like ASL. It was hard at first but he kept at it and now can have conversations in sign. Anyway, he can use the tactile sign language for communicate and reading in braille books. Also, he knew he wont be able to understand everything with devices. Therefore, he makes sense for himself to prepare before he become totally blind. In my own view about this latened deaf blind is my good friend for a long time and did his own accomplishment by being deaf that he is more accepted for who he is. I was amazed because it s harder on Deaf and Blind that I dont have any experiences but I learned a lot from him. That's my own benefit educational to see the positive outlook about Deaf, Deaf Blind, and other deaf people's abilities.

We had met each other for ASL conference and had a good experience for both of us. I am glad we did get to know each other. Also, he said, he prefer to be deaf not blind because of visual is very important to him. I dont blame him.

His statement are :

Quote:

Braille is different from other languages but there are "signs" for specific words just as there are signs for specific words. Blind kids pick up on Braille just as Deaf kids pick up on ASL ...both are faster than hell! It just amazes me how they are!!

"Actually, the employment rate is down for Blind, Deaf, people in wheelchairs, and just anyone with a physical difference.....STILL!

Even with the ADA, there is a lot of discrimination I run into that a lot!....but also many ppl are not prejudiced.

It seems that if a person is prejudiced against d/Deaf they are also prejudiced against b/Blind.

But there is not much we can do except show them that being deaf does not mean we are less intelligent. Actually, IMO we are more intelligent because we can be in Deaf world AND in Hearing world.
That's all we can be - ourselves.....we can pretend to be someone else but doing that is false.

Many Deaf and Deaf-Blind have positive outlooks. At the commission for the Blind and at the commission for the Deaf all the people have positive outlooks. Yes, there are some with a negative outlook. But they get the "publicity" cuz they bitch and moan a lot. The people with positive outlooks about themselves and/or others do not get as much attention. Not only that, but there are many who are not deaf or blind who have a positive outlook. I have met people on the bus who learned to sign because they thought it was beautiful. Were they deaf? No! Was anyone in their families deaf? No!
*
*True, the employment rate may be down for d/Deaf and b/Blind. Why is this? Prejudice! Being d/Deaf and/or b/Blind does not mean a thing about processing information. There are brilliant people who are either d/Deaf, b/Blind, or both.

I disagree with isml....In order to read Braille the first thing to do is learn what it's all about. Then you need the Braille version of whatever it is you want to read....but if you have the Braille version and don't know Braille you are screwed.

a post by Rose Imortal....She makes a good point abt Socrates not reading or writing that shows that reading or writing is not needed for thinking ...."Thinking" is more cognative.

Do they READ stuff by them or listen to it that shows that hearing is not needed to gain information? but they are impressed by the technology more than anything else.

And they know that the technology does not always work! I'm not impressed. b/Blind need to learn Braille just as d/Deaf need to learn ASL. While there are books/magazines/newspapers on tape, CD-ROM, computer, a b/Blind person needs to learn Braille so they can read without having to have a computer to use. What if they are somewhere where there is no electricity? Such as at a bus-stop? Braille gives independence just as much as signing does. BTW, it's true - the devices have a failure rate. What if the device fails?

Thank you!

Sweetmind

Rose Immortal · 06-23-2006, 12:25 AM

I notice the capitalization of "Blind"...is there an analogue to "Deaf Culture" among all of the blind, or is it mainly the deafblind community? The legally-blind people I have known never dealt with me as if I were coming from a different culture than them, so this is outside of my experience.

And to Sweetmind's friend, if I can wander off this topic for a second--thanks for getting what I was driving at with the Socrates point. I've used the same story to defend my point in an essay where I argued that we dare not label the ancients as stupid, naive, etc. just because they used different methods of disseminating information.

06-15-2006, 11:03 PM	#8 (permalink)
gnulinuxman Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 1,740	Interestingly, it seems hearing and speaking is emphasized so strongly in blind and deaf "education", but sighted hearing people have rigorous literacy requirements in school... Literacy benefits everyone, not just sighted hearing people. __________________ --Danny

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06-15-2006, 08:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
Oceanbreeze Happy Holidays to all! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: S. FL Posts: 6,841	How does this correlate with the blind being out of touch w/ braile?

06-15-2006, 10:40 PM	#7 (permalink)
Heath Banned Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 7,959	Link to the article so I can send it to my mom please?

06-23-2006, 12:25 AM	#14 (permalink)
Rose Immortal Telepathic Spirit Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 1,254	I notice the capitalization of "Blind"...is there an analogue to "Deaf Culture" among all of the blind, or is it mainly the deafblind community? The legally-blind people I have known never dealt with me as if I were coming from a different culture than them, so this is outside of my experience. And to Sweetmind's friend, if I can wander off this topic for a second--thanks for getting what I was driving at with the Socrates point. I've used the same story to defend my point in an essay where I argued that we dare not label the ancients as stupid, naive, etc. just because they used different methods of disseminating information.