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Message From Terry
Despite new
technologies,
Braille remains as essential as ever for the blind
Canadian Press
TORONTO — It's been 200 years since the birth of Louis Braille, but the
Frenchman who helped make reading and writing reality for people with
vision loss is still making his mark.
The raised dot code bearing his name that Braille developed at age 15
continues to be used by millions. Since that time, a spate of evolving
technologies from audio recordings to computer software has helped further
expand ways for the blind to communicate.
Despite advancements, those who rely on Braille say it remains as
essential as ever as a means of communication.
While his office is equipped with now-standard technological must-haves
like a computer, even one of Jim Sanders's most modern gadgets
incorporates Braille.
His personal digital assistant features a row of Braille cells lining the
bottom of the device with pins that pop up depending on the keys he
pushes. Material downloaded to his handheld is automatically translated
into Braille code.
Braille is integral to his life outside of work, like creating labels for
his homemade wines.
"You would never think to say, 'Gosh, I'm going to turn the computer
monitor off; I'm going (to) no longer use a pencil and a paper,"' said
Sanders, 61, president and CEO of CNIB, who was diagnosed with severe
glaucoma as an infant and lost his sight at age 36.
"It just wouldn't occur to you that you would no longer read print because
you can hear the computers and you can read with talking books."
"Using Braille for me is the exact same as using print for you."
This year, CNIB and Braille200, the Canadian banner under which 200th
anniversary celebrations are being planned and organized by the World
Braille Foundation, are among organizations around the globe commemorating
the bicentennial of Braille's birth Jan. 4, 1809, in Coupvray, France.
Canadian festivities will kick off Friday in Toronto with a birthday party
bash in Braille's honour, marking the start of a year of celebrations,
including Braille exhibits at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in
Ottawa and La Grande Bibliotheque in Montreal as well as educational and
awareness programs. It will also include a special international essay
competition around the theme "Technology as a Bridge to Braille Literacy."
"Celebrating Braille: A Canadian Approach" will be unveiled as well. It's
the first Canadian textbook produced in nearly a half-century for new
users learning Braille.
Halifax singer-songwriter Terry Kelly, best known for his Remembrance Day
ballad "A Pittance of Time," will debut "Merci Louis," a song he wrote for
the event.
Kelly, chair of the Canadian Braille Literacy Foundation, said that while
he's a lifetime Braille user, he didn't know the whole story behind its
creation.
When Braille was three, he accidentally punctured his eye with an awl, a
sharp tool used to punch holes in leather. Infection eventually set in,
which spread to his other eye, rendering him blind.
He later used that same device to punch dots that would come to form the
coded system, Kelly said.
"What blinded him saved him," he said. "That's quite a story in and of
itself."
While technology has been beneficial, there are cases where it has created
new obstacles for the blind, said John Rae of the Alliance for Equality of
Blind Canadians.
Depending on how a file like a .pdf document is created, Rae said he may
not be able to access it. An increasing number of appliances, such as
stereos, stoves and washing machines, are operated by flat-screen menus
without buttons that the blind can't use. Same goes for information touch
screens on airplanes.
"The Internet has helped a lot, but as new ways of presenting information
is developed, a lot of times, adaptive technology that we use is developed
after mainstream technology is developed, so sometimes there is a lag
between the time you can have access."
Sanders said there are those in the field of education for the blind and
students with vision loss who are concerned about misconceptions Braille
isn't needed.
What's more, there is a particular challenge in Canada within isolated
communities, where there likely won't be an itinerant teacher who can
teach Braille to youngsters, he said.
The solution to tackling the problem stems from recognition by both
parents and policymakers that Braille is equivalent to print, particularly
for young children.
"If you're young and you do not know Braille and you cannot read print
efficiently with your eyes, then you are essentially close to being
illiterate."
Click Here to listen to "Merci
Louis"
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