vb960321.htm

Braille and Beyond: Braille Literacy in a Larger Context

S.J. Spungin

Braille has always been and always will be more than a means of literacy for those blind individuals who use it, as well as for those who do not. As Schroeder's 1996 study (in this special issue of JVIB) points out, "for some, braille seems to represent competence, independence, and equality." For blind persons who decide not to use braille, the desire not to identify themselves as blind or be considered blind by others may have influenced that decision as much or more than any considerations about the best reading medium. Therefore, the problem of braille illiteracy must be considered more than just a literacy issue.

Many longstanding concerns, such as the inadequacy of braille instruction that is provided to children by teachers with overburdened caseloads and the difficulties in finding braille that is produced on a timely basis, are still extremely important. However, it has also become clear that braille illiteracy is a major symptom of larger problems.

CONCERNS IN 1989

In a presentation at the 1989 National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind, I discussed eight major reasons for the increasing illiteracy of people who are blind or visually impaired. (That presentation was turned into the monograph; see Spungin, 1989.) In summary, those concerns were: 1) the lack of accurate demographic statistics on individuals in the United States who are blind; 2) the emphasis, during the past 25 years, on teaching children with residual vision to read print; 3) negative attitudes toward blind people and the communication skills they need; 4) lack of standardized braille teaching methods and of quality control to ensure high standards of teaching; 5) the complexity of the braille code; 6) technological advances, especially speech output, as a viable substitute for braille; 7) the practice of placing visually impaired children in regular classrooms, with support from an itinerant teacher who visits only once a week; and 8) limitations of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process, such that the IEP often is based on the school's budget and availability of staff.

CONCERNS IN 1996

Since 1989, a great many things have happened as a direct result of groups of consumers, families, professionals, and producers of braille working together. I would like to discuss the progress that has been made to address those eight obstacles to braille literacy and the ways that they have come to be viewed in a broader context.

Demographic statistics

The validity of the demographic statistics of the blind population continues to inhibit the blindness field from making substantive progress. The lack of consistent, accurate numbers limits funding, policy development, and the maintenance and growth of existing resources. The federal government reports that the number of blind people is declining, whereas individual states report that the numbers are increasing. Because researchers do not ask the question "Are you blind?" the same way, comparisons of data sets are impossible. Five national organizations of and for blind persons are working together to solve this problem.

Emphasis on print

Since 1989, I believe that there has been a shift from overemphasizing the use of residual vision and print at all costs to encouraging the use of braille as a viable communication tool, even for persons who are not totally blind. Who would have believed in 1989 that all five national blindness organizations in the United States would agree on the following statement:

If a child has a visual impairment and if literacy skills are to be taught, the child should, if the parent or parents want this to be done, be taught to read and write braille by a certified teacher competent to teach braille literacy skills to the blind. If a dispute arises between the parent and the LEA [local education agency] regarding the appropriate reading medium, both print and braille shall be taught until the dispute is resolved through the IEP process.

In April 1994, that statement, as part of a Braille Literacy Amendment, was signed by all five organizations to promote braille as an equal and viable option to print. Most important, the agreement states that, when the IEP team cannot reach a decision on the appropriate reading medium, both braille and print should be taught until a decision is made.

Since 1989, I have changed my position on braille bills. I no longer see them as redundant to the IEP process, but rather as a major factor in bringing the public's attention to the critical needs of blind children. Braille bills have worked. I still believe that braille bills must discuss not only eligibility criteria, but the need for functional assessment and appropriate teacher qualifications.

Negative attitudes and lack of teaching standards

The third and fourth obstacles to braille literacy-negative attitudes and lack of teaching standards-are closely related. People usually do not like to do what they do not know how to do. AFB's National Braille Literacy Initiative is addressing the need for braille instruction for teachers both at the pre-service and in-service levels. An outcome of the initiative is Foundations of Braille Literacy, (Rex, Koenig, Wormsley, & Baker, 1994), and the video, Understanding Braille Literacy (AFB Press, 1992). The AFB Teacher Mentor Program and database continues to grow, and anyone interested in serving as or finding a mentor can contact me at the address listed at the end of this Comment.

AFB is also developing strategies for teaching adults who have become blind-a major need in the field. The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) are working on this issue, as well. In addition, the National Library Service has developed a national standard braille test, giving the field the potential to do quality control of teachers' knowledge of the braille code.

The braille code

The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) has done some exciting work on the Unified Braille Code. Regarding the complexity of the braille code as an obstacle to braille literacy, I have changed my mind since 1989. I now believe that, because of the needs of visually impaired children who have multiple disabilities, there is a place for Grade 1 braille (and even Moon type!)

Technological advance

The Joint Organization Effort (JOE), a group of national blindness organizations, issued a statement regarding electronic books and their impact on braille literacy, Although JOE applauds the work of APH, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, and other groups that develop electronic or audio books, it stresses that such formats are not substitutes for hard copy braille. We in the blindness field need to work with computer programmers and technology developers to ensure that new technology will not cause blind persons to lose any of the gains they have made in literacy.

Placement in regular classrooms

If I were asked to name one movement that poses the greatest threat to the education of children who are blind and to braille literacy it would be "full inclusion," Full inclusion, which advocates that all students with disabilities must receive all their instruction in regular public school classrooms, leaves many blind students who need alternative instructional environments, teaching strategies, or materials at a disadvantage.

Generic services

The trend to disregard individual needs and differences and define disability as an overarching generic condition for purposes of simplified program design, administration, and funding continues to be the main issue that I believe we will still be fighting as we enter the 21st century. For children, we must fight against full inclusion; for adults, we must fight for separate rehabilitation agencies; and for older persons, we must fight for the use of the disability rights or independent living models, with their emphasis on pride in group identification and choice.

For persons who are blind, braille is the key to information, and the ability to manage and manipulate information is essential to a person's self-sufficiency and self-esteem. But literacy does not exist in a vacuum. To address the problem of braille illiteracy, it is necessary to look beyond braille, into the larger context of all the developments and concerns in the field of blindness today.

REFERENCES

AFB Press (Producer). (1992). Understanding braille literacy [video]. New York: AFB Press.

Rex, E.J., Koenig, A.J., Wormsley, D.P., & Baker, R.L. (1994). Foundations of braille literacy. New York: AFB Press.

Schroeder, F.K. (1996). Perceptions of braille usage by legally blind adults. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 90, 210-218.

Spungin, S.J. (1989). Braille literacy: Issues for blind persons, families, professionals, and producers of braille. New York: American Foundation for the Blind.

Susan Jay Spungin, Ed.D., vice president, National Programs and Initiatives, American Foundation for the Blind, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001.