Category: Cram Session
I'm taking an introduction to Braille course. It's really challenging, demmanding, and time consuming. I'm really having a hard time learning the whole thing, so, do you think you have any suggestions, techniques, websites or any other ways to make it easier for me to learn the whole material. Were now studying contractions. It's really confusing. I know a few things, but reading the book and looking at the symbols is not enough to understand the material. If you know anything helpful that you've done while learning it, feel free to write it here. Thanks.
I would say to use flash cards. You can write the print contraction and then the Braille on the other side w/ a slate and stylus or a Perkins Braille writer. I also would say to go on Google and see what comes up. I know that when I was learning Braille I used print books that had Braille under the print words. I could begin to associate the Braille w/ the print.
I also would say to practice w/ straight Braille books when you feel comfortable. You can read out loud to yourself.
Look for braille everywhere. Restroom signs, menus, elevators. Use contractions in your personal writings such as recipes, phone numbers, braille labels, etc. Get a braille calendar. NLS has them, and you can also get them for free from the American Action Fund. Be creative, and make it fun as the last post said with braille "flash" cards.
Good luck.
Lou
My first suggestion is to take your time, rushing to learn it won't help. Second, Most of the contractions are associated with a letter like b for but. and yes I know there are the odd ones like k for knowledge. But get those down in your mind. practice, like the posters said above. I know when I was helping others learn, I used peg boards so the person could feel the letter and then the word. Good luck, it will open up many things like playing cards, reading etc!
now I know many people are going to hate me for this one and I have a feeling it may start a debate lol but my honest advice is don't bother. Braille is dieing out in a major fassion. I've not read it in years and I'm in university now. It's too big too slow and who wants to carry a thousand books about. Reading via the computer or with audio is faster and more efficient. Maths nowadays can be done using computer programming languages like latex. And as for braille in public at least in the UK it's rare as hell and if you're going to go about feeling the walls ETC, for it then lol you really don't know where you're going. I'm not the only one I came from a blind college and most people there were demanding their books ETC electronically because braille si too much trouble. Even here it is so much easier to carry ones entire degree on a laptop or memory stick. Of course one must back things up, but with braille you don't even have theopti9on to do that. As for the old argument about electricity going out ETC, well laptop batteries are there for a reason and how often does electricity go out in our modern age? Colleges and universities now are switching to electronic formats for sighted students as well. Braille is dieing and I'll be dancing on it's grave :d.
but what if you want to play cards, or if you have a slate for number taking and even board games can be brailled. You have to feel words and actually spell. I am an old timer so maybe I have strong feelings about this topic but even if you can use it some it is good to know. Sure the computer and talking products have made it easier, but its important to be literate.
Ooh is this a hot abutton for me. Braille is my faviroite medium. I'll be the first to admit its bulky, clumsy, and awkward for many tasks. You'll never really learn to spell accurately if you're only exposure to the "written" word is through computer speech. OK. I take that back. It will be harder to learn to spell if one only relies on speech. What happens if you don't have your notetaker/computer and are in a dining establishment with no one willing to read the menu? How can one make descriptive labels for clothing? How can one use a map of a subway system when there is nobody to ask for dirrections and the only optionis a map? As for the slate? Again, slow but awkward, but I probably use it more than my perkins brailler. You can write on anything with it in a pinch. I was asked to do a presentation, and used a napkin or two at a conference because I had about ten minutes warning. Sorry for this long response, but I can't say enough about the usefulness of braille.
Lou
first regarding the menu. You've obviously not heard of the programs for phones wherein you can take a picture of print and it will read it. Secondly slates? forget it, phones are more efficient. Lol there you go. I also have strong feelings on this topic. As for me I learn four languages and can spell quite well in all of them via speech.
but maybe people can't afford the expense of a hand held reader. You can find your room number, as most larger hotels have braille near the door, you can read the elevator buttons. Yes its bulky but reading something with your hands can come into play at least for me when I need to follow instructions I understand them better written out. It maybe is not for everybody, but I believe braille still has its place. Just my opinions.
I agree with what Lou and Brian have said. I started learning braille when I ws in Kindergarden, and although I use my laptop for most of my high school work, math has been done in Braille. Most of my assignments for school have been done in Braille. The only place where this does not apply, is in my tech school, where the teacher will use my jump drive to put the assignments on it. If I'm going to read something like a book, and they have it in braille, I'll take it. As one of you has already said, yes, braille does have its place. Maybe it isn't used as widely anymore, but it is still used.
When I was in primary school, we were given spelling tests and I remember the first one I did, I spelled all the words in grade 2 braille and got nearly all of them wrong, because I wasn't told at the start that I was supposed to write them in grade 1 as they were looking at our spelling. I automatically wrote shd when they said should and I was like, that's right isn't it? it says the same thing! Haahahahaha! I use braille when I can and think it's better than speech out of the computer.
First of all, I beleive she was asking for suggestions on how to learn and improve her braille, not whether braille is useful.
When learning, use both hands to track across each line.
Keep the fingers moving, even if slowly, from left to right. Don't scrub up and down with the fingertips. It might seem like it'll work at first, but soon you'll be feeling the same dot multiple times and become very confused.
As far as the slate and stylus go, practice, practice, practice. Also, sharpen the stylus and use lighter weight paper. The stylus can be sharpened on a whetstone, just like you'd use to sharpen a knife. you can buy them at any hardware store.
Now on to the question of whether braille is useful. 80% of blind individuals employed today know and use braille. If that's not a good enough reason, I don't know what is.
Feel free to e-mail me anytime with questions you might have. I have been an avid braille reader and writer for over 20 years and currently teach braille to blind adults on a daily basis.
To Fabolous, I didn't mean to make this sound like a Yes or No debate about the merrits of braille. I honestly think both braille and technology are highly useful tools/skills to master. I also appologize for taking this thread off track. The fact that we're using computers with assistive technology to debate the merrits of another reading and writing medium points out the value of both, and perhaps some of us are using braille displays to read these various posts.
Loumake
You might want to go in to Braille theoretics and things. I noticed when I find theories or learn the theories for things I get a lot better. Try finding someone who will teach you theoretical Braille.
Yes, I beta/edit stories, and I can’t edit well with speech. I have to search and correct mistakes in Braille, mostly on the brailleNote. Yeah, for example, If I edited with JAWS I’d only catch maybe two out of five mistakes, but if I edit on the brailleNote or a Braille format, I can catch four to five out of the five.