Braille is the Rails for Literacy and Success!

by Dan Burke

Has technology rendered Braille obsolete ... yet?

This is a question that has been coming up for ... well, since the invention of recorded books, blowing things up on the copy machine, and the development of speech and magnification on personal computers.

The answer is "No!"

It was mentioned by a VR counselor from out-of-state recently - why should his client at the CCB spend time on Braille? Hasn't technology made Braille unnecessary now. That counselor was blind, by the way.

Our final Answer: Still "NO!" An emphatic "No!" because Braille is still about literacy, and none of the above-mentioned suggested options can deliver literacy as effectively or as completely as Braille. They're just bailing twine and duct tape when good welding and good steel are called for.

The photo above is a Tech Department meeting last month at the Colorado Center for the Blind, and one trigger for writing this. I'm shown in it, as are our three full-time Tech Instructors and part-time instructor and in-house desktop support guru. Also shown are Director Juie Deden, Assistant Director Brent Batron and Administrative Support Specialist Carol Sprague. Carol is the only sighted person in the room, and she can be seen using some old sighted technology - paper and a ballpoint pen.

Each blind person in the room has a hand-out embossed in Braille beside them. Of these seven, one is using a laptop, one a bluetooth keyboard paired to a phone, and the other five are using Braille note taking devices. This is our tech team - overwhelmingly literate and proficient in Braille. Chip, Showe, Chris and Yolanda were taught Braille as children, and Braille is the Raills upon which runs their literacy and professional success!

Yes, these things all go together!

Want to help today's blind kids find literacy and pofessional success in their lives? The NFB of Colorado is holding two BELL camps this summer. The first is just a week away in Grand Junction.

The NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy prepares blind and low vision children, ages four through twelve, to grow into confident and independent blind people who will live the lives they want. The program provides Braille and non-visual skills instruction through fun, hands-on learning in a day program or residential setting. In addition to Braille crafts, games, and other engaging projects, children learn vital independent living skills, interact with blind adults who serve as mentors, and enjoy field trips to sites related to the NFB BELL Academy curriculum. Through these activities and interactions, the children learn that blindness or low vision does not define them or their future. 

To support our 2017 NFBCO BELL camps, go to gofundme.com/BELL4BlindCOKids.

Braille is the rails, and this train is bound for literacy!