I never could figure out how to read brailled sheet music, so just play by
fingers, as playing a guitar by ear is not easy. Fingers are more easily
used to make chords. (grin)
The points on spelling, grammar, and punctuation are very good reasons why
braille is superior to speech. However, if people listen to their messages
before sending, they should notice a lack of punctuation. The screen never
pauses where punctuation would direct it to. Horribly mispronounced words
are usually, but not always, due to misspellings. Some blind people don't
care whether they type "to", "two", or "too", because it doesn't matter to
them. They all sound OK, and they may not even know that there is a
difference. This is partly due to a lack of education, and partly due to no
immediate feedback as to which word is which. Braille will provide that
feedback.
---
Be positive! When it comes to being defeated, if you think you're finished,
you! really! are! finished!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Ward" <thomasward1...@gmail.com>
To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers@audyssey.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 10:22 AM
Subject: Re: [Audyssey] the cost of documentation - Re:
Somepracticalquestionsreguarding the Monopoly game
Hi Jorge:
I think you have hit upon the one issue that we can agree upon. While
braille use is gradually being replaced by other technical
alternatives it is still the only way to truly pass on literacy to a
blind person. I know that on this and other blind related list the
literacy of the blind list members has been going way down over the
last few years. Poor spelling, poor grammar, and even lack of proper
punctuation is quite common on blind related lists.
One reason for this could be the trend for people to rely on technical
gadgets rather than sitting down reading a book in braille or similar.
Therefore at a minimum they aren't getting the constant reinforcement
of spelling, grammar, and punctuation a sighted user would get on a
daily basis. All they get is e-mails, books, and other documents read
to them and they are losing basic literacy as a result.
Another possible reason is blind people simply don't care. I know I am
on a number of sighted mailing lists and most people try to proofread
their e-mails so it is clear and not full of errors. The blind
technology related lists seem to be the opposite. It is almost like
they can't see it, most of the people are blind on the list can't see
it, so nobody cares.
Either way, there is no getting around the fact if e-mails are to go
buy a lot of blind list members are incompetent when it comes to
general literacy. Reading braille would definitely help with that, but
I think we have turned a corner where most people who don't have to
use it won't.
About braille and music I agree with you. I am a musician myself, and
why I like playing some things by ear it is nice to be able to read
the music and make sure you are doing it right than to guess and guess
wrong. Plus with classical music etc it is quite a bit more involved
than say rock, country, or wrap.
Cheers!
On 12/12/13, Jorge Gonçalves <jopo...@hotmail.com> wrote:
I also would like to give my opinion:
For me when we talk about braille we now adays have to include Braille
as a whole language both for paper and electronic braille displays.
For me Braille is literacy and can never be replaced. The blind person
should be able to write and read like everyone else. Now the question is
the cost, timing and volume of braille hard copies. About this, I
believe the braille production in hard books will be substancially
reduced with the lack of need, lack of space to store it both at home
and libraries, the speed of production and with the global crysis.
..But for me braille is also what we can read in braille displays and
also the speed we get with braille writing using the same braille
keyboards.
For example when a book is produced and put available on the Kindle App
for IOS, I can have it some minutes later fully in braille because I can
read it with my braille displays And I like to be able to read, to feel
the touch of letters and have the sensation of reading.
The key point here is the cost of braille displays. No matter what we
say, they still are very expensive and not affordable so that we could
talk about the global spreading of braille.
It's true that manufacturers of braille displays are trying to reduce
the costs- For example a Focus 14 in the US costs 1295 if they didn't
change it. I have one myself and really the quolity of this product is
amazing. The braille is great, bluetooth capacities, quite keyboard.
Also when we talk about braille we should remember products like Braille
Pen from Harpo which is a braille keyboard that costs around 250 Euros.
This product really speeds up the braille writing for a lot of people.
So people who like braille like I do, should be also allowed to use
braille in a daily basis. I use braille everyday but I rarely touch a
braille hard copy of any kind of documents. I only use electronic braille.
Now as a professional musician and music teacher I can say that no
matter what people say, blind people who want to seriously learn music
specially about classic pieces they will always need to learn braille
music and who ever says the opposite either is not knowledgable enough
or is not serious.
It's true than in letters braille can be replaced but in music, it can
not.
So braille is there for a longtime the point is that the way which we
are using is developping.
Cheers,
Jorge
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