Audiobooks and devices that play them, like the iPhone and Amazon’s Alexa, are more popular than ever right now. This makes me wonder if braille is still needed in this day and age of audiobooks and easy-to-use technology.
The raised dot system for reading and writing was first introduced to the world almost 200 years ago, but we still teach it and believe in its power.
But first,
What is Braille?
The letters and numbers in Braille are shown by raised dots or bumps on paper, plastic, or other materials. It lets blind or visually impaired people read and write on their own, without needing help from people who can see. You can arrange the raised dots, which are called “cells,” to make words, sentences, paragraphs, and other things.
Louis Braille created the first braille system when he was fifteen years old, and it is named after him. Somewhat bad things happened when Braille was three years old that made him lose one eye. The other person would soon get an infection that would make him completely blind. There weren’t many tools or resources for the blind at the time, which is what inspired him to make a system that would help them read and communicate.
Although Braille was still a student at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris in 1924, he would show his work to his classmates. He planned to spend most of his remaining years making the system better. After Braille died in 1852, most teachers stopped using his system. But by the 1900s, it was used all over the world.
Today, people around the world who are blind or have low vision use Braille technology to help them. It’s an important tool for kids because it helps them learn to read and write and makes learning more fun. Also, technology has made it possible to use braille on several different devices.
Braille and Literacy
Blind and partially sighted people can learn spelling, grammar, and punctuation with Braille. They can also learn how text appears on a page.
People learn in different ways. For example, some people learn better when they listen to information, while others learn better when they read written words in braille. But if you want to get into a text, especially one that is hard to understand, reading in braille is better than listening because reading helps you understand and remember things. Reading and writing skills can be improved by using braille.
Since math and science are usually taught through pictures, braille’s math notations make it possible for blind and partially sighted people to learn symbols. So, it’s also very helpful for learning in these areas.
In science and math, symbols can be read in braille, and reading equations and hard problems from a printed braille text can be easier in some cases. You can change the columns, tables, and charts.
How Does Braille Education Help the Visually Impaired Students?
Braille is a writing and reading system that can be felt and used by people who are blind or have low vision. It’s not a language; instead, it’s a code that can be used with any language. It can also be used for computing code, math, scientific notation, and music notation.
Braille education helps kids and adults who are blind or have low vision learn to read, become more independent, and get jobs.
They’ll be able to read and write on their own with it.
People in Nepal need to learn Braille because assistive technology is not very common yet. You feel free when you do it.
Children who are blind or have low vision can get the same quality and amount of education as their sighted peers through braille education.
People who are blind or partially sighted can learn spelling, grammar, and punctuation through braille education. It also helps them understand how text appears on the page.
Being consistent with reading and writing Braille can help you read faster.
Learning Braille makes them feel like they are a part of society and prepares them to be a leader while also helping them improve their social skills.
How Braille has helped Equity Nepal’s Children
Technology has quickly become an important part of many aspects of a visually impaired person’s life, from school to everyday communication. Also, blind people need the chances that literacy gives them to do well in school, work, and life in general.
In Nepal and many other developing countries, Braille assistive technology is not yet common, affordable, or even available. As a result, Braille is the main way for visually impaired people to learn to read and write.
Tech skills can also help people get jobs, and braille can be used to teach modern economic and productive skills when it’s available. In this case, they might learn cutting-edge digital and design skills that could help some of them get jobs and make money from selling their products.
With technology like 3D printing, people who are blind or have low vision can help make Braille, which can be a good way for them to make money. Getting people with visual impairments jobs can help people and communities become self-sufficient.
Getting more people to learn Braille is a great way to make the lives of blind people better in every way. So, at Equity Nepal, we make sure that blind and visually impaired teens and young adults can use braille technology. This lets them learn while also becoming more independent.