BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES FOR BRAILLE TRAINING
BRAILLE READING AND WRITING MANUAL
A REFERENCE MANUAL FOR DARS VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND INDEPENDENT LIVING INSTRUCTORS WORKING WITH BLIND ADULTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE…PAGE 2
READINESS: THE ASSESSMENT …PAGE6
BEGINNING BRAILLE READING…PAGE 17
TEACHING BRAILLE READING…PAGE 18
TEACHING BRAILLE WRITING… PAGE 23
BRAILLE AND TECHNOLOGY…PAGE 39
PREFACE
One major limitation created by a visual impairment is written communication. Braille enables a person who is blind, the opportunity to overcome this deficit. It allows an individual to independently organize and access personal notations, develop a telephone directory, read Braille text, access a computer environment, and use Braille note takers.
This manual has been prepared as a tool to assist in motivating individuals to learn Braille. The use of this text by the teacher or student will facilitate the learning of Braille and increase opportunities for students to gain independence and employment.
Contrary to popular belief, Braille is not difficult to learn. It is an elegant and simple code that fits on a 3” x 5” card. Braille is not a language; it is a code, just as print is a code used to write words in any language. The genius of Louis Braille, the inventor of the code, is demonstrated in the simplistic pattern of the alphabet, and the thrifty approach to the numbering system, which utilizes the first ten letters of the alphabet preceded by a number indicator symbol. Unlike print, there is only one letter-for-letter code with one or two symbols inserted before upper case letters, or words.
The literacy-based approach of Simply Braille provides ample opportunities for early success for the student. The uncontracted code is taught before introducing words and other reading content. A large number of Texans have low literacy levels due to cultural and language barriers. Once the student has mastered the code, he can access his personal literacy.
Simply Braille lessons provide repetitive exposure to letters being introduced which affords the student the ability to gain familiarity with that letter without the tactile distraction of surrounding text. It is important to have the student read the pages in their entirety in order to develop that familiarity and to build tracking skills. There are only eleven lines on each page. The goal is for the student to feel comfortable with their knowledge of the code and knowledge of the dot positions when reading text begins.
Simply Braille offers fun activities for the student, which provide the instructor with feedback about the student's progress.
Each lesson, starting with Lesson Four, contains "Letter Groups" commonly found in words. It is important for the student to go over these letter groups until she feels familiar with the letters contained in each group without having to stop forward hand movement at each letter. These activities will enhance reading speed once the student begins reading text.
The learning curve is greatly decreased by the fact that there is no need to learn two codes—(as a learner of print learns both print and cursive). When print is not an option, Braille is the answer for gaining literacy, a necessary tool for independence, self-respect and employment.
Another popularly held belief is that Braille is no longer needed in our paperless society. It is easy to disprove this myth with a simple question: “Are sighted people ready to give up printers, pens and other writing tools?” The resounding answer is “NO!” More paper is manufactured and sold in America today than any other time in our society.
The basic ability to read with understanding and to write clearly is vital to everyone. Those skills are important at work, at home, and in our communities.
Technologyis making literacy even more important. E-mail and the Internet are changing the way we communicate and the way we get information. The speed of communication and information exchange is constantly increasing. Technology has become an essential part of most workplaces. Every sector, from transportation and warehousing to steel plants and health care is more dependent upon computers every year. Clearly, any problems with reading and writing will have a real impact on a person's ability to get jobs, to get promotions - or simply to get the most out of life.
Braille makes it possible to access every aspect of literacy, from labeling personal items and medicine bottles to operating the most current technology available to the general public, and many specially adapted PDA devices for the blind.
The Braille alphabet, numbers, punctuation and other symbols are created in a six-dot formation called a “cell”, which contains two columns of three dots each. Each dot is assigned a number to facilitate ease of learning.
As shown in the illustration, from top to bottom, the first column contains dots 1, 2 and 3. The second column contains dots 4, 5 and 6.
Notice the pattern of progression in the example below. The first line contains the letter A through J. Only the first four dots in the upper part of the cell are used. (Dots 1 2 4 5). The second line contains the numbers, which are created by adding a braille number-sign prior to the letters a through j. The effect of a Braille number-sign is broken by a space or empty cell. The third line containsletters K through T. Dot three has been added to the letters A through J, to create these letters.
The fourthline contains the letters U through Z. Dot 6 has been added to the letters K through O to create these letters. Notice that the W does not follow the normal progression established throughout the preceding letters. There was no W in the French alphabet, so Louis Braille did not add a W until he met a blind Englishman who requested a symbol for the letter W.
abcdefgh i j
abcdefghij
1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9 0
#a#b#c#d#e#f#g#h#i#j
klmnopqrst
Klmnopqrst
uvwxyz
Uvwxyz
According to the Texas Confidence Builders Philosophy, every consumer in VR and IL will be offered the opportunity to learn Braille.When the Braille assessment iscompleted, a decision is made based on the consumers needs regarding uncontracted (functional) Brailleor contractedBraille training. The Braille Assessment may determine that the consumer would not benefit from Braille training. Circumstances and conditions which might preclude the consumer learning Braille will be discussed later in this manual.
Brailletraining is provided by the VRT/ILW for 6 to 9 months. After that, the consumer may continue Braille training independently. If a consumer lacks the skill or motivation after 6-9 months of Braille training to assume responsibility for continuing to work independently, it isdoubtful that continued instruction by the VRT/ILW will be beneficial.
Assessment
The BrailleAssessment will be completed with every consumer using non-visual techniques. Braille training will not begin until the Braille Assessment has been completed. The Braille Assessment includes the following components:
1. Readiness: Ask the consumer about their reading habits prior to losing their vision. If the consumer reports that they have never enjoyed reading or don't read much, this may indicate a low literacy level or a learning disability.
The Simply Braille Curriculum Spelling Assessment is administered verbally to determine the level of basic literacy functioningof the student so that appropriate practice reading materials can be provided later on.
If the teacher determines that the consumer's functional literacy level is compatible with learning Braille, and the consumer expresses the desire to learn Braille, training will be scheduled.
2. Short-term memory: Use the Simply Braille Pre-Braille Curriculum to determine if the consumer is able to remember instructions and follow them accurately.
3. Sensory Integration:Use the Simply Braille Pre-Braille Curriculum to determine if the consumer is able to demonstrate identification of shapes, differentiate between shape sizes and location on the page. Is the consumer able to demonstrate proper hand position and scanningusingboth hands after receiving instruction in these techniques? Is there a Secondary disability which prevents the use of both hands in reading Braille? If neuropathy is an issue, spend some time problem-solving with the consumer using different fingers and/or finger/hand positions to feel the Braille.
READINESS
The student's readiness for Braille instruction is primarily determined by his/her need for an actual system of communication, physical and mental capacities, and overall attitude toward the use of Braille. Therefore, an instructor will give careful consideration to data contained in medical, psychological, and academic reports as well as other information available to the instructor. Pre-instructional interviews with the student can provide supplemental information of the individual's skills and literacy level. Direct observation and interaction of this type will create a foundation for a good teaching-learning relationship
MOTIVATION:Preparing the student for Braille instruction
The onset of blindness usually causes difficulties in the performance of many tasks of daily living. The initiation of Braille instruction can create a great deal of anxiety. It may be well, first, to help the student re-master a previously used skill--such as a household task.
The adventitiously blind person may bring to the learning situation preconceived positive and/or negative attitudes about blind people, the following will be considered before Braille instruction is initiated:
(1) Encourage the individual to verbalize his or her attitude toward Braille as a symbol of blindness.
(2) The instructor and the student will examine the origin and validity of misconceptions surrounding the use of Braille.
(3) The student will be informed that Braille in itself does not isolate blind people. Braille can enhance a blind person's integration with sighted friends as it enables one to function more independently.
(4) It will be made clear that learning Braille does not require the "sixth sense" often attributed to blind people.
Suggestions for motivating the Braille student:
A short lesson in the history of Braille is provided, verbally or in recorded format.
The past experiences, interests and future goals of the student are relevant for written communication, and the instructor can demonstrate how Braille can be helpful in realizing both present and long range goals. Since most recently blinded persons have never considered the practical, everyday application of Braille, it will usually be necessary for the instructor to discuss these with the student. These include:
Labeling household and personal items.
Taking notes.
Keeping address and phone file.
Preparing notes or note cards for public speaking engagements.
Participating in book clubs or study groups.
Even a small suggestion such as the compiling of an address file can greatly increase the student's motivation for learning Braille. Sometimes a student may appear to have no practical use for learning Braille, but still wishes to do so. Some people will learn Braille because of the challenge of learning something new and the accompanying feeling of accomplishment. Others may learn Braille for the praise and attention they receive when displaying their new skill or explaining the Braille system to friends. The instructor will understand the student's primary motivation and gear the instruction accordingly.
Physical and Psychological Considerations:
It will be noted that Braille may be taught to students with low vision to complement other communication skills. However, there may be times when the instructor initiates Braille instruction with a student with reading vision whose visual prognosis is poor. For example, some persons who believe that they will eventually lose most of their sight will request Braille instruction in order to be equipped with a method of reading when they can no longer use print efficiently in some or all of their daily activities.
If the decision is made to provide instruction to persons who still have reading vision, care will be taken to insure that the student learns to read Braille tactually. Printed pictures of the Braille cell, or representations of the code are not to be used with any Braille student, with the exception of fully sighted learners such as family members or professionals who work in the field of blindness.
The instructor will encourage the student not to use his or her sight in reading Braille. It is emphasized that, in so using sight, further visual deterioration will make it necessary to repeat that part of the instruction, which stresses the tactile method of reading. It is important for the Braille student to have adequate tactile skills. If there are problems of tactile perception as related to his/her potential for learning Braille, the instructor will try to ascertain whether the problem is one which lends itself to remedial teaching efforts or is of a more permanent nature, possibly resulting from some type of physical impairment. For instance, in observing the student's early attempts at Braille reading, it may be found that the individual has been accustomed to doing work which has calloused the fingers, making tactual recognition of characters difficult, or the student may be so visually oriented to reading print that confusion is experienced in trying to visualize letters made up of dots and perceived through the fingers. In either case, the student is faced with a perceptual problem, but one which may be conducive to remedial teaching.
If difficulties in perceiving the Braille characters persist, the student may have some physical condition such as diabetes, hardening of the arteries, etc., which might cause a reduction in the tactile sense,or in some cases, the student may be using medication which temporarily reduces tactile perception, or some other physical problem is causing the tactual difficulty.
The student's mental capacity and educational achievement will have a significant influence in such aspects of Braille instruction as the length of assignments, frequency of teaching visits, and rate of progress in learning Braille. If spelling is a serious problem, then both the instructor and the student will be prepared for the difficulties which will arise. However, the combination of a strongly motivated, reasonably intelligent student and a resourceful instructor can overcome most challenges.
The literacy based Simply Braille Curriculum directly addresses the need for a Braille curriculum that provides instruction in the code prior to introducing Braille reading. Once the student has mastered the code and can demonstrate the ability to read and write it, grade level appropriate reading materials are provided for practice and development of speed and accuracy.
A Pre-Braille Assessment will prove beneficial in identifying those individuals, who have problems with tactual perception and finger dexterity which is likely to affect their progress in learning Braille. How a student responds to the material presented can assist the rehabilitation instructor in determining whether further Braille instruction will be undertaken. After the Pre-Braille Assessment is conducted, and a determination has been made that the student will participate in Braille training, a verbal spelling test is administered. This tool will establish the grade level of the student and provide the instructor with necessary information to develop the Braille training plan.
Included in the Simply Braille Pre-Braille Curriculum, are suggested instructions and guidelines to be used at the discretion of the individual instructor.
Evaluation materials included in the "Simply Braille" Pre-Braille curriculum will facilitate identifying those individuals who have problems with tactual perception, finger dexterity or cognitive limitations that may affect their progress in learning Braille.
PRE-BRAILLE TEACHING REFERENCE GUIDE
The Simply Braille Pre-Braille Work Book is to be used as part of the Pre-Braille Assessment.
Part 1: Rationale for Teaching Pre-Braille Skills
The Simply Braille Pre-BrailleWork Book is designed to evaluate and teach specific pre-braille skills. Pre-Braille skills are those skills needed to read and write braille that are developed and/or learned before learning to recognize Braille dots as specific braille letters, numbers, etc. Typically, persons who have the skills needed to learn Braille can go through the concepts in this book in one lesson. It is recommended that introduction to Braille letters occur at the end of the lesson in order to allow the consumer to experience success.
Before starting pre-braille instruction it is important to consider the following factors regarding readiness to learn and use Braille.
Considerations in Determining Readiness to Learn Braille:
Psychological
Can they benefit from using Braille but are not open to learning? This behavior may be related to:
an idea that associates Braille with blindness and the individual may be dealing with some of the emotional aspects of adjusting to vision loss.
fear based on assumptions related to a lack of understanding regarding Braille
This behavior may be addressed by:
providing supportive counseling to help them explore feelings and uncover real reasons for rejecting Braille could be helpful.
Demonstrating how Braille can be used and relevant in their lives. Seek to learn ways (identify needs) in which Braille would have value for the individual.
Providing peer tutoring from someone who uses Braille.
Physical
Motor skills to position body and hands adequately
Sufficient tactual skills to discriminate different dot configurations
Sufficient manual skills to read/write braille
Cognitively
Adequate literacy level to meet needs (helpful to know how much they read before losing vision as well as use of formal testing)
Ability to follow directions and learn new information (sufficient short and long term memory)
Consider secondary disabilities that may affect ability to learn