Moderator said on 14/09/2009 at 7:21 pm
Cressers said on 26 August 2009:
This is a serious question. I'm VI, but hopefully I'll never deteriorate to the point where I have to learn Braille. Though I do have an RNIB advice line card with some Braille embossed on it. I tried to feel the dots but they made no sense to me I wasn't expecting an exact match betwwen Braille symbols and the equivalent sighted letter, but even so I couldn't by feel discern any distinctness between Braille 'letters'. I may well be 'doing it all wrong', or it may just have been a bad example, but it did spark my curiousity. So can any braille users explain how they learned, and overcame any dificulties in learning Braille?
Moderator said on 14/09/2009 at 7:21 pm
purple19 said on 10 September 2009:
hi selina thanks for that when i rang they said the class was full but i may speak to my local social work and see what they can do and if they canot help i may just buy that course and get a perkins on loan i just find the perkins very noisy though thanks again hope you are well
Moderator said on 14/09/2009 at 7:21 pm
Selina said on 10 September 2009:
Purple if you contact your local society for the blind they may hold braille classes that are free of charge. Alternatively, RNIB sell Finger Print, which are books and tapes that help you to teach yourself Braille. Selina x
Moderator said on 14/09/2009 at 7:20 pm
purple19 said on 6 September 2009:
hi i know most of grade one braille and i think a bit of grade two but i would like to learn it more due to me not really being able to read print now can anyone suggest a way of doing this thanks
Moderator said on 14/09/2009 at 7:20 pm
valbear said on 28 August 2009:
I'm not a braillist, but hopefully can explain how it works. Each braille letter isn't meant to represent a print one. One or two do look a bit like the printed version, but i think this was just luck.
Braille is like a code, similar to morse code in way. It uses a six dot cell, and a combination of those six dots represent the corresponding letter. Grade one is simple braille where every word is spelt out in full. Grade two has contracted words to save space. So things like ing are represented with just one braille sign.
Hopefully I've got that right, but I'm sure any braille using people out there will put me right. I've found that understanding how it works is much easier than reading it!
Cheers
Val
Moderator said on 14/09/2009 at 7:19 pm
tezzie said on 26 August 2009:
Hi, Braille isnt that bad but does require some practice. I'm guessing the braille was in grade 2 becuase of the lack of space.
Grade one is every letter. You can buy sheets off the RNIB with all the braille symbols embossed for grade one. I think they used to be free but you still may be able to get hold of one?
Grade 2 is short hand and one symbol can mean a few letters instead of just one like er, for, si, and etc.
I'm sure a better braille user can anwser this better as i am still learningi am half way through grade 2.
Terri