The following article appeared in Insight magazine, issue 13.
Anne Donnelly is the RNIB Braille Tutor. But braille is more than just a job to her --as a blind person, braille is a life changing skill. So should more teaching staff attempt to learn it, despite the legendary hard work involved? Definitely!
Anne writes: The medium of braille opens the door to freedom and independence for thousands of people, both young and old. Whether accessed for pleasure, through education or in employment, the fact remains that braille changes lives - and its importance and relevance in today's world should never be under-estimated. The choice of whether to teach a child using print or braille is a critical one, and is taken very seriously by parents and teachers.
Recent developments in technology serve to enhance braille possibilities in real terms. As a delegate attending conferences and presentations, I can make excellent use of a braille note taker. As an employee, I can savour a moment of independence when reading my braille payslip (embossed, using up-to-date technology) and I have previously worked with newcomers to braille who have accessed food products and home entertainment by creating customized braille labels.
Taking the braille challenge
Grade 1 braille (the alphabet - letter for letter) is reasonably easy to grasp and many children and adults learn this standard of braille quickly and painlessly. The rules that govern the use of Grade 2 braille make it more complex, and perhaps less appealing to some.
However, Grade 2 braille is fascinating, challenging and rewarding to learn. Many students become "addicted to dots" with stories of neglected housework and grumpy husbands who feel their spouse is now married to a Perkins! They seize transcription opportunities, visualizing printed information, signs and text as braille. They chat endlessly about what they've learned - and some even dream about their newfound skill! Their commitment and energy for the subject are boundless - and this is the key to learning braille wanting to learn, working consistently and enjoying the fruits of success.
The popularity of the RNIB Certificate in Grade 2 English braille, now accredited as a BTEC Advanced Certificate at level 3, reflects the genuine need for this medium at all levels, but most especially in educational and social care settings. With some 80 students enrolling as BTEC fledglings in September 2007 and more students waiting to join the course in January 2008, the ethos of braille is very much alive today.
The benefits of teaching braille are phenomenal. As a child, my own experience of learning and using braille was positive because my teacher was enthusiastic, capable, knowledgeable and persistent. When the going got tough, she wouldn't allow me to give up … she could see my potential and she believed in me as her student. Now, over 40 years later, I wish I could thank her for the gift of braille and its profound influence in my life. Without it, I would be uneducated and unemployed. With it, I have achieved far more than my parents, teachers or I ever thought possible.
How do I keep up my braille skills?
This question was sent in to the VI Forum online discussion group:
"I am a newly qualified ATVI. Having passed my braille exam this March, how do I keep up my braille skills when I only work with a blind student on an infrequent basis?" - Sheila Hanson
Anne's advice
The secret of maintaining consistently accurate braille comes with regular use and practical application, strengthening and reinforcing an individual's current knowledge. There are plenty of ways to refresh outdated skills and enjoy braille again. Begin by locating and dusting your Perkins! Now order the 2005 edition of the RNIB braille primer and finally, choose a tempting morsel from the menu below:
• Keep a braille diary
• Create a folder of gardening tips
• Braille your shopping list - and use it while shopping
• Write 'love notes' to loved-ones - and get them involved!
• Make a recipe book
• Copy newspaper articles and magazine stories
• Read for ten minutes every night before bed
• Create your own Revision Book using tips from tutor feedback
• Advertise for a braille pen-pal
• Make braille/print flash cards and ask family members to test your knowledge
• Use RNIB's "Ready Steady Read" to maintain established reading skills
Some suggestions from VI Forum members:
Is it possible to send your blind student some brailled jokes in a letter format for writing skills - and his reading? Maybe if he is diligent, you could correct his return letters.
Perhaps some speed reading practice - try for a maximum number of words in, say, two minutes or some other time period.
Kevin Deegan
I just read simple children's books now and again, and volunteered to do things like awareness raising sessions for my children's cub pack, to force me to pick up a brailler now and again.
Jessica Tanner, QTVI (Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired), Devon
Ready Steady Read is very good, available from RNIB in single sided braille, lots of articles transcribed from various sources which are interesting to read.
Janet Harwood
VI-forum
Do you have a particular question about teaching a blind or partially sighted pupil? Try logging onto the VI-forum email discussion group for a range of answers from experienced individuals eager to share knowledge.
Braille courses from RNIB
RNIB Certificate in Grade 2 English Braille
A correspondence course leading to the award of a BTEC Advanced Certificate at level 3. It consists of five self-study units, each with its own interim assessment, and a final examination. Tutorial support is available to provide feedback and advice. The full course is designed for sighted adults, with a fast track option for sighted and non-sighted individuals who already have a good working knowledge of braille.
I had full support and guidance throughout the course - I knew I could call up and be given guidance at any time I was stuck!
Yocheved, Learning Support Assistant, London
There are two intakes every year, in February and October. Apply by 16 January or 16 September.
Certificate in Grade 2 English Braille
Brush up your braille: a refresher course in Grade 2 braille
Brush up your braille, a one-day interactive workshop, will include group discussion, questions and answers, practical exercises and fun activities! Delegates must have a good working knowledge of Grade 2 English braille.
For more information or to book a place on either course, please email DSTraining@rnib.org.uk.
Go to Insight magazine home page.
Return to the Braille Training home page.