• Your views wanted
• Braille signage
• Advantages and disadvantages of contracted braille signs
• Advantages and disadvantages of uncontracted braille signs
• Braille stories
  
• Christchurch teenager wins
  
• Secondary Sight project
• News from the Braille Literacy Panel and Braille Authority
• Louis Braille celebrations update
• Guest speakers wanted
  
• Braille greeting cards
  
• Braille books to give away
  

Hello everyone.

Welcome to the August edition of the Braille Mail. Some particular items of interest this time are: updates from the Braille Literacy Panel (BLP) and Braille Authority of New Zealand (BANZ) meetings; news of a very special braille reader who won a prestigious competition; your views wanted; some freebie books to give away; and more.

Thanks to those who left me messages and sent emails. I’ve tried to get back to all of you but sorry if I didn’t manage to reach you.

Your views wanted

We need views and input from braille readers, teachers, and potential braille readers on two very important issues. These are braille signage, and your personal stories on how you use braille.

Braille signage

At the recent meeting of the Braille Literacy Panel, the issue of braille signage was raised. The question we want your views on is: should braille signs be in uncontracted or contracted braille? We want to consult with braille readers and other interested parties before writing a comprehensive policy and statement about the type of braille, and where it should be placed. This will be used not only to improve braille signage in our own Foundation buildings, where braille signage is presently inconsistent and often lacking altogether; and also to inform companies enquiring about putting braille signage in their buildings. I will outline some of the arguments for and against each so you can weigh them up for yourself. Please send me your response by email, via the TIS, or in braille. If I hear nothing, I will assume you don’t have an opinion, which I’m sure is not true! 

Advantages and disadvantages of contracted braille signs

Formerly known as Grade II braille, this is what is currently being used in this country. This follows the American guidelines and standards. For companies producing hand made braille signs, there are fewer cells to make. The word “shower” in contracted braille takes only 3 cells whereas it takes 6 in uncontracted braille. This makes it quicker to read and cheaper to make. Most braille readers in New Zealand can read contracted braille, and these signs may be an encouragement for new learners to progress to contracted braille.

On the other hand, some companies produce braille signs using machinery nowadays. Producing contracted braille signs involves them having to acquire extra translation software. Alternatively, these companies have to purchase individual templates for each contracted word they need for a sign. This may actually drive up costs for these companies. If companies wish to import contracted braille signs, they need to do this from the USA which is expensive. While most braille readers read contracted braille, the majority of new learners are not opting to learn contracted braille. They are finding uncontracted braille meets their needs.

Advantages and disadvantages of uncontracted braille signs

Formerly known as Grade I braille, this is what has been adopted as the Australian standard for signage. Opting for this would mean consistency between the two countries, in line with UEB. Many companies now produce their signs using machinery, and once they have templates for the braille alphabet, number sign and capital sign they would not need further braille translation software to make braille signs. This brings their costs down. Companies wishing to import signs can do so from Australia

Every braille reader in New Zealand is able to read uncontracted braille, no matter their level of proficiency. New braille learners will be able to read essential signs earlier on in their learning process., increasing their safety, empowerment and independence, and giving real relevance to the new skill they are learning.

No contractions means more braille cells needed for signs. The word “shower” takes up 6 cells instead of only 3. This makes it slower to read. More braille cells may drive the costs up for companies making signs by hand.

As you can see, there are powerful arguments on both sides. We need to hear your views by the 13^th of October. A quick message saying either “uncontracted” or “contracted” is all that is necessary. You are of course welcome to expand on your views too.

Furthermore, if you have comments about where braille should be placed, we want to hear this also. This applies to braille readers, teachers, and parents of children who read braille. Thank you all.

Braille stories

In line with what is happening in other countries, I am continuing to collect a number of short stories about a range of people who use braille in New Zealand. Thanks to those of you who left me your stories already, and to those who have said they would write something up for me. In order for us to have a good number of these to go on the website, I need lots more, so I may be contacting some of you individually. These will be placed on the RNZFB website and may be used in media promotions next year. Before anything  goes up on the website, I will check you are happy with the content, and whether or not you want your name included. 

If you need some inspiration, visit the Canadian Braille 200 site at www.braille200.ca, where there is a wide range of stories about learning braille as a child, as an adult, as a new English speaker and more. They are very warmly written and it really does show the prime place braille holds in our lives.

Christchurch teenager wins

Shari Tyro, a 14-year-old teenager from Christchurch, recently got the shock of her life when she won an international essay competition which sent her to Spain. The competition was organised by the World Blind Union and the Spanish ONCE (pronounced onthay) Foundation for the Cooperation and the Social Integration of People with Disabilities. After entering the competition, she was surprised to learn that her essay on what it’s like to be a teenager in New Zealand was chosen as the winning entry from the Asia-Pacific region. The prize was an all expenses paid trip to Pontevedra, Spain, to take part in a United Nations style congress of 20 14-18 year-olds from around the world. The young people were asked to write a declaration for UNICEF to promote the rights of young blind and vision impaired people.  

As a dual print-braille user, Shari learns braille for 3 hours a week with her teacher Jenny Healey. Here’s a quote from her original essay: “I am a dual user, which means I do Braille and use large print as well. At the moment, I am studying Ancient History completely in Braille with Jenny, my Resource Teacher Vision. I’ve traveled round the country going to camps to study Braille with other blind students. I have now been learning Braille for nine years.”

Spending time with her peers from around the world for 4 days has made her realise how well off we are compared to many third world countries. The fact that she is able to learn braille alongside print will give her more options later in life around employment and reading generally. One of the comments I have often heard from low vision users is that they wish they had had the opportunity to learn braille at school, especially if their sight changes later in life. Congratulations Shari!

Secondary Sight project

Secondary Sight - Towards inclusive and flexible education

Secondary Sight is a project to improve access to education for blind, deaf/blind and vision impaired secondary school students in New Zealand.

This is a website which offers resources to help teachers maximise the value of their work; and in doing so, help blind, vision impaired and deaf/blind students. It contains “how to” tutorials on creating accessible MS Word documents and PDFs. Please visit often, as we expand our list of resources and activities. The idea is that by producing accessible classroom documents, universally designed, they can be turned into many different formats. The address is

www.secondarysight.org.nz

For braille readers wanting to read books on their braille note or pac mate, there are a few sites listed containing free and paid books you can download. Check it out.

News from the Braille Literacy Panel and Braille Authority

Below are a few other items of interest which were discussed at the meeting held on 24 July at BLENNZ, Homai campus.

UEB Trans-Tasman exam and manual

Work is progressing steadily on this braille proficiency certificate. It is planned that the first group of students will sit this in September. Australian and New Zealand students will sit the same exam , giving the qualification more weight and standing. The braille copy of the manual will follow so that braille readers can sit this exam as in the past. 

Changes to Fast Track

This is the Foundation’s braille translation system which can be used by all staff. Now that UEB is being rolled out, Fast track will be updated with a UEB option also. Fast track basically runs Duxbury braille translation software, and negotiations are under way with Duxbury to ensure we can continue to use this excellent software.

STAR (Simply Touch and Read)

It has been 20 years since the RNZFB Braille Teaching Scheme was written, and so an update is needed. Now that UEB is here, we need to incorporate these changes and modernise some of the course content. The new scheme will be called STAR, and work on it is progressing steadily.

Louis Braille celebrations update

Thanks to those of you who gave suggestions about possible slogans. They have gone into the mix and I hope to be able to report on a final decision in October’s Braille Mail. We are keen to have a slogan which is intriguing to the public, while at the same time sending a very clear message that braille is about literacy.

I am working with several city councils to try to have a street named after Mr Braille. This is not as easy as it sounds as it’s up to individual developers  to assign names for their streets. They like to stick with themes and local names, but I’m hopeful someone will be inspired enough to take it on.

Guest speakers wanted

As part of Louis Braille celebrations next year, I’m looking for RNZFB members to be guest speakers at local libraries or schools running braille exhibitions or displays. You need to be a braille reader (contracted or uncontracted), and be a confident public speaker. If you are not already a guest speaker and have time to help us celebrate braille, please get in touch and I’ll add you to the list. Some of you already do this but we need lots more around the country if we are really to make an impact. Displays which come with a person have much more impact. It’s a tangible way you can help promote braille to your community. You’ll be given all the information about braille you need plus more general information. You can leave me a message on option 359 using TIS, or contact me on the details at the end of this newsletter.

Braille greeting cards

A company in Queensland has recently sent us this information about their line of hand made greeting cards. I haven’t seen these myself but they sound lovely and offer braille inserts. Check them out at www.cardsbygecko.com

Braille books to give away

I have been sent some Christian braille books to give away to a good home. They are all in good condition, Torch Trust UK, non-capitalised braille, small size volumes. There are mainly new testament books and some compilations. If anybody is interested, please get in touch and I’ll send you a list of titles. This will be on a purely first in, first serve basis so sorry if you miss out. I just can’t bare to throw them away and my own bookshelves are full.

That’s it for this time folks. Please leave your messages about signage, braille stories and guest speaking in the following ways.

TIS: option 359

Email: lwesseling

Tel: (04) 380-2139

Write in braille to:

Lisette Wesseling

RNZFB

PO Box 27177

Wellington 6141

See you in October!