Jamie Pauls
For as long as I can remember, I have been an avid reader of braille. I was using it even before the discussion ever came up as to whether or not we should capitalize the word. Since Louis Braille was born on January 4, 1809, AccessWorld features articles each January that highlight braille in some way. This year, I thought I would take our readers on a bit of a personal journey and, at the same time, take a look at how far braille has come over the past 57 years of my life. I hope, like me, you will be encouraged by what we discuss, and come away from your reading with a renewed desire to use and promote braille even further.
My earliest memories of braille include large volumes of writing. I vividly recall loving the smell of a new braille volume being opened for the first time. The crackle of the cover followed almost immediately, and there was the first braille page. Odd as it may seem to some, I even read the title page of each book. Even paperback volumes of braille were fine by me. As long as I was reading something, I was happy. I quickly became comfortable with, what in the earliest days of my recollection was known as Grade 2 braille. Today, it is simply referred to as Contracted braille—that series of dots that provided a shorthand to writing that allowed more content to be placed on a single page of braille. Over the years, I became aware of and even saw examples of Grade 3 braille, but it never seemed to catch on for some reason.
The drawback to braille was the sheer number and size of volumes required to comprise a book. I remember borrowing individual books of the King James Bible from a fellow blind person in the church I attended, and eventually got my own braille Bible—all 17 volumes! My father was a carpenter and he custom-built bookshelves for our home so that I could house many of the braille books I was beginning to acquire. Of course, I borrowed many books from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and the mail carrier became quite accustomed to delivering boxes of vinyl talking books and braille books to our home.
When I was in high school, someone provided me with a braille dictionary—all 72 volumes of it. (More bookshelves!) I never did own the 145-volume World Book Encyclopedia. (Too many bookshelves needed!)
I often had braille textbooks available to me in high school, but I mostly recall the college textbooks I received that were transcribed by volunteers using a Perkins brailler. My dorm room was full of books most of the time, and I kept them around for many years after I graduated from college.
I don’t recall when I got my first braille notetaker—a Braille N Speak, but in doing a bit of research, I learned that the product was first introduced in 1987. I later used a Braille Lite—both products were developed by Blazie Engineering—and later a PAC Mate from Freedom Scientific. For the curious, you can read this review of the PAC Mate from the May 2003 issue of AccessWorld.
While I used all of these devices as notetakers, I don’t think I ever really considered the idea of reading books on them. I’m pretty sure that changed when I got my first BrailleNote product from Humanware. Again, I don’t recall the exact year I got my BrailleNote mPower, but thanks to this 2006 AccessWorld article, I know that the product was released in the spring of 2005.
The first books I remember reading using refreshable braille were from Bookshare. It took a long time for me to transition from reading hard copy braille to reading large amounts of text on a display. To be honest, I still prefer holding a physical book or magazine on my lap, but the sheer size and expense of owning a physical braille book make refreshable braille a game changer. The only physical braille magazine I currently receive from BARD usually runs two to three months late. Not great when you are reading a computer magazine.
The fact that braille can be downloaded from the Internet and loaded onto removable storage to be read on the device of one’s choosing makes it more accessible than at any other time in history. Organizations such as the aforementioned Bookshare and National Braille Press have done much to leverage this ability. Talking books and braille books have moved from standalone audio players and large braille volumes to downloadable content from BARD although it is still possible to order recorded and physical braille content from your regional library.
While I was still in school, I recall receiving braille books that were originally published in the UK. The code was a bit different from that used in the US and took some getting used to. The introduction of Unified English Braille, while not heralded by everyone, has standardized the braille code and improved the quality of automated braille translation. The fact that braille can be quickly produced using software on any computer and embossed using increasingly affordable equipment has also helped to promote the use of braille.
You no longer have to spend almost $6,000 for a notetaker in order to use refreshable braille. Standalone braille displays, as well as devices that have some very basic notetaking functionality built in, are becoming increasingly affordable and available. All of the above-mentioned factors should be considered a boon for braille users.
Sadly, many in the blind community use braille sparingly or not at all. It is simply too easy to rely on the constant, rapid speech coming from all of their devices, whether it's a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. I can’t imagine my life without braille. I label items, use a braille display on my computer in conjunction with speech, and still occasionally order a physical braille book to read at my leisure. I often opt to purchase the physical copy of reference works from National Braille Press, even though I could have the instant gratification of purchasing and downloading the electronic copy. The ability to skim a full page of braille in order to find what I am looking for is worth the wait as far as I am concerned.
I am generally pleased with the availability of downloadable braille today, although I wish I could locate more than just the King James Bible. I would be willing to pay for electronic copies of the Bible if they were provided at a reasonable fee. I have all the books and magazines from BARD and Bookshare I could possibly wish for. If I can’t find what I’m looking for on either of those services, I can always purchase a Kindle book and read it either on my BrailleNote Touch Plus or I can connect the Touch to my iPhone and read that way.
I believe the future is bright for braille. I just hope that more blind people will either discover braille for the first time, or rekindle the love they once had for that amazing system of raised dots developed so many years ago that continues to evolve today.
Am I a fan of braille? Unashamedly so. Am I satisfied with the number of books that are available to me? While the answer to that question for me personally is yes, I have a feeling a student in high school or college might give a different answer. What are your thoughts on braille? What did I leave out of this article, or what did I get wrong? We would love to hear from you. I can’t wait to hear from you, so fire away.
This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.
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