I get asked this question quite a lot, often by parents and sometimes by students themselves. Unfortunately I don’t really have an answer, but I do think that it is an important question that needs to be discussed.
The views and opinions in this article are my own, based on my experiences and do not represent the views or opinions of RNIB College or RNIB.
The question about technology and Braille always makes me think about the song ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ and how the process of new replacing old continues: videos replaced home movies, DVDs replaced videos, and downloads are replacing DVDs etc. Technology changes quickly, but what remains the same is that people like to watch films and programmes, regardless of the method of watching.
The purpose of Braille is for people with sight loss to be able to communicate and be able to read and write. It is a “code by which all languages may be written and read. Through the use of braille, people who are blind are able to review and study the written word. It provides a vehicle for literacy …” (www.royalblind.org)
When Louis Braille punched out that first dot he revolutionised life for people with sight loss and opened up a whole world for them. At that point if a person with sight loss wanted to read or write, then Braille was one of the main options, and it “allowed blind people to read independently for the first time”. (Rose, D; BBC News Feb 2012) But in our technologically advanced society there are so many different ways that people with sight loss can communicate and read and write.
I like technology, and believe that it can make life easier and fuller for people with sight loss. I have recently seen the RNIB and Amazon Alexa advert, which demonstrates how low cost technology can be used every day and how it can help people with sight loss. There is a lot of technology available now that can make a huge difference to people with sight loss and other disabilities. Apple and Microsoft have led the way with their accessible programmes and apps, particularly the very impressive, and free, Microsoft Seeing AI, the exceptionally useful Apple Voiceover and Siri. Other technology is also more readily available and being developed, for example Orcam Reader and the easy to use Synapptic. These tools or “vehicles” are in daily use by some of my students, and I can see the impact that the technology has had on their studies, independent living skills and personal lives.
I also like Braille and I really enjoy teaching it. I strongly believe that Braille was one of the most life changing inventions for people with sight loss at the time, but currently there are ongoing concerns “about the decline of Braille” (Clark, N. The Independent 20.5.2014). Although Braille is now more readily available, there is a “contradiction – as Braille use spreads across everyday objects, the number of people using the system has actually been in long-term decline.” (Rose, D; BBC News Feb 2012)
I learned Braille because I wanted to read Harry Potter. Some of my students learn Braille because they love to read, and aren’t keen on listening to books, while others use Braille because they have learned it as children, but are auditory learners and prefer audio books or JAWS / Voiceover etc. Before I start to teach Braille I identify why the student wants to learn / use Braille. Generally speaking, my students seem to have three main reasons for learning or using Braille:
- To read and write simple text, e.g. shopping lists
- To read and write for pleasure, e.g. reading a novel, or a letter
- To read and write for ongoing studies or employment
I am sure that there are other reasons for people to learn Braille, but for the 3 purposes above I can identify at least one piece of technology that could do the same (Alexa, Kindle, Laptop with JAWS).
As well as competing with technology, Braille can be hard to learn. This could be due to the tactile nature, but is also likely to be because of the complicated rules and the difficulties in remembering everything. It is difficult to recall all the complex rules, and even more demanding to apply them in all the different permutations within the English language. Even students who learn Braille as children can sometimes struggle to recall and to explain why a specific rule exists.
Moreover a lot of children who have sight loss also have additional needs. This includes learning difficulties, autism, cerebral palsy and physical difficulties. This can make the learning of Braille extremely difficult and even impossible.
Technology, in comparison, is easier to learn for young people. For those students who do want to learn and use Braille, then portable Braille technology could be a way forward. Technology can make a Braille book manageable, make a Braille document accessible in print and make sharing of ideas between a sighted individual and a person with sight loss possible. However, Braille technology has to be much more financially accessible. For my students the choice between a Braille Notetaker costing nearly £4000 and an iPad costing £600 is not a choice at all.
I believe that Braille is important and I hope that it continues, but I do think there needs to be some changes and adaptations. Just as technology changes, so Braille also needs to develop and change in order to fit into our technologically advanced lives.
If Braille is to survive then Braille technology has to be less expensive or at least on a par with other technologies that fulfil a similar purpose. In order to remain relevant, I also think Braille needs to become a little more user-friendly to all those with sight loss, including those with additional needs. Perhaps it needs to be simplified and be made less about the rules.
In my opinion Braille needs to develop and adapt, or risk becoming obsolete. If it doesn’t become more modern, then I believe that eventually technology will take over and people will stop wanting to read cumbersome Braille books or will stop using expensive Braille technology, because they can get cheaper audio books, tablets and iPads and phones that can do as much, and more.
I do recognise that there is a place for more complex Braille for technical, scientific and mathematical use and I know that there will be those who will disagree with me, and will probably say that they do not want Braille to be “dumbed down” or that the rules are there for a good reason and cannot be modified. However, without some adjustments, I feel that the use of Braille is likely to continue to decline.
One of my favourite quotes is about technology being a tool not the goal, and I think that this could be applied to Braille. Braille is a tool to enable people with sight loss to communicate, read and write and it is not the goal. And just as technology adapts and changes, I think Braille will need to do the same.
Anna Janickyj
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