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ABSTRACT
In 1786 Louis Braille developed modern braille, which he based on a raised dot language first used by the French Army for night time warfare. The technology he developed for writing braille has become known as the slate and stylus, and remains to this day, the "pen and paper" of the blind.
In 1996, blind students are still being taught the slate and stylus, which has changed little since Louis Braille's time. The very low numbers of students leaving the education system with good slate and stylus skills should be of concern to all. The ability to spontaneously record information, independent of a computer or electronics, should be a fundamental skill for all blind students.
The Perkins Brailler was developed in America during World War II. It remains, 50 years later, the main technology for teaching braille literacy. Together with the slate and stylus, the Perkins Brailler forms the basis of our current braille writing technology used throughout education, employment and in personal use.
Like the dinosaurs, braille writing technology has failed to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. We have experienced in the last 2 decades, nothing short of a revolution in the range of technology options available to blind people, relating to computers, synthetic speech, and optical scanning. Yet the technology needed for the most fundamental activity of literacy, the simple art of writing braille, has not changed at all.
The dinosaurs disappeared because of this failure at adaptation. The rate of braille literacy in many Western countries has been in decline for several decades and there has been speculation that braille literacy may share a common fate with the dinosaurs.
This paper looks at the evolution of braille writing technology and its relationship to braille literacy. Why has braille writing technology stagnated? Why isn't there a demand for easier and better products for writing braille from blind consumers as well as teachers of the blind?
Possible explanations include a lack of expectations, a declining relevance of hard copy braille, and a lack of knowledge about what can be achieved.
Lack of expectations is a central problem. We demand cheaper and better products in all areas of our lives, yet there is little evidence that blind consumers or the organisations that represent them are demanding simple low cost braille writing devices. The rapid gains being made in the variety and power of electronic and computer devices for blind people masks the fact that they are still only available to a tiny fraction of the worlds blind population.
For the vast majority of blind people who cannot access these high cost items, hard copy braille is essential and fundamental to education and communication.
This presentation will also look at why this simple technology is so expensive as it is mostly produced by non-profit organisations. The usual reason given is the small population of blind people in the world. However, as the two population giants of China and India achieve greater economic prosperity, this reason is no longer valid.
The application of industrial design and the study of ergonomics can lead to vastly improved braille writing technology. Some examples of these new designs will be demonstrated.
Existing braille writing technology is rapidly becoming a dinosaur of the modern era. Opportunities abound for new low cost braille writing devices to become a reality but without consumer demand they will remain an elusive dream.
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Language of Presentation: English
This Abstract is for a __ __ Workshop _____ Poster Session
ICEVI
10TH WORLD CONFERENCE
ICEVI 10TH WORLD CONFERENCE
OFFICIAL SUMMARY STATEMENT
Title of Presentation: Braille Dinosaurs!
Presenting Author: Tim Connell
Managing Director
Quantum Technology, Australia
SUMMARY STATEMENT
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Like the dinosaurs, technology
for writing braille has failed to adapt to a changing environment. This
paper looks at the evolution of braille writing technology and its relationship
to braille literacy. Why has this technology stagnated? Why isn't there
a demand for easier and better products for writing hard copy braille from
blind consumers.
The application of industrial design and the study of ergonomics can lead to vastly improved braille writing technology. Some of these new designs will be demonstrated.