the braille project
DESCRIPTION
The Braille Project. the Braille project. Learning about visual impairment and Braille. A senior project by Nayely Martinez. Braille: History. devised in 1825 by Louis Braille based on code developed by Charles Barbier used for night writing. Braille: Cells. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Braille ProjectLearning about visual impairment and Braille
the Braille project
A senior project by Nayely Martinez
Braille: History
• devised in 1825 by Louis Braille
• based on code developed by Charles Barbier used for night writing
Braille: Cells
• each Braille character, (a cell) is made up of six dot positions
• dot positions numbered 1-6 top to bottom
Braille: Alphabet
Uncontracted Braille• Grade 1• Used by beginners• Substitutes each character
with a Braille equivalent
• i.e. the word “and”
Contracted Braille• Grades 2 and 3• Shorthand Braille• Used in books and most
printed Braille materials
• i.e. the word “and” contracted
Braille: Grades
Braille: Video
Visual Impairment: Types
Macular Degeneration•loss of central vision
•common in older people
Diabetic Retinopathy•Caused by diabetes
•Causes eye spots
Glaucoma•Has no symptoms until serious vision loss
•Caused by complex anatomical features
•Pinhole effect
Cataracts•Clouding of internal lens
•Common in older people
Total Blindness•All useful vision is lost
Visual Impairment: Anatomy
Visual Impairment: Myths
•Reality: Only around 18% of people who are visually impaired are totally blindMyth: Blind people see only darkness,
nothing else.•Reality: Only 10% of Legally Blind people read
BrailleMyth: Most blind people are proficient
in Braille.
•Reality: Computer software can translate print into speech, magnify screen images, and enlarge text to a readable sizeMyth: People who are visually impaired
cannot use print or handwritten materials.
Source: Iowa Department for the Blind
Visual Impairment: Technology• iPhone Apps:
– LookTel Money Reader ($9.99): recognizes currency in real time
– SayText (free): scans text in image and reads it out loud
– Color Identifier ($1.99 or free): identifies and speaks specific color names • Can distinguish shades of sky (sunsets, cloudy)
– Light Detector ($0.99): emits a sound which intensifies as a light source is found and approached
Sight Loss: Everyday Issues
• Eating– Clock method
• Unemployment• U.S. currency – no tactile difference
between dollar bills– Same size– Bill folding method used
Visual Impairment: Interview
Resources
• BrailleInstitute.org• Lighthouse.org• TheBrailleProject.wordpress.com
• Alphabet Cards• Fact Sheets
Sources
• BrailleInstitute.org• gesta.org/estudos/statistics0402.pdf• who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en