Hi all Old people are praising braille so passionately that if a young person ventures to say "Technology is the need of the hour" and "things can be managed without braille but not without technology" he will be severely scolded and thrashed! So if any poor chap is helplessly looking around scratching his head to tell all this 'nonsense', be quiet otherwise elders will make an example out of you.
Good night Shadab When you feel afraid or nervous to do a thing then do it because the real harm which you may thus receive is less poignant than its expectation and fear. Easy tips of improving English at http://shadablucknow.blogspot.com/ My contributions to the press http://shadablucknow.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-contributions-to-press.html#link ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sohan" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 7:55 PM Subject: Re: [AI] NYt hello pankaj sir. well said. the persons who use braille for reading and writing will always prefer it because if we want to know the basic factors of education we need braille always. if we want to imagine what is particularly a letter and how words are created and what is the importance of punctuations and most importantly the pleasure of selfreading, we must know braille. so I also think that with the development of technology we deffinitely go with it but braille is an essential tool for the persons who use it. so in this message i again want to wish u on Louis Braille day and a very happy new year. thanks and regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pankaj Sinha" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 3:48 PM Subject: Re: [AI] NYt > Dear All, > > This is not the matter of agreement or disagreement. The issue is what > makes you more independent, what could be more close to your hart, > What carries knowledge perse? In my opinion both braille as well as > computer are the mode of education/communication. However, Braille is > something which in my opinion is more closer to your hart as you can > feel and visualize those letters which you have read through braille > like sighted person who has read something. there is only one argument > which is put forward while rejecting the use of braille is that > braille books are very voluminous, I think this is not the well placed > argument. Friends, let me tell you that most of the persons with > visual impairment are not from well-to-do families, if they are so, > most of them are from the rural background where there is neither 24 > hours electricity nor well qualified engineers available in case of > some defect in the computer. furthermore, in rural areas you do not > have, I will say additional financial resources to meat such > requirements. However, if you know braille you can make your short > notesany time by using your braille making instruments. At this > juncture it should be also be noted that I am ever trying to criticize > or underplay the role computer or the use of computer, my only point > is that if you know braille and then something else you will always > have an advantage and confidence in yourself. > Let us take another hypothetical example, being a person with vision > impairment, you can not have access to all facilities and services and > you want to keep something very confidential . What would you like to > prefer? If you want to see time in your watch in a meeting would you > like to use mobile phone watch software which makes noise or you would > prefer to have a braille watch. > ] > Always remember braille is your identity and you should always feel > proud of knowing the braill. > > I am really sorry for writing such long mail but I am always hurt when > without annaylizing its importance such issues are discussed at > length. > > what is brraille ask from those who have risen to extraordinarily > height like justice Yakoob who is the judge of constitutional bench in > south Africa and still uses braille while making speeches for hours > and hours. > > Thanks to God louisse Braille who made me to refute all arguments > against the use of braille. You might know the computer but you can > never feel more independent or more more confident as you might feel > when you know braill. > > On 12/28/10, Namita Agarwal <[email protected]> wrote: >> hi i agree with Subhash Chandra Vashishth's views. >> regards namita >> >> >> On 12/28/10, SC Vashishth <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Hi Kanchan, >>> >>> Thanks for sharing it. It made a good reading of the experiences of this >>> family in USA where carrying a bulky braille book may invite potential >>> fear >>> of stigma. Also where parents insist that their children with visual >>> impairment are not made to do anything which other children don't do- >>> including learning braille just to ensure (false) non-discrimination!. >>> >>> Perhaps the society there has outgrown and mix of such reactions could >>> also >>> be found in India also in varying degrees. However, to me, option of >>> learning braille should be exercised even if it means doing something >>> that >>> other children don't do. It is not the question of hiding your vision >>> impairment from others but getting prepared to deal with it. This would >>> surely not amount to exclusion or special education. This only means >>> you >>> have another tool that you may or may not exercise in future! >>> >>> Given the advancement in technology, many persons find braille >>> redundant, >>> however, it is very useful for little silly things as a braille sticker >>> on various similarly sized containers in the kitchen or on >>> medicines pouches etc. You don't depend on a reader. It may be possible >>> that technology may eventually make braille redundant for few >>> individuals >>> with means, but surely not for all the blind persons in the developing >>> countries. >>> >>> Hence, braille should not be equated with or treated like a special >>> education but as a tool that enables a blind person in absence of >>> technology >>> and provides an equalising environment. Learning new thing requires >>> efforts >>> which many of us may not want to put or have no interest in it because >>> we >>> are happy with the status quo and do not want to go out of our comfort >>> zones. >>> regards >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Warm regards, >>> >>> Subhash Chandra Vashishth >>> Advocate >>> Mobile: +91 (11) 9811125521 >>> Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. Consider >>> environment! >>> >>> >>> On 28 December 2010 12:31, Kanchan Pamnani <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> David Paterson Learned Without Braille - NYTimes.com >>>> >>>> The New York Times >>>> >>>> >>>> December 26, 2010 >>>> >>>> For Paterson's Parents, the Choice Was Independence Over Special >>>> Education >>>> By >>>> JEREMY W. PETERS >>>> >>>> It is a quandary that parents of disabled children grapple with early >>>> and >>>> often: What is the right balance between teaching them self-sufficiency >>>> and >>>> making >>>> sure they have the special accommodations they need? >>>> >>>> As Gov. >>>> David A. Paterson >>>> has discovered, the way parents answer these questions has a >>>> tremendous >>>> impact on how disabled children fare in the adult world. >>>> >>>> Mr. Paterson, in recent interviews, has expressed worry about leaving >>>> the >>>> governor's office and learning to live on his own again, after years of >>>> relying >>>> on others for a variety of tasks, like guiding him up stairs and >>>> reading >>>> his mail. >>>> >>>> He never learned to read >>>> Braille, >>>> as about 50 percent of blind children did at the time he was growing >>>> up. >>>> Instead, he used what little sight he had in his right eye to read with >>>> high-powered >>>> glasses, attending regular classes in a public school. >>>> >>>> That decision was driven by his parents, >>>> Basil A. Paterson >>>> and Portia Paterson, who were determined to shield him from any stigma >>>> and >>>> insisted that they would not place young David in special education >>>> classes. >>>> >>>> >>>> The teaching of Braille was far more common in the early 1960s, when >>>> Mr. >>>> Paterson, now 56, was entering elementary school, according to the >>>> National >>>> Federation >>>> for the Blind. Now, with the development of technologies like software >>>> that >>>> reads material aloud at high speeds, only 10 percent of blind children >>>> learn >>>> Braille. >>>> >>>> "Sometimes the argument is 'I don't want my child to be different, so I >>>> don't want them to learn Braille,' " said Mark A. Riccobono, executive >>>> director >>>> of the >>>> Jernigan Institute, >>>> the research and training division of the national federation. "On one >>>> level there is something to that argument. But in the long term it >>>> means >>>> they have >>>> fewer tools in their toolbox." >>>> >>>> There are no easy answers, of course, about what path is the right one >>>> for >>>> a blind child. >>>> >>>> Sheri Wells-Jensen, an associate professor of linguistics at Bowling >>>> Green >>>> State University who is blind, said, "I hated it when I got pulled out >>>> of >>>> the >>>> mainstream classroom to do something the other kids didn't have to do." >>>> >>>> Ms. Wells-Jensen said she eventually came to accept Braille but fully >>>> understood why children and their parents would resist, because of the >>>> common misperception >>>> that blind people have extremely limited capabilities. >>>> >>>> "If you buy that cultural stereotype, you're not going to want to be >>>> seen >>>> hauling a big old Braille book around," Ms. Wells-Jensen said. "You >>>> aren't >>>> going >>>> to want to be pulled out of the classroom to learn Braille." >>>> >>>> Parents like Mr. Paterson's often go to great lengths to create as >>>> normal >>>> a >>>> life as possible for their blind children. The Patersons searched all >>>> around >>>> New York City and its suburbs for a school that would not segregate >>>> David >>>> into special education. >>>> >>>> When they finally settled on the Hempstead school district on Long >>>> Island, >>>> their son's school had to order large-type textbooks to accommodate >>>> him. >>>> David >>>> learned to read by putting on his glasses and pressing his face close >>>> to >>>> the page so he could make out the words. >>>> >>>> When he tried to learn cursive writing in the third grade, he would >>>> stand >>>> next to the blackboard to see. >>>> >>>> To this day, he uses a pair of high-magnification glasses to read >>>> letters >>>> and write personal checks. But he is able to focus on reading and >>>> writing >>>> for >>>> only a few minutes before the strain overwhelms him. During his years >>>> as >>>> governor, aides have read daily briefings, newspaper articles and >>>> personal >>>> correspondence >>>> into a special voice mail system for him to listen to. >>>> >>>> Mr. Paterson, who is proud of the way his parents raised him, said in >>>> an >>>> interview that his life would be no less difficult had he learned >>>> Braille >>>> because >>>> Braille has its limitations, too. >>>> >>>> "I don't think things would have been easier for me if I had learned >>>> Braille because there's a point that you get to in Braille where they >>>> can't >>>> Braille >>>> everything for you," he said. "You can't Braille the daily newspaper." >>>> >>>> While parents want their children to live without the stigma that >>>> special >>>> education classes carry, some experts say that this often plays down >>>> the >>>> child's >>>> limitations. >>>> >>>> "Parents see Braille as saying their kid is really blind," said Diana >>>> Brent, who is blind and has studied the developmental differences >>>> between >>>> blind children >>>> who read Braille and those who do not. >>>> >>>> "I've often thought that partially sighted people might have a harder >>>> go >>>> of >>>> it because they're trying to live in two worlds," Ms. Brent said. "I >>>> live >>>> in >>>> a sighted world, but I function as a blind person. I'm not trying to >>>> function as if I can see because I never have." >>>> >>>> The governor said he was much better at recognizing his limitations now >>>> than when he was younger. "What you learn as you get a little older," >>>> Mr. >>>> Paterson >>>> said, "is you really aren't exactly like anyone else." >>>> >>>> Mr. Paterson was just 3 months old when he lost most of his vision, as >>>> a >>>> result of an infection. He can see nothing out of his left eye and just >>>> shapes, >>>> shadows and colors out of his right. >>>> >>>> The governor's mother - despite her insistence that he be treated as a >>>> regular boy - also helped him recognize that he needed a balance >>>> between >>>> striving >>>> for independence and asking for help when he needed it. >>>> >>>> In the book "Sacred Bonds: Black Men and Their Mothers" by Keith >>>> Michael >>>> Brown, Mr. Paterson tells a story about a conversation he had with his >>>> mother after >>>> he had broken his wrist jumping out of his brother's bedroom window to >>>> win >>>> a $5 bet. >>>> >>>> His mother cautioned him that he could not take risks like other boys, >>>> but >>>> she also urged him to keep going to mobility classes to learn how to >>>> get >>>> around >>>> more safely. >>>> >>>> He recalled her saying to him: "You felt you had to pretend to your >>>> friends >>>> that you don't have a sight problem. I thought that going to this >>>> course >>>> would >>>> be a message to your friends that you need a little help every once and >>>> a >>>> while." >>>> To unsubscribe send a message to >>>> [email protected] the subject unsubscribe. >>>> >>>> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >>>> please visit the list home page at >>>> >>>> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >>>> >>> To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] >>> with >>> the subject unsubscribe. >>> >>> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >>> please >>> visit the list home page at >>> >>> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >>> >> >> >> -- >> regards namita >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] >> with >> the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >> please >> visit the list home page at >> >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >> > > > -- > Pankaj Sinha > (Advocate), Human Rights Law Network > Mobile-09910247816 > > To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. 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