the Braille project The Braille Project Learning about

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 • each Braille character, (a cell) is made up of six dot positions • dot positions numbered 1 -6 top to bottom

Braille: Alphabet

Braille: Grades Uncontracted Braille Contracted Braille • Grade 1 • Used by beginners • Substitutes each character with a Braille equivalent • Grades 2 and 3 • Shorthand Braille • Used in books and most printed Braille materials • i. e. the word “and” contracted

Braille: Video

Visual Impairment: Types Macular Degeneration Diabetic Retinopathy • loss of central vision • Caused by diabetes • common in older people • Causes eye spots Glaucoma Cataracts Total Blindness • Has no symptoms until serious vision loss • Clouding of internal lens • All useful vision is lost • Caused by complex anatomical features • Pinhole effect • Common in older people

Visual Impairment: Anatomy

Visual Impairment: Myths Myth: Blind people see only darkness, nothing else. • Reality: Only around 18% of people who are visually impaired are totally blind Myth: Most blind people are proficient in Braille. • Reality: Only 10% of Legally Blind people read Braille Myth: People who are visually impaired cannot use print or handwritten materials. • Reality: Computer software can translate print into speech, magnify screen images, and enlarge text to a readable size Source: Iowa Department for the Blind

Visual Impairment: Technology • i. Phone Apps: – Look. Tel Money Reader ($9. 99): recognizes currency in real time – Say. Text (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 approached

Sight Loss: Everyday Issues • Eating – Clock method • Unemployment • U. S. currency – no tactile difference between dollar bills – Same size – Bill folding method used