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From: Mary.Otten@p0.f1055.n261.z1.fidonet.org (Mary Otten)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Setting the record straight
Message-ID: <18898@bunker.isc-br.com>
Date: 19 Apr 91 20:26:31 GMT
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[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

I agree with you, Willy, in your comments about who should and shouldn't
learn braille. I"m all for teaching it to anywho can really make use of
it better than print, but, if a little kid who has partial sight isn't
motivated to learn it and you force him, he'll probably hate it, not
want to learn it etc. I nknow of cases where they blind fold partials
and make them learn braille that way, so they can't use their eyes and
cheat. Well, I guess I understand why they do it, but what about the
emotions, resentment frustration, etc, that such treatment could and
probably would arpoouse arouse in the kids? From my own experience, I
know that if I don't see the reason to learn something and you make me
learn it anywayk, I'll learn it to get the grade, e.g. math in my case,
but I"ll forget it the day I walk out. So, I suppose, if they'd made you
learn braille, I assume you have or had partial vision, you'd have
probbably forgotten it soon after. What I think is a crime is tht too
many school systems are taking kids with no usable vision and, instead
of teaching them the same kind of braille reading skills as I had to
learn, they're letting them get by with tapes, and readers and people to
whom they can dictate their work, tests etc. Thast's criminal in my
opinion, far worsae worse than letting partially sighted kids with
usable vision and a reasonable chance to maintain that vision get away
without learing braille.

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