A society is made up of a great variety of people, who are of different ages, sexes, races, cultures and even with special circumstances, such as the hearing impaired and the blind. In fact, there are also those who suffer from both conditions, that is, they are deaf-blind.
For a couple of years the idea of achieving inclusion in society has been heard more and more strongly. Hence, the opportunity to work is given to people with certain disabilities, such as those who suffer from autism, Down syndrome, the deaf, etc.
However, inclusion is not simply about placing them in a workplace or building special schools to meet their educational needs. This concept must go further.
When we talk about inclusion, it is also necessary to ask what each one is doing to successfully interact with these people. By being aware of their culture, their way of seeing the world and their way of life, we will all be better able to give them and respect their rightful place in society.
Do you know a blind person? Probably yes. Have you ever wondered how they read or write if they can’t see? The answer lies in the Braille writing system. This is the way in which a deaf person can educate themselves and learn about what is happening around them.
Would you like to learn braille? This is a wonderful way to get to know the world of visually impaired people and to understand what they think and feel. By doing so, you will not only become a more educated person, but you will also have the opportunity to raise awareness and contribute to generating an inclusive awareness in today’s society. Let’s see it now.
Instructions for learning Braille
Braille is a writing and reading system based on the sense of touch, which has been designed with the needs of blind or visually impaired people in mind, such as those who suffer from myopia, in order to can have effective communication and have access to any information.
If you’ve come across anything written in this code system, you probably thought it looked too complicated. However, the reality is different. Of course, of course, to learn braille it is necessary to know its technique and its alphabet. Therefore, carefully follow the following steps:
- The first thing you should do is memorize the numbers that correspond to each of the six dots that we find in a braille cell. A cell is arranged in two columns of three dots each. The first point on the left corresponds to number 1, the one below would be number 2 and the next one, 3. While, in the second column, we can find the numbers 4, 5 and 6, following the same order of the previous column. Keep in mind that each letter or symbol used in the braille system has a different combination of dots and blank spaces.
- Learn the first 10 letters of the alphabet. Why only the first 10? Because if you memorize the alphabet in a segmented way, it will be much easier to learn the whole system. Furthermore, these first 10 letters form the basis of all the other letters of the alphabet. The letter A corresponds to point 1, B has points 1 and 2, C to 1 and 4, D corresponds to numbers 1, 4 and 5, while E to 1 and 5. The F goes with the numbers 1,2 and 4, G with points 1, 2, 4 and 5, H with 1, 2 and 5, I is formed with points 2 and 4 and, finally, the J with the 2, 4 and 5.
- Continue with the letters K through T. Keep in mind that braille follows a pattern that is very distinctive. In order to make the next 10 letters of the alphabet, repeat the first 10 letters, but this time you must add the dot 3 to make each of the following letters. For example, for the letter K, you should use point 1, which corresponds to the letter A, and point 3, and so on.
- Continue with the letters U, V, X, Y, Z. To form these letters, take the letter K as a base and add point 6 to it.
- Learn the W separately. As you may have noticed, this letter has been excluded among all the others. The reason for this is that it doesn’t follow the same pattern as the previous letters, why? Because the braille writing system arose in France in the year 1860 and, at that time, there was no W in the French alphabet. For this reason, it was not included in the code. To form the W you must use point 2, located on the left side, and points 4, 5 and 6, which are on the right side.
- Know the use of capital letters. Since the braille system does not have a separate code for the use of capital letters, you must take into account that each word that is preceded with a cell with the dot 6 indicates that the first letter of that word is capitalized.
- Distinguish punctuation marks. It is important that you know that the first 10 letters that make up the braille code are also used to create the most common punctuation marks in traditional grammar. Only, this time, it is lowered to the bottom of the cell.
For example, the comma corresponds to period 2, the semicolon goes with periods 2 and 3, the colon consists of periods 2 and 5, the period consists of periods 2, 5 and 6, which is also used as a decimal point.
For exclamation points, points 2, 3 and 5 are used, while question marks go with points 2, 3 and 6.
So far, you have basic information on how to learn the braille system. As we mentioned above, it is not as complicated as it might seem. But what else do you need to master it?
What do you need to learn Braille?
- Locate which are the non-profit organizations that are dedicated to assisting blind people, closest to where you live.
- Find out about the resources that are available to learn the braille code and start reading with your hands.
- Purchase braille blocks, toys, and other tools, which can help you learn the letters. These are especially useful in the case of young children with visual impairments.
- Read books that are related to the topic and that address different methods and strategies for learning braille.
- Locate communities of blind people to familiarize yourself with them and their culture. Those who are best able to teach a language are its speakers. In the same way, if you want to learn braille, you need to have contact with blind people who are fluent in it, who can dispel all your doubts,
The matrix that makes up the braille system is made up of 64 combinations, which includes letters and symbols. To differentiate the use of capital letters, italics, numbers or musical notes, it is necessary to add a special differentiating symbol.
Importance of the braille system
Braille is more than just a writing method that has been adapted for blind people. It is also the means by which they can be guided, educated, connect with the environment and receive a large amount of written information.
The Braille adaptation of different systems makes it possible for blind people to handle different types of electrical appliances correctly, use public transport, elevators, money, etc.
On the other hand, they have the opportunity to learn to read and write with a good spelling, consequently, they will have a good writing, which will help them to have a better reading comprehension.
Since the teaching of braille opens up a world of possibilities for those who have a visual impairment, if blindness is from birth, it is essential to start teaching it at an early age, since this will begin their literacy and have access to other devices.
Today, technology has made possible the integration of braille into modern intelligent systems, which shows that it will never be considered obsolete. Such is the case of digital sound systems for text recognition, which is much more recommendable for learning Braille in the youngest.
Now, is everything said? What else should you consider when learning braille? Pay close attention to the following tips that we will be sharing with you.
Tips for Learning Braille
Please note that this article has been written to provide a general idea of how to learn to read braille. However, each language has different characters or codes to represent the letters of its alphabet, even though the same system of cells is used around the world.
- If you do not have any type of visual difficulty, you may realize that there is a type of printed braille that may have shaded dots in the different empty spaces of the cells. This, in order to help people to see more easily what are the positions of the points. In the case of braille for blind people, it is not so.
- On the other hand, since blind people have lost their sense of sight, this has given them the opportunity to enhance other senses, such as hearing and touch. In your case, to read braille you must have a lot of sensitivity in your fingers.
- In case that is not the case, don’t let the parrot go! You can sharpen your senses by feeling different surfaces with your eyes closed. Identify what its texture is and thus determine what it is.
- To make the exercise more effective, ask a friend to select several objects, without you knowing what they are. Then, with your eyes closed, feel them well until you identify what each one is.
- In general, most adults have enough sensitivity in their fingers to read braille. However, it may be the case that your sensitivity has been affected by an injury or a health problem. If so, it may be necessary for you to use other, more specialized means.
- Since this is learning a whole new system of reading and writing, be very patient and go slowly. Don’t try to rush by wanting to learn everything at once. If you do it like this, you will only end up fruitful and discouraged.
- The best thing you can do is gradually taste and digest the information. Doing so will make it much easier for your memory to stick to it and for you to identify each character in braille, including letters, numbers, and punctuation marks.
- Finally, practice as much as you can. Remember that practice is what makes perfect and that nothing is achieved by simply having the intention or desire to do it. If you are disciplined, you will realize that in less than a rooster crows you will be reading with your fingers.