Go Braille: an Approach to Braille Instruction

Go Braille: an Approach to Braille Instruction by Joni Nygard , Besty Flener

Go Braille : an Approach to Braille Instruction braille literacy

In 1829, at the age of 15, Louis Braille published a system of using combinations of six dots to represent letters and word fragments. This first uniform braille code was adopted world- wide. His invention enabled students who were blind and had low vision around the world to learn to read and write. Since that time, thousands of children and adults who are blind have be- come literate. Braille is to the blind what print is to the sighted. Without braille, students with blindness or low vision would not be able to spell, compose and read independently. However, it is now well-documented in the literature that the United States and many others are experiencing a “braille liter- acy crisis.” In fact, in 2009, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Jernigan Institute noted that fewer than 10% of those who are legally blind and fewer than 40% who are functionally blind are braille readers. Also, over 70% of adults who are blind are un- employed and as many as 50% of students who are blind drop out of high school (NFB, 2009). Further, it is estimated that the lost productivity due to blindness and eye disease is about eight

billion a year in the United States. (NBP, 2010). Recent statistics from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH, 2017) show the decline in braille instruction and materials. The Federal Quota Census for 2016 reported braille readers make up only 7.8% of students while 10.8% are audi- tory readers. Nonreaders and symbolic readers comprised 32.7%. Further, the Census noted that of braille pages produced, 21,174,994 were produced in 2016 while 12,838,596 were pro- duced in 2017. Also, 93,303 braille volumes were produced in 2016 while only 61,667 were produced in 2017. However, it is understood in the field that some blind users are now accessing materials electronically (National Braille Press [NBP], 2010). Many organizations and individuals speculate as to why braille instruction has diminished. Reasons include the short- age of teachers who are competent in braille, negative attitudes about braille among the sighted, historical emphasis of teaching print (NFB, 2009), and the increasing uses of speech generating devices (NBP, 2010).

Dr. Besty Flener received her doctorate from Vanderbilt University in 1992, with a specialization in visual impairments and multiple disabilities, and is currently a low vision education specialist and assistive technology consultant for the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative. With over 30 years of experience working with visually impaired students, including serving as a regional consultant for Kentucky School for the Blind, she has presented nationally on such topics as Septo-optic Dysplasia, technology, advocacy, self-determination, keyboarding skills, the iPad for students with multiple disabilities, Response to Intervention (RtI), and literacy for students with multiple disabilities. Dr. Flener is a recipient of the National Braille Press 2015 Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation: Tactile Talk Toolkit-Strategies for Functional Communication and Literacy. Joni Nygard, MS, CCC-SLP, has specialized in augmentative alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) throughout her career. She is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences with an emphasis on literacy and communication for all students. An advocate for individuals with complex communication needs across ages and abilities, Joni has authored numerous articles, books, and apps. Currently, a Vice President for Attainment Company, Verona, Wisconsin. Joni received the National Braille Press 2015 Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation: Tactile Talk Toolkit-Strategies for Functional Communication and Literacy.

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Closing The Gap

In 2010, the National Braille Press (NBP) provided some inter- esting facts supporting the importance of braille instruction. The NBP noted that of the 26% of individuals who are blind and em- ployed, the majority are braille readers. However, braille literacy rates for school-age children who are blind have declined from greater than 50% (40 years ago) to only 12% today. In a study published in 2018, Silverman and Bell investigated the correla- tion between braille reading, well being and employment. A to- tal of 443 participants completed the survey. Results suggested that individuals, who were mostly primary braille readers since childhood, had greater life-satisfaction, self-esteem and job sat- isfaction than individuals who reported not using braille as their primary reading medium during childhood. Also, individuals who became braille readers in adolescence or adulthood had higher life-satisfaction, self-esteem and employment rates than those individuals who were not braille readers. In addressing the braille literacy crisis, the National Federa- tion for the Blind (NFB, 2009) made several recommendations including advancing the use of braille in current and emerging technologies and researching new methods for teaching and learning braille. The Attainment Company, in collaboration with these authors, Dr. Betsy Flener and Joni Nygard, MS CCC-SLP, is currently developing a product that encompasses a new and engaging way for students to learn braille. This product is called GoBraille. GoBraille was developed with the idea that students should learn braille in an engaging way, one that mirrors reading instruc- tion for typically developing sighted peers. Ideally, sighted stu- dents could sit alongside the blind student and learn the same words and word fragments in print. In the past, typical braille instruction has mostly included programming that removed the blind student from instruction with their sighted peers. Historically, much of braille instruction has focused on learn- ing contractions in various groups rather than the specific con- tractions in the sequence of sight words that students typical- ly learn. GoBraille focuses on introducing the Unified English Braille Code (UEB) with Dolch sight words and some Fry sight words in a similar order that sighted peers learn the same words. Sight words are critical to reading instruction in that they make up 75% of words in children’s printed materials (National Read- ing Panel, 2017). Also, sight words can build upon each other and provide clues to the context of printed material (Courtenay, 2015). Hayes (2016) noted the importance of sight words: (1) they improve a student’s overall reading abilities, (2) they im- prove a student’s confidence in reading, and (3) they are benefi- cial when used with other literacy instruction. GoBraille (See figure 1) is an exciting app designed for the iPad that includes over 75 interactive tactile overlays. It is the second major commercial product to encompass tactile over- lays for literacy with auditory output on the iPad. TactileTalk Toolkit, the first product by the same authors, and winner of the National Braille Press Louis Braille Touch of Genius Competition

Figure 1: GoBraille App Icon

Figure 2: Page 1, Which Is Different

for Innovation in 2015, provided young learners with blindness and low vision and those with additional disabilities, a means for communication and opportunity to develop early tactile skills. The communication book within TactileTalk Toolkit incor- porates tactile symbols with an easy-to-use navigation system to communicate functional needs and basic choices. The tactile skills reinforced through the TactileTalk Toolkit are precursors to braille and include skills such as texture discrimination, shape identification, size differentiation, identification of positions, counting skills and the skills needed to follow a tactile line. Also addressing early literacy, the TactileTalk Toolkit includes an

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adapted version of the book Charlotte’s Web with corresponding tactile symbols and simplified professionally narrated language. GoBraille teaches and reinforces the braille code which in- cludes over 180 contractions. The first few pages of the app al- low students to build tactile discrimination skills by finding the group of dots that form a different letter or by finding a specific braille letter in a row (See figure 2 and 3). The app then introduc- es a few whole word contractions and beginning primer level sight words. The practice section of the app encompasses two levels. Part 1 introduces contractions and sight words up to an approximate first to second grade level. Part 2 introduces sight words from an approximate second to third-fourth grade level. Students are engaged in matching braille words and contrac- tions on the overlays (See figure 4), forming their own words with various contractions (See figure 5), making their own sen- tences with various short words (See figure 6), reading sentences or paragraphs on the overlays (See figure 7), and reading a short story, all with auditory feedback. In fact, the app and prototype overlays have been trialed by teachers of young students who use braille and the results have been positive. Students who tri- aled the app enjoyed the immediate auditory reinforcement. GoBraille is designed to be used along with other reading strategies and materials. GoBraille teaches all contractions used for basic reading including some punctuation marks, allowing the program to stand alone as a program that teaches initial braille skills. Primary features that set GoBraille apart from oth- er programs is that sighted students can sit alongside the child who is blind and also learn sight words and a paraprofessional can use the program under the supervision of a qualified teach- er of the visually impaired. GoBraille is a program that will lend itself to the next genera- tion of braille learners. We all recognize the importance of learn- ing concepts and literacy. In 1829, when Louis Braille created the braille code, thousands of children and adults who were blind began becoming literate. With rapidly developing technologies, there are additional strategies people can use to communicate and become literate. However, since braille is to the blind what print is to the sighted, we know that new and different ways to learn braille are critical to the development of literacy in gen- erations to come. Without braille, students with blindness or low vision would not be able to spell, compose and read inde- pendently. We are excited for a new generation of braille learn- ers to begin their journey to literacy with GoBraille.

Figure 3: Page 5, Find The Letter

Figure 4: Page 9, Learn And Match Whole Word Sign

Figure 5: Make Words With ow, ar, and

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Closing The Gap

References American Foundation for the Blind. (1996). Estimated Num- ber of Adult Braille Readers in the United States. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 90(3), 287. American Printing House (APH). (2017). A World of Learning School, Home, Community. Retrieved from https://www.aph. org/files/annual-reports/APH-Annual-Report-FY17.pdf Courtenay, M. (2015). What Are Sight Words and Why Are They Important? Retrieved from https://www.speechbuddy. com/blog/language Hayes, C. (2016). The Effects of Sight Word Instruction on Stu- dents’ Reading Abilities. Retrieved from https://fisherpub.sjfc. edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1327&context=education_ ETD_masters National Braille Press (NBP). (2010). The Need for Braille. Retrieved from https://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/braille/needfor- braille.html National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America: Facing the Truth, Revers- ing the Trend, Empowering the Blind: A Report to the Nation. Retrieved from https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/.../the_ braille_literacy_crisis_in_america.doc National Reading Panel. (2017). Retrieved from https://www. nichd.nih.gov/research/supported/nrp Silverman, A.C., & Bell, E.C. (2018). The Association Between Braille Reading History and Well-being by Blind Adults. Jour- nal of Blindness Innovation and Research, 8(1). Retrieved from https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir18/jbir080103. html

Figure 6: Page 32, Make Your Own Sentence

Figure 7: Page 36, Let’s Read A Paragraph

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