1. The Braille Project the Braille project
Learning about visual impairment and Braille
A senior project by Nayely Martinez

2. Braille: History devised in 1825 by Louis Braille
based on code developed by Charles Barbier used for night writing

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

4. Braille: Alphabet

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

6. Braille: Video

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

8. Visual Impairment: Anatomy

9. 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

10. Visual Impairment: Technology
iPhone Apps:
LookTel Money Reader ($9.99): recognizes currency in real time
SayText (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 and approached

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

12. Visual Impairment: Interview

13. Resources BrailleInstitute.org Lighthouse.org
TheBrailleProject.wordpress.com
Alphabet Cards
Fact Sheets

14. Sources BrailleInstitute.org gesta.org/estudos/statistics0402.pdf
who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en