[gui-talk] Is Braille truly obsolete: was: Re: Fw: Article:Restaurant Menus That Talk

[Joel Deutsch]

Ray,
You're not understanding anything I said. Thank you very much. This isn't a 
philosophical discussion. And unless you know something about sight and 
degrees of sight impairment, it's not for you to use innuendos criticizing 
anyone ometime for not calling it all "blindness.." You don't hear that kind 
of talk except from the NFB Kool aid people. but let me say one thing again. 
All these people are simply NOT about to learn Braille, and that's the 
reality. And it has nothing to do with this futurist stuff you're talking 
about. It just doesn't. I said something very simple, and you want to have a 
philosophical argument. Please spare me, dude. You're making abstractions 
about things that aren't at all abstract. I see that it's fun, but this 
isn't where I'm coming from, thank you.

Thanks.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ray Foret Jr." <rforetjr at bellsouth.net>
To: "NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 8:07 PM
Subject: [gui-talk] Is Braille truly obsolete: was: Re: Fw: 
Article:Restaurant Menus That Talk


Joel, with all respect to your reply, I must disagree with you about one key
factor here.  Yes, it's true that many are becoming (as you put it)
"visually impaired"; but, come now.  Do you really and truly believe that
Braille is obsolete?  Sir, I must take issue with you on that one.  Print is
the way sighted people read; yet, so far as I am aware, we hear now only the
slightest rumblings from futurists who no next to nothing that print may be
obsolete one of these days.  Even they concede there is a way to go yet
before this happens.  Joel, again I ask you sir.  Do you really and truly
believe that Braille is so obsolete that those who lose their sight will
have no use for it?  I respectfully submit that in this, you could not
possibly be more mistaken.  True, my own reading skills may not be what they
should; but, I do not for one single instant believe that Braille is done
for.  To put it plainly, Technology isn't going to replace Braille;
so-called blindness experts and insecure blind people's protestations to the
contrary not withstanding!!!  Again, I say to you, Braille is not now, nor
shall ever be obsolete!!!

Sincerely yours,
The Constantly Barefooted,
Ray
Home phone and fax:
(985)853-0139
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rforetjr at bellsouth.net
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God bless President George W. Bush!
God bless our troops!
and God bless America
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joel Deutsch" <jdeutsch at dslextreme.com>
To: "NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 9:56 PM
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Fw: Article: Restaurant Menus That Talk


Ray,

Without any disrespect to your opinion, there are far more people than you
may realize who are becoming vision impaired (by which I do not mean blind,
but low vision) late in life as well as functionally blind, in ways that are
difficult to describe in practical terms if you can't visualize what I'd
describe. In any case, very, very few of them, even the most enterprising
and robust, are going to learn Braille,. Nothing against Braille, but it has
little or nothing to do with quite a lot of people who need help with things
like this. Again, with all respect for your wonderful skill and for the
importance of kids learning Braille in order to have a chance to be truly
literate and understand language as a system of symbols and patterns,
instead of just listening to everything. Someone like me doesn't need
Braille for almost anything, certainly not for literacy, nor for gaining
knowledge I need. But I sure could use some help with menus, whatever form
it takes. I speak for a lot of people when I say that. We're living in
different cultures of sight loss or no-sight.

Just to think about. Hope you ain't stepped on no rusty nails or water
moccasins lately.

Best,

Joel (now wearing leather slippers, was wearing New Balance cross trainers
earlier and  Bostonian leather loafers last night. Will go without footwear
when I tumble into bed and when I take a shower. Maybe tomorrow I'll wear my
Timberland deck shoes. Will keep you posted.)


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