Dear all,
I haven’t yet had the opportunity to read through all of the comments as I have been ill until now, so someone might already have mentioned this. I apologize in advance if that turns out to be the case.
When referring to visually impaired people in general, the most commonly used phrase in English is VIP (visually impaired people), which might be worth taking into consideration.
Kind regards,
Anne Sofie
Med venlig hilsen
Anne Sofie Marisa Jensen
IKT-/AC projektmedarbejder
IBOS - Forløb
_________________________________________
KØBENHAVNS KOMMUNE
Socialforvaltningen
Borgercenter Handicap
Rymarksvej 1
2900 Hellerup
EAN 5798009681249
Dear all,
Sorry about the long period of silence. Once again, I have managed to fill my schedule.
Thank you for your comments about the introductory text and the perspective on blindness. I personally don’t like “med blindhed” in Danish, but I like it very much in English. “People who are blind” softens “blind people”,
but to me, it is basically the same. Nevertheless, I have rephrased blindness mainly to “persons who are blind”.
Any more comments? Who dares 😊 Only joking.
Nordic Braille Meeting 2023
The Nordic Braille Committee is a collaboration between the Braille councils of Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland
On October the 25th and 26th, we gathered in Reykjavik for our annual meeting in the Nordic Braille Committee. At the meeting, we shared news from each country and enjoyed presentations about Braille
and mathematics, revision of the Danish Braille code, the bumpy path to make good Braille music on paper, the development of a multi-lined Braille display intended for images and a presentation manifesting the usability and necessity of Braille for blind people
in all aspects of life. All of this together resulted in a wish to communicate the need for Braille as we do below.
Braille means access
The ability to read Braille at a proficient level is crucial for persons who are blind in order to pursue our dreams of education, employment and leisure activities as equal members of society.
Braille is the basis of learning for persons who are blind, not an additive. Braille allows for learning how to spell for immersion and for a sense of space. Reading with sound cannot substitute reading Braille.
Braille users constitute a very small group, and knowledge of Braille and how to teach it is therefore scarce and difficult to maintain.
Through our collaboration in the Nordic Braille Committee, we strive to:
- Raise awareness of the necessity of learning Braille for persons who are blind.
- Pursue the recognition of Braille as a writing system on equal terms with the print alphabet used by people with sight.
- Ensure a high level of competence among users and teachers on Braille and Braille reading strategies digitally as well as on paper.
Best regards,
Tina
Med venlig hilsen
Tina S. Thøgersen
Læse- og studievejleder
IBOS - Instituttet for Blinde og Svagsynede
Rymarksvej 1, DK-2900 Hellerup
+45 39 45 25 96
JH86@kk.dk, sikker e-mail:
ibos@kk.dk
Hi Tina,
This is excellent work! Thank you so much for doing it. I support the comments from the others on the list. I just want to add one more.
I think you should move the last sentence to the top of the document and insert “the Braille committees” in it, like this: “The Nordic Braille Committee is a collaboration between
the Braille committees of Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland.”
In the following sentence there’s a “T” missing in “The”:
“he ability to read Braille …………”
I know that “people with blindness” is an expression frequently used by special teachers. We have it in Norway to, “mennesker med blindhet”. Even if I don’t like the expression, I think you should feel free to use it.
Best regards,
Nina
Musikkpunkt og sangeri, Nina Tveter
Granebakken 58
1284 Oslo
Hello Tina.
I personally dislike the persons withBlindness, andprefer Person who is blind, or Blind and partially sighted in a broader context.
As for publishing it is fine that there is a statement on the website.
The last linewhich reads:
The Nordic Braille Committee is a collaboration between Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland
I think we should add that it is a collaborationbetween the national Braille councils the respective countries.
BR. Jesper.
Dear all,
Thank you for your good comments and corrections.
Jesper asked where to publish it and how to use it. As I understood it, our hosts would like to have a statement on their website: Icelandic national institute for the blind, visually impaired, and deafblind in Iceland.
I have corrected “used by”.
I have looked up “competency”. The choice of competency vs. competence is a grey zone in this case. As I understand the descriptions of the two words, competence would refer to everyone’s competences to use Braille, whereas
competency would mean a professional knowledge about Braille. We do need that, but the final goal is to maintain and develop competences for each individual. So, I think competence is our preferred sense of the word.
Regarding blind people vs. people with blindness, I am very loose in my attitude, but I intended not to hurt any of you😊
Sometimes with blindness is nice and formal. I have written blind people one time now. Try to read it, and find out if it would be more direct, casual, authentic, whatever if I change it to blind people.
I have added a fairly long introduction and a heading. Is it a good frame, or is our message drowning?
Nordic Braille Meeting 2023
The Nordic Braille Committee is a collaboration between the Braille councils of Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland
On October the 25th and 26th, we gathered in Reykjavik for our annual meeting in the Nordic Braille Committee. At the meeting, we shared news from each country and enjoyed presentations about Braille
and mathematics, revision of the Danish Braille code, the bumpy path to make good Braille music on paper, the development of a multi-lined Braille display intended for images and a presentation manifesting the usability and necessity of Braille for blind people
in all aspects of life. All of this together resulted in a wish to communicate the need for Braille as we do below.
Braille means access
The ability to read Braille at a proficient level is crucial for people who are blind in order to pursue our dreams of education, employment and leisure activities as equal members of society.
Braille is the basis of learning for people who are blind, not an additive. Braille allows for learning how to spell for immersion and for a sense of space. Reading with sound cannot substitute reading Braille.
Braille users constitute a very small group, and knowledge of Braille and how to teach it is therefore scarce and difficult to maintain.
Through our collaboration in the Nordic Braille Committee, we strive to:
- Raise awareness of the necessity of learning Braille for people who are blind.
- Pursue the recognition of Braille as a writing system on equal terms with the print alphabet used by people with sight.
- Ensure a high level of competence among users and teachers on Braille and Braille reading strategies digitally as well as on paper.
Med venlig hilsen
Tina S. Thøgersen
Læse- og studievejleder
IBOS - Instituttet for Blinde og Svagsynede
Rymarksvej 1, DK-2900 Hellerup
+45 39 45 25 96
JH86@kk.dk, sikker e-mail:
ibos@kk.dk
Thank you very much, Tina! This looks great!
Just a few minor comments/suggestions:
- Typing error: used bby people -> used by people
- I noted the word “competency” and thought it should be “competence”, but after a Google search I see that you might have chosen your word for a good reason, though
I am not sure.
- What about including something about our meeting, for example simply that we gathered in Reykjavik on October 25 and 26?
- Suggestion: What about substituting “people with blindness” with “blind people”, at least once, or is there something about identity and politics I am not aware
of?
Regards,
Hans
Quite well put tina. If the issue on braille education at a competent level is included in your bullet 3, I think the wording and goals are well put.
Love
John
Dear all,
I also wish to thank you for two very nice days with very good presentations. I enjoyed Iceland very much and hope to come back there some day.
The remaining participants at the meeting on Thursday agreed to formulate a statement about the common goals of our collaboration.
Here is an attempt. I was given very free hands, so please feel equally free to suggest corrections and alterations.
Nordic Braille Meeting 2023
On October the 25th and 26th, we gathered in Reykjavik for our annual meeting in the Nordic Braille Committee. At the meeting, we shared news from each country and enjoyed presentations about Braille
and mathematics, revision of the Danish Braille code, the bumpy path to make good Braille music on paper, the development of a multi-lined Braille display intended for images and a presentation manifesting the usability and necessity of Braille for blind people
in all aspects of life. All of this together resulted in a wish to communicate the need for Braille as we do below.
Braille means access
he ability to read Braille at a proficient level is crucial for people with blindness in order to pursue our dreams of education, employment and leisure activities as equal members of society.
Braille is the basis of learning for people with blindness, not an additive. Braille allows for learning how to spell for immersion and for a sense of space. Reading with sound cannot substitute reading Braille.
People with blindness constitute a very small group, and knowledge of Braille and how to teach it is therefore scarce and difficult to maintain.
Through our collaboration in the Nordic Braille Committee, we strive to:
- Raise awareness of the necessity of learning Braille for people with blindness.
- Pursue the recognition of Braille as a writing system on equal terms with the print alphabet used by people with sight.
- Ensure a high level of competency on Braille and Braille reading strategies digitally as well as on paper.
The Nordic Braille Committee is a collaboration between Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland
Med venlig hilsen
Tina S. Thøgersen
Læse- og studievejleder
IBOS - Instituttet for Blinde og Svagsynede
Rymarksvej 1, DK-2900 Hellerup
+45 39 45 25 96
JH86@kk.dk, sikker e-mail:
ibos@kk.dk
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