Braille is the system by which blind people read. It has taken on many forms throughout the years. The book entitled The War of the Dots tells the struggle to bring about the acceptance of a uniformly acepted braille code. This book is only for those with an in-depth interest in the origins of our contemporary code system.
Did you know that long ago one method used for reading by the blind was to "read" knots tied in a rope? The reader would pass the rope through his fingers and read by interpreting the knots. Brush up on all those Scouting knots. Trying something such as this would make a marvelous exercise in creating codes!
Did you know that Louis Braille died before his system of reading was accepted?
Yes, there is a system for reading music in braille. It may seem overwhelming. However, if you start at the beginning, it is no more difficult than learning printed music. The National Library Service for the Blind has print, braille and recorded material to assist both the blind or sighted person who desires to learn the code. You can even enroll in a course through the Library of Congress to become a certified braille music transcriber. Aspiring blind musicians often begin learning "by ear" and later progress to the reading of music. Conventional music courses such as the Suzuki method can successfully integrate the blind musician with sighted peers.
Let me begin by answering this question with a question: If your child needs insulin, would you learn how to take care of his needs? Would you expect to do this for his entire life? I believe you would answer, "Yes, I would learn how to care for him and teach him to take care of himself." Why wouldn't you do the same for a special reading method needed by your child. Do you want to totally abandon your child? Does that sound too strong? Well what do we all say about the parents who never know what their children are doing in school? We say they have shirked their responsibilities as a parent. Don't shirk yours. If your child attends a public or private school and uses braille - LEARN IT! Be an active participant with your child's unique learning style. If you want to homeschool a blind child, don't allow a school official tell you it is too difficult, that you would have to learn too many things. After all, your child is expected to learn all these "too difficult things". Certainly you're capable! If you need information on how to accomplish this, e-mail us, and we'll send you information to get you started.
