Issues Related to Literacy of Legally Blind Learners

Abstract

Literacy has become a national concern explored by television, newspapers, and magazines. Formerly considered to be mainly an educational issue, employers are now equally concerned. Indeed, the concern has spread beyond reading and writing literacy and now includes math, computer, and even cultural literacy. Thus, braille literacy has far-reaching implications for the education of visually handicapped children, for their eventual employment, and for their quality of life in general. This final article responds to the issues addressed by preceding articles and comments. It also addresses other issues, such as the delivery of services to blind and other visually handicapped children and the preparation of their teachers, which were not the focus of the other authors.

Standards for Competence in Braille Literacy Skills in Teacher Preparation Programs

“…According to the information they provided, there is widespread diversity and a lack of consistency in university-level braille courses with respect to the format of instruction, content and instructional materials, expected student outcomes, and standards and criteria for competence in braille literacy. There appears to be no consistent standard for training teachers of students who are visually impaired in braille, something that has been an ongoing concern for many years (National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 1997;National Federation of the Blind, 1995;Rex, 1989;Silberman, Corn, & Sowell, 1989;Spungin, 1989;Stephens, 1989;Wittenstein, 1993).…”

“…That is, a teacher may teach students who have low vision for several years without using his or her braille skills. To enable teachers to maintain their braille literacy skills, organizations that provide services for individuals who are blind, specialized schools for students who are blind, and university teacher preparation programs must make a joint commitment to provide ongoing in-service training, refresher courses, and mentorship for both new and experienced teachers in all areas defined as braille literacy (Council of Executives, 1990;Mullen, 1990;Rex, 1989). Still, it is not feasible to expect a program that is supervised by a single faculty member to assume the responsibility of implementing such training because of university-imposed limits on personnel, resources, and finances.…”

Ensuring High-Quality Instruction for Students in Braille Literacy Programs

“…v~r the past 10 years, greater attention has been paid to providing high-quality instruction for students in braille literacy programs. Noted authorities have expressed concerns about the low level of literacy skills among students who read, or should read, braille and about the assessment and instrlrctional practices used to address braille literacy skills (Foulke, 1996;Mangold, 1997;Mullen, 1990;Rex, 1989;Ryles, 1996;Schroeder, 1989Schroeder, , 1996Schroeder, , 1997Spungin, 1990;Stephens, 1989). In the late 1980s, states began to address these concerns by passing braille legislation that mandated special assessments or instruction in braille.…”

Teachers’ Perceptions of Need for and Competency in Transcribing Braille Materials in the Nemeth Code

“…This same concern has also been prevalent in the education of children with visual impairments. Most studies, however, emphasized the need for teachers' competency in the literary braille code (Johnson, 1996;Mullen, 1990;Rex, 1989;Spungin, 1989Spungin, , 1996Stratton, 1996;Wittenstein, 1994;Wittenstein & Pardee, 1996). Much less attention has been given to teachers' competency in the Nemeth code, the braille code for math.…”