I didn't become blind or learn braille until my teens, and have enough remaining vision to read very large print as an adult.

Braille is still invaluable in my opinion. Labeling things? Braille. Need to read or take notes and listen during a meeting or class? Braille. Trying to use your computer on a phone call? Braille. Want to enjoy some quiet time with a book? Braille. Working with math or programming? Braille. Going camping? Bring braille. Text to speech is great and I use it for hours every day, but it isn't always practical or possible to listen to what you're trying to read.

I think its a shame that braille equipment is so expensive, and especially that the manufacturers get away with unthinkable prices for often inferior equipment simply because they can. I'm disappointed that so many children aren't being taught to read braille (and often grow up with poor written language skills because they've never been taught how to actually read in a way that works for them!)

To any blind adult who is considering learning braille, its worth it. If you can't or don't want to get a braille display through VR, there still are affordable ways to buy one. I bought mine on ebay for far less than retail. There are also blind and assistive technology classifieds to find used displays or note takers and AT individual development accounts to help you fund the purchase. There are [free courses you can take at home to learn braille.]
(http://hadley.edu/braillecourses.asp) There are many braille books available either in print through the NLB, or electronically through NLB BARD or bookshare, as well as many more accessible ebooks.

To any parent of a blind child wondering if their child should learn braille, please consider it. Braille means being able to actually read text, not just listen to it. Even if your child has enough vision to read print, braille means reading without eye strain or headaches and being able to continue reading if their vision worsens. Advocate for your child in getting the professional instruction in braille that they need and having access to braille at school. Fill the home with braille and read braille books with them just like you do your sighted children. Literacy is so important, and so many blind kids are missing out on important skills because "speech is good enough" or because they are being encouraged to rely on unreliable remaining vision. Emotionally and developmentally, knowing braille is about more than being able to read. It is all tied up with self acceptance and confidence in your skills and abilities as a blind person. It tends to be part of a bigger picture of that child being raised with expectations that they will be as competent as their sighted peers, and is associated with [better outcomes in adulthood.]
(https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/documents/word/The_Braille_Literacy_Crisis_In_America.doc)

I use braille on occasion. For most normal text I use voice, but braille is really useful for maths, programming, and musical notation. It is very difficult to do without in these areas, at least for me. Programming in particular benefits a lot from braille because it makes it possible to quickly move through the code, perceive indentation levels, size, structure and complexity of the lines, from quickly scanning them. Parenthesis matching for example (necessary both in maths and programming) is far easier with braille than voice, at least for me.

I also find braille easier when learning a foreign language. Simply relying on the voice makes it harder to learn, since listening is a different skill from reading and relies on distinguishing the sounds, syllable and word breaks, and so on, which takes awhile to develop. Additionally learning a language only through listening makes it likely one will commit many spelling mistakes, if one learns the spelling rules at all. I've noticed a lot of blind people seem to have some difficulties with spelling, often resorting to approximations to the way the words sound. I think braille is helpful in this regard, certainly with foreign languages and possibly with one's mother tongue.

Wow! I'm not a blind individual or visually impaired but I am currently undergoing some research into the use of Braille in the educational system! Some of the information you have said is fantastic!!!!! Thank you for the post and the comments really valuable information!

Writing for a friend. She uses Braille extensively, every day, mainly on a BrailleNote computer. She also uses Braille labels on things like jars and other containers.

I don't use braille, but this question has opened my eyes to something I had no idea existed. My 10 year old son has a degenerative eye disease called familial exudative vitreoretinopothy. He has a high chance of going completely blind. When he started school I had them start teaching him braille, but now I'm not sure it's actually necessary. He can see so it's been difficult for him to learn.

I love braille.
When using english or any non-phonetic language, you can't rely on things like voiceover alone because you can't learn spelling with it. So you still need a secondary form for finding out how to spell correctly, whether it's giant print on screen, large print on paper, or braille.
I wish i had a refreshable display - but so far those are far too expensive.
I use braille in some things but not everything. An old-fashioned slate and stylus works, and i do some notes, read some stuff (not fast but enjoy it as for at) and label whatever i need.

Braille means literacy. You know how to spell, read and wrote, not just listen or dictate. And i wish braille was offered more often before the "last resort" - because once you learn it, you've got your independence. Literacy at your fingertips, and eye-free reading.

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I learned it in school, and I'm glad I did. Without having learned it, my spelling would be even worse than it already is!

However, now that I'm out of school, I haven't used Braille in over 10 years. It's too big, too expensive, and too slow.

Edit to add: I'm a fellow Canadian! Are you with AMI, I'm guessing?

I know Braille but don't use it both because it's being obsoleted by technology and also because I'm very slow at reading it. I didn't grow up with Braille, and when I went blind screen-readers with synthesized voices were already the norm, so I never got to exercise reading Braille outside of rehab.