Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Braille question from adult learner (self.Blind)
submitted by yoyo2718
Ok so I’m trying to learn Braille through Hadley. I’m almost finished with the 2nd course where you finish learning the alphabet. I can tell the individual letters apart just fine, but when they combine them into words I can’t tell where one letter stops and the next starts. Does it get easier, or is this a hopeless endeavor? I mean, if the word starts with an ‘L’ or something, there’s some space after it, so I can tell the next letter more easily, but for most letter combos I can’t figure it out without finger scrubbing. Is this normal for beginners, or am I really terrible at this??
Das-Lebensfieber 4 points 1y ago
This is normal for beginners, it gets easier with practise. Lots and lots of practise, don’t give up!
I’ve been reading Braille for 3-4 years and I still get confused sometimes, I know people who have been reading Braille for much longer and they still have some issues.
I’ve been reading Braille for 3-4 years and I still get confused sometimes, I know people who have been reading Braille for much longer and they still have some issues.
yoyo2718 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
Thank you, good to know I’m not unusually terrible! lol
zersiax 3 points 1y ago
What can perhaps help a lot is to keep in mind that a braille cell is at the very most always only two columns wide. If you think you feel three dots in a horizontal row, you're touching two letters at once.
I have been using braille all my life, so it's hard for me to remember if I had this issue ...I remember flipping letters over a lot, e.g. I would confuse e and i a whole lot, but I don't think I ever ran into that particular issue :)
I have been using braille all my life, so it's hard for me to remember if I had this issue ...I remember flipping letters over a lot, e.g. I would confuse e and i a whole lot, but I don't think I ever ran into that particular issue :)
yoyo2718 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
This helps, thank you!
retrolental_morose 2 points 1y ago
I have a retractable dog leash which has a series of dots on the button to wind in the lead. They're angled in such a way that a quick scrub of the finger makes you think there are more than there actually are. They're not Braille by any stretch, but a really good example of how your senses can easily be tricked.
Just like those poor sighted people have their blind spots, sometimes us braillists have to think twice.
Just like those poor sighted people have their blind spots, sometimes us braillists have to think twice.
oncenightvaler 3 points 1y ago
I think probably the best way to tell letters apart in full words is to write out things you would use daily in Braille, like reminders to yourself, or a grocery list, etc. I am sure when I started out at like age 8 and 9 that I had this problem but I got over it quickly. I use Braille every day.
yoyo2718 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
This is a really good idea, thank you! I think the course I’m about to start teaches slate and stylus, so that’ll be good!
Iamheno 3 points 1y ago
Very normal I’ve just started 7 weeks ago. We’re done with fully contracted Braille, and if I try to just finger read it can take literally hours to read 1 page.
facilelavage 2 points 1y ago
I got through the second course and started the third course a year ago but got distracted. All I want to use braille for is labels but the second course is far more demanding than that. I did a lot of scrubbing. Plasticized braille paper makes the dots more distinct which makes a big difference but I can't use it because the paper gives off fumes I can't tolerate. I do find though that I can read the notes I write with a slate fairly easily because the dots are punched sharper than the Hadley workbooks.
yoyo2718 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Oh interesting. I’ll have to try the slate and stylus method. I have an easier time reading the plastic labels, too.
projeeper 2 points 1y ago
I would talk to you instructor about it. There are bad habits that you can pickup that will make you a slower reader later. Keep up the good work.
[deleted] -5 points 1y ago
[removed]
retrolental_morose 2 points 1y ago
it is also completely unproven, impossible to produce digitally or electronically, used by only 1 person I've ever heard of and ... wel. that's probably about enough bad press for now.
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