Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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How to teach myself braille? (self.Blind)
submitted by Fredchasing475
Anyone have suggestions on the best way to teach myself braille? (where to start, devices to use, videos or online courses, etc.) If it makes a difference, I can still see enough to read screens a bit, but I’m planning ahead. (Also teaching myself how to use Voiceover, but I’ve got a pretty good handle on doing that already.)
retrolental_morose 7 points 1y ago
UebOnline.org is a good place to get all the rules down.
The letter tiles already mentioned work well too, either the scrabble ones or similar.
You can buy a cheap plastic Braille label maker, which will be a good way of familiarising yourself with shorter output.
If you can afford it, a Refreshable Braille Display is ideal: you can sync it up to your computer, phone or tablet and literally have the braille on the screen under your fingers.
The letter tiles already mentioned work well too, either the scrabble ones or similar.
You can buy a cheap plastic Braille label maker, which will be a good way of familiarising yourself with shorter output.
If you can afford it, a Refreshable Braille Display is ideal: you can sync it up to your computer, phone or tablet and literally have the braille on the screen under your fingers.
Eviltechnomonkey 3 points 1y ago
I second UEBOnline.org. Their Braille lessons are often some of the first ones given to new Braille transcribers at various places to learn the ropes and get initial certification since they have some cert options. They also have links to tons of guideline books and such.
DHamlinMusic 1 points 1y ago
All of this, also check with your state’s braille and talking book center, just found out mine has longterm loaner displays available, am getting one myself. As for the scrabble tiles I think it might be dependant on where you get them, mine have print in normal size, with raised letters and numbers in the upper corners, and standard sized braille in the bottom corners, very easy to feel, and useable for everyone.
retrolental_morose 1 points 1y ago
The RNIB sell a game here called Bananagrams, which effectively is just a massive pouch of Braille and print letter tiles. They have tactile lines beneath each Braille cell.
DHamlinMusic 1 points 1y ago
Yeah think there's a copy of the nonbraille version floating around my house somewhere.
DHamlinMusic 2 points 1y ago
I taught myself via a combination of using a braille scrabble set for reading, and using the braille screen input keyboard on my phone to practice writing and learning the patterns. Everything I am writing here was entered with that, I have not used anything other than that for typing on my phone in months, and can read grade 1 easily, and grade 2 I can manage but am still working on both of course.
ginsenshi 1 points 1y ago
NLS also has the free e-reader braille Display, limited in some locations. But still available
ObscureSeahorse 1 points 1y ago
Thank you for asking this question as I have the same question at the moment.
I heard that it’s good to get your fingertips used to feeling things sensitively, so I’ve been advised to get a bag of grains like different rices and quinoa, barley, etc, with an aim to try telling the difference between them by touch!
I heard that it’s good to get your fingertips used to feeling things sensitively, so I’ve been advised to get a bag of grains like different rices and quinoa, barley, etc, with an aim to try telling the difference between them by touch!
SiriuslyGranger 1 points 1y ago
Get yourself a perkins brailler those will be useful. Try not to read by sight but read by hand. Even if you have to blindful yourself or shut your eyes. Most blind people do not read it by sight, this is a big sighted thign
With voice over applevis.com may help. Also keep pressing buttons and learning how to use it. Also look stuff up or ask for help and then practicing.
With voice over applevis.com may help. Also keep pressing buttons and learning how to use it. Also look stuff up or ask for help and then practicing.
the_purple_goat 1 points 1y ago
There are braille fonts you can use which put the dots in patterns on the screen. Don't know where you are, but Hadley also has a braille learning course as well, and it's free.
DHamlinMusic 1 points 1y ago
Would avoid the Hadley one, it's a mess, been told as much from a braille instructor for them.
SoapyRiley 1 points 1y ago
I used letter tiles that had both the raised print and braille letters on them and quizzed myself over and over then started reading on a refreshable display. Pretty good at grade 1. Working on grade 2 by making homemade flash cards and will quiz myself the same way until I feel like I remember the symbols and then switch my display to grade 2. The sooner you start reading content the better. I began with a book from an author whose writing style I am very familiar with in a series where I knew the character’s names so it was easier to know what word should be under my fingers and see how that felt. It also helped me learn punctuation.
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