Provision of Braille Reading and Learning Material in South Africa: A Balance between Technology and Braille Adding Value and Creating a Love of Reading

摘要

Outline the changes in the landscape of providing information in braille; Explore the changes in trends of braille usage, with particular reference to hard-copy and electronic braille, hard-copy documents and braille versus speech to text; Outline the changing needs of braille readers; Explore ways to add value to the braille reading experience for those disadvantaged and advantaged by accessibility to technology; Outline challenges faced around the teaching of braille and technology; and attempt to address issues of creating a love of reading by adding value to the provision of information in braille and increase the number of readers and maintain the balance between the use of braille and technology to those technologically advanced, and those disadvantaged on the African continent where there is a lack of resources, and highlight the importance of the braille hard-copy in deep rural areas where often the promise of greater opportunities purported by technology merely remains a beckoning mirage in a Sub Saharan desert where the gap between those with access to technology and those to whom technology remains inaccessible continues to widen.It is in this context that this paper will explore the provision of information in the alternative format of braille and make recommendations around provision of information and reading material to braille users.In addressing the provision of information in braille this paper will: Explore aspects of quality, the purpose of the document and emphasize the importance of braille usage alongside technology, and emphasize the importance of maintaining a balance between the two at school level and in libraries to ensure that braille reading members of libraries continue to enjoy access to information in a meaningful and user friendly way.