Greetings:
Some of you have seen the announcement about a new Braille Online
teaching program. Here is a letter of inquiry I sent on the
subject.
Regards,
Curtis Chong
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 20:57:20 -0500 (EST)
From: Curtis Chong <Chong99@cris.com>
To: Bob Gotwals <gotwals@shodor.org>
Subject: Braille Online
National Federation of the Blind
in Computer Science
_________________________________________________________________
Curtis Chong, President 20 Northeast 2nd Street
Phone: 1-612-671-2185 Apartment 908
Fax: 1-612-671-6615 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413-2265
Internet: chong99@cris.com U.S.A.
December 17, 1996
Mr. Bob Gotwals
The Shodor Education Foundation, Inc.
923 Broad Street Suite 100
Durham, NC 27705
Dear Mr. Gotwals:
My name is Curtis Chong, and I am the president of the National
Federation of the Blind in Computer Science (NFBCS). This
organization of blind computer professionals and lay persons works
hard to ensure that blind people have equal access to computer
systems and applications.
I read with interest your December 17 announcement about the
Braille Through Remote Learning program. Your announcement says in
part:
"This program provides teachers, parents, social workers,
and current/future braille transcribers with a series of
three integrated online courses in braille and braille
transcribing...the program has as its goal the provision
of a complete braille instructional program to all types
of consumers nationwide who have an interest in some or
all aspects of braille codes."
In the section which discusses the technical capabilities program
participants must have, you mention that a graphical web browser is
required. Graphical web browsers imply that some, if not all, of
the information that will be presented to the student is
non-textual--that is, purely visual. This leads me to ask if your
program is intended for persons who happen to be blind or visually
impaired. The requirement for a graphical web browser implies that
it is not. As I am sure you are well aware, it is not uncommon for
blind people to be social workers, parents, teachers, and braille
transcribers. If, as stated in your announcement, the program is
intended to provide braille instruction to "all types of consumers
nationwide," how will you make it possible for blind people to
participate in it on an equal basis with the sighted? I would
appreciate some clarification from you on this point.
Yours sincerely,
Curtis Chong
President
National Federation of the Blind
in Computer Science
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Dec 02 2012 - 01:30:04 PST