BRAILLE’S HELP

Evening Star, Issue 19274, 12 June 1926, Page 12

BRAILLE’S HELP

FOR FAILING EYESIGHT [Written by Mrs Crusoe, for the ‘Evening Star.’] “Failing eyesight; how to read in spite of it. Send sixpence in stamps to and be happy.” _ Such is the advertisement running in my mind (but not yet sent to a newspaper) since tho morning a short while ago when I rose up from a nearly threehours’ attempt to read a “ book for the blind” in Braille type. The three hours had vanished like five minutes, and I had conquered. These _ hours were preceded by a study of Braille beginners’ books supplied me “ free gratis ” by the Institute for the Blind, Auckland. The Government allows such books to bo sent free of postage to those who need them, which also is a boon. Some seven or eight weeks ago I began to spend an hour or two a day on them, and became more and more fascinated by the cleverness of tho scheme, more and more grateful to tho Frenchman, Monsieur Braille, who once devised it, and more and more growing in respect for the blind and in appreciation of their life and its difficulties. And now 1 can read Braille—very, very slowly as yet, but faster every day. When 1 had learned its alphabet _ (all made up of six raised dots in sixtythree different positions, three lines), the difficulty was my fingers. lam “ a fair ago”; the tips of my fingers (with which the blind read) are hardened with much work; how to got them sensitive enough. Well, physiologists teach that any part or the body_ can grow sensitive if you think about it or use it for delicate work, so I expect several of my lingers will .grow sensitive enough in time, but I have found a short cut. Some years ago my left forefinger was nearly severed by an unlucky stroke of a sickle, and has done little work since. This finger is not, therefore, so hardened at its tip as the others, and now it can say to all the other busy fingers: “ I can read Braille, you can’t.” When you can read Braille, cui hono, write to the Institute for the Blind Press (Groat Portland street, London W.) and get a catalogue of the literature published in Braille, and probably a surprise will bo yours in learning of the range of it. Also tho Blind Insttiuto, Auckland [and the Public Library, Dunedin.] Grade 1 is an unshortoned form of Braille; Grade 2 is a contracted form; it has a good many contractions to learn eforo fluent reading can be done. Grade 3 is more contracted still. At present grade 2 is the kind I am learning. There is another system—easier and larger, I am to!d : easier for the elderly to learn. Braille reminds me much of shorthand, and would make a delightful “ secret writing ” such as children like to play with sometimes. It is good to learn a quite new thing when one is elderly. It makes one feel so young. _ To find memory, patience, and ability to learn are still with one is one of tho most heartening of happenings, and if anyone treats me ever as being an “ old woman ” and quite on “ tho shelf,” I shall murmur to myself, “I can read Braille.” Many many thanks to Mr Braille, who has enabled mo to he free from wanting “to he read to ” so long as my fingers are active. One can even get newspapers in Braille, I believe.