How I Use Braille



Recently, I wrote a post about why braille is beautiful. If you'd like to read it, you can click here:


https://ohioadvocacyheartbeat.com/2025/01/14/why-braille-is-beautiful-by-dawn/


For 200 years, braille is been a both a fixture and a mainstay in blind people's lives. It helps achieve independence, employment, and overall improves quality of life. There's a lot of uses for braille, including labeling things, reading religious materials, the list goes on. In honor of Braille Litwitheracy Month, I decided to write about how I use braille.
Sometimes, when someone mentions or suggests learning braille whether it's for someone who was born blind, or someone who became blind or visually impaired later in life, a common question is: "What would I use it for?"
Typically, when ever I get asked this, I always respond with some form of: "Well, what are some things you like to do, or liked to do before you lost your sight?" and listen to people's responses. Depending on what their answers are, I try and take some of their answers and tell them how braille applies to them. For instance, if someone tells me they love reading, then, I will tell them about how braille will open your world up, because you'll be able to read books in whatever genre you like, or, even read magazines and newspapers, and, I talk about various resources such as the NLS. (National Library Service For The Blind And Print Disabled.) I also talk about ways to read, such as getting harcopy braille books, or, even reading on a refreshable braille display. I know that every one's use case, situation, circumstances, etc will be different. However, I wanted to give some ideas. But, first, I want to share my braille journey with you all.


I have been blind since birth, due to underdeveloped optic nerves. I started learning braille when I was 6 months old, and, I'm 27 now. So, I've been reading and using braille for about 26 years give or take. When she found out I was blind, Mom had no help. That meant that she had to figure things out on her own, and find resources on her own. She taught herself braille, so that she could teach me. When the braille code changed from English Braille American Edition or, as we call it, old braille, to Unified English Braille or new braille as we call it, in 2016, I had to start from scratch. There have been periods in my life where I have had no access to braille, such as when my equipment needed repairs, or, when my BrailleNote was taken from me in 2016 2 weeks before graduating high school. I now have a refreshable braille display, and, I'm very happy to say, I'm reading and writing in the new braille code! I will also say that my refreshable braille display is a big cornerstone in my life. It gives me the ability to do many things that I otherwise either would not be able to do, or, that I wouldn't be able to do as well and effectively as I can do them now. With that in mind, here are some ways that I use braille, and incoporate it into my daily life.


1. Navigation using braille plates and signage
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, public place are required to have braille plates and signage, including in the elevators. When I was in school, I often used the braille plates by each classroom to navigate. For example, if I needed to find my science class, I knew the room number was 208. So, I'd take my route, and, double-check to make sure I was at the right room! It also helps in the elevators. If I'm on another floor, and, I need to go to the lobby, I get in the elevator and look for the button that has a braille and tactile marker for the lobby, and press it!


2. Cooking

I love microwave meals for a variety of reasons. However, since microwaves are touchscreens, I'd need help finding the buttons to press, or I'd have to have someone heat up my meal for me. However, my microwave has braille labels on it for the number pad, the start and stop buttons, etc, which means that all I have to do is have someone read me the directions on the package for the meal.

Sadly, due to how the devices are being made now, such as having buttons on a touchscreen that are very close together, it's getting harder for these types of appliances to be brailled.

There are also braille measuring cups and spoons that you can buy to help with cooking as well. They're plastic, and the braille is molded into it, which means no danger of labels popping off when being washed! You can get them from various adaptive equipment companies such as MaxiAids.

As a bonus, if you have thermaform paper, you can write down recipes in braille! I recommend using this type of paper, because if you get stuff on it, you can just wipe it off. Whereas with regular braille paper, it can become damaged, and make the information hard if not impossible to read.



3. Financial Management


You can get your bank statements in braille! This allows for greater financial independence, because you'll be able to keep track of your bank balance, transations and deposits etc. If you're not sure if your bank provides this, you can call them, or go to their website. For instance, if you do business with Huntington Bank, you can either call, go into a branch, or, fill out a form online to obtain your braille statements.
Also, check and see if you can get your bills in braille as well!


4. Keeping up with the news

I like to stay in the loop about events going on in my community, in Ohio, nationally, as well as internationally, plus, news surrounding advocacy and disability rights issues. If I want to read a national newspaper, or an Ohio newspaper such as the Dayton Daily News, I use a service called NFBNewsline, which is a free service available to people who are blind, or have other print disabilities. I can get any newspapers and magazines that they offer on my braille display. I can also navigate through the publication, and skip articles and sections that aren't of interest to me.
I can also look at social media such as Facebook to see what's going on in the disability and advocacy communities. I just pair my Iphone and Ipad with my braille display with bluetooth, and, I'm ready to go!


      

5. Reading books... otherwise known as keeping my sanity


Reading has been my main coping mechanism for years. I like all kinds of genres, however, my favorite genres are mystery, thriller, or suspense. I can go to Bookshare, a subscription-based service for people with print disabilities, or the Braille And Audio Reading Download or BARD. web site from the NLS. and browse the books they offer, or search for a book or author I want to read. If it's available on any of those services, I can download it directly to my braille display. From there, I can read it anywhere at any time! This saves on space and expense. Braille books are sometimes broken down into volumes because it's thicker than print. One print page is 3 braille pages. This means that space is at a premium. This also saves money, because, braille books can be expensive, especially if you read books like the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.


5. Communicating

I can write, read, receive and send things such as text messages or emails using braille. I just use my braille display which is paired to my IOS. device through bluetooth. So, if someone asks me if I need anything from the store, I can read the text, and reply back with my answer, all while using braille. It makes typing much faster, and much more accurate than using an onscreen keyboard, or dictation.

6. Learning and Education


When I was in scholl, my textbooks, assignments and so on were in braille. Nowadays, when I'm in a training, I will still have my materials in braille on my refreshable braille display. It helps me follow along with what's being taught, and, I can comprehend it better. It also allows me to do any worksheets that are associated with whatever workshop or training I attend. As a bonus, if it's provided ahead of time, I can look at a presentation that's being screenshared in a meeting. This is crucial for me because, as a screenreader user, visual content that is being screenshared is not accessible to me, due to the fact that it's essentially a video. The only way I get annthing out of screenshares, is if there's an audio component, or if people describe things in detail, or, if I can read the presentations. If I have the presentation they're reading, then I can follow along, and participate more in the discussion.



7. Notetaking and other secretarial work

For those who don't know, I'm a member of the National Federation of The Blind Ohio Greater Akron Chapter, and the NFB. Ohio Community Service Devision. I recently became the secretary for the devision. Which means I take notes in the meetings, and write out the minutes, and keep track of the member list. Braille is crucial to me being able to do this. With braille, I can be in the meeting, and writing in my shorthand, and then when I'm working on the minutes, I can look at my notes, and, type up the minutes that way. I can do all of this directly on my braille display. While recording meetings is essential, having notes you take down is another crucial component. I can even read the minutes on the braille display at the meeting.



8. Advocacy

As a disability rights advocate in Ohio, I do a lot, and wear many hats. I attend meetings, write letters, and, yes, I even write these blog posts using braille, for example. Writing and reading are big parts of advocacy. Whether it's writing an email asking for reasonable accommodations, or submitting written testimony, or reading changes to a rule, or any of the other laundry list of tasks we do as advocates, and, it helps me out a great deal with all of these things, and many others. I firmly believe that if I didn't have braille in my life, I either wouldn't be able to do all the things I do, or do them nearly as well or efficiently. More than likely, I'd have to make the difficult decision to step down from some of my roles and positions.


9. Organization and labeling


I also use braille to organize things. For instance, I have an extensive CD. collection. My albums are labeled so that I know what they are. This is especially helpful when I have multiple albums from the same artist.
You can use braille to organize in other ways as well. For example, you can label spice containers, or put a braille label on a magnet, and stick it to a canned food item.



10. Recording content for radio programs

I recently started volunteering and recording content for radio programs for Goodwill Youngstown Radio Reading Service. I have a list of books that I'd like to record. I recently recorded a set of books to honor Dr. Seuss's birthday. I downloaded the books to my braille display, and read them, and recorded them using my Ipad. I can go to NLS. BARD. and Bookshare to get books to read. I could also read magazines from NFBNewsline, or BARD.


11. You can draw with your perkins brailler

Yes, you read that right! You can draw with your perkins braillewriter! There's a book on Amazon by Kim Charlson called Drawing with your perkins brailler. There's also drawings online that you can find. Kim Charlson's books has several drawings in it, including a christmas tree, and shapes such as a triangle. 

This is by no means an extensive list of use cases for braille. However, I hope that I've given you some ideas on how to incorporate braille into your daily life. I'd love to hear how you use braille, and about your braille journey. Feel free to post a comment and share your thoughts!