Braille Classes

The Braille Program offers beginner and advanced level classes for instruction in contracted and uncontracted Braille, a challenging, but rewarding form of communication.  A student can learn basic Braille for home use, community Braille to promote independence in public, or contracted Braille for reading books.  
           
The Lighthouse offers Braille instruction in a fun and supportive environment, utilizing games, trivia, and interesting challenges to encourage learning.  The classes are small to support individual attention from the instructor.  The beginner program focuses on the basics of learning the Braille cell and character recognition.  Jumbo Braille is used, when necessary to facilitate the learning process for adults who may have difficulty feeling the individual dots in standard print.
               
Learning Braille can open doors to independence that cannot be replaced by electronic gadgets or talking books.  Knowing the basics can allow a person the independence to:

• Read restaurant menus
• Identify elevator buttons
• Read public signs
• Read books, magazines, and public documents
• Write notes, lists, and important contact information
• Create labels for clothing, CD’s, and pantry items
• Create and follow favorite recipes
• Organize and identify important files
• Maintain a personal calendar for appointments and special events
• Read the Bible

        And more…

Students are required to participate in an evaluation prior to acceptance into the program.  Classes are ongoing at the New Orleans campus.
           
Has Braille become obsolete with all of the talking books and gadgets now available?

Because Braille equates with literacy, it cannot be replaced by audio information.  Being able to listen to text does not mean that an individual can read.  Learning how to read and write in Braille is a fundamental skill that gives a blind individual the same freedoms and independence as literacy to a sighted person.  It also opens doors of opportunity for communication that cannot be substituted with talking devices.  In addition, talking devices are limited and usually task specific.  For example, there is no perfect device that can read a restaurant menu or identify elevator buttons.  However, someone who is fluent in Braille can easily do both, just like a sighted person.
                
Learning how to read and write in Braille can develop levels of self-confidence and self-sufficiency that cannot be achieved by other means.  Call The Lighthouse at 504-899-4501 ext. 263 for more information.
               
Click Here to see a demonstration.