Confusing variations in use of braille to be put in order

JAKARTA (JP): Experts and educators gathered on Tuesday to inventorize variations in braille used in the country's blind schools as they work toward establishing a national standard.

Director of Basic Education of the Ministry of Education and Culture Achmad D.S. said standardization was needed for language symbols such as punctuation marks, diphthong, abbreviations and signs for subjects such as maths, physics and biology.

"We don't have a fixed braille language for those subjects," he said on the opening day of the seminar, Braille System Indonesia. "This is a cause for concern. Blind students are now being mainstreamed into public high schools. How can they learn sciences like maths, which have complicated symbols?"

At least 50 participants from across the country are attending the three-day seminar held at the special high school for the blind in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta.

They include teachers from special state-run and private high schools for the blind (blindness is identified as 'A' in nameplates for the schools), and representatives of the Indonesian Association of Blind People (Pertuni) and the Mitra Netra Foundation.

Achmad said there were about 2,000 blind students from elementary to high schools nationwide, although the actual number of blind youngsters was much greater.

"It is important to create the '7Cs' in braille writing: clear, correct, concrete, complete, comprehensive, concise and courteous. We want to make it as simple as possible for the students."

Bambang Basuki, a teacher and member of Mitra Netra Foundation, said braille began to be used in subjects such as Indonesian and exact sciences in 1975.

The education ministry revised braille usage in 1984.

Bambang said variations introduced in one school caused difficulties in understanding for blind students from other schools.

Mitra Netra Foundation encountered problems when its members translated items in university entrance exams for blind students.

"We have been doing it for the past five years. It's quite confusing. For example, 'Q' in Braille could mean 'I' but may have another meaning for other blind students," Bambang said.

Rosyid Rosihan, who is in charge at the ministry for special schools for people with disabilities, said mainstreaming was being implemented in 180 elementary schools in 20 provinces. (edt)