Confusing variations in use of braille to be put in order

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)