Four tests evaluated the need for and effectiveness of detectable warning surfaces at curb ramps for pedestrians with blindness. Results found that the effectiveness of the detectable warning surfaces depended on other aspects of the design of the intersections and on factors such as the density of traffic and the traveler's skills. (CR)

Twenty-six children (ages 6-11) with visual impairments were given tactile maps and asked to locate themselves on the map as they walked a short route. On 75% of the trials the children indicated their positions accurately, and on 81% they identified the routes they had traveled. (CR)

The visual imagery of four individuals with blindness was compared with that of five sighted individuals using the detection of mirror symmetry. The two participants who lost their sight later in life outperformed the two with congenital blindness, indicating the importance of early visual experience in visual imagery. (CR)

This article reviews the socioeconomic data collected in the National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students, which involved interviews with parents of students (aged 13-21) with visual impairments during the 1986-87 school year. Family characteristics are described, including the family income level and the educational level…

This article presents a literature-based overview of emergent literacy and explores the fit between emergent literacy and the learning needs of children who are blind or visually impaired. Components of emergent literacy--reading aloud, concept of a symbol, emergent writing, and literacy environments--are discussed and applied to children with…

This article describes the whole-language philosophy of teaching reading and writing and its application to teaching braille reading to blind children. It suggests activities that are effective for enhancing the development of early reading behaviors in children who use braille and that integrate the critical components of literacy learning with…

The Braille Readiness Skills Grid identifies activities and skills that foster braille readiness in children with visual impairments. The grid assesses five readiness areas: tactile, fine motor, listening/attention, concept, and book/story. It is intended to encourage systematic braille readiness activities from infancy and foster children's…

This study examined the frequency and nature of parental support for the emergent literacy of 264 visually impaired children (age birth to 8). Differences in parental support were found to be based on the primary literacy medium (print, braille, or print-braille) and presence of additional disabilities. Parents differed in the literacy…

A survey of 1,663 teachers of students with blindness examined their attitudes about braille literacy. This article summarizes their comments concerning teaching braille, making the print-braille decision, use of technological devices, the importance of braille as a learning medium, use of slate and stylus, teachers' braille skills, legislation,…

In this qualitative research, case study interviews were conducted to provide an in-depth examination of the meaning of braille in the lives of eight legally blind adults. Issues of self-esteem, self-identity, and the "stigma" of being a person with a disability were found to be integrally intertwined with the subjects' expressed feelings about…

This study compared outcomes for 74 congenitally legally blind adults who learned to read braille or print as their original reading medium. Those who learned to read using braille had higher employment rates and educational levels, were more financially self-sufficient, and spent more time reading than did those who learned to read using print.…

This study of the cognitive processes of braille reading compared the reading of 23 adult braille readers in 4 different reading conditions: oral reading, silent reading, studying, and scanning. The findings support the idea that braille reading is process driven and that reading rates vary, depending on the purpose of the reading task. (Author)

A study of the reading competence of 25 visually impaired pupils in Sweden followed subjects from 1988 to 1991. Neither visual acuity, reading media, optical aids, nor reading distance were clearly related to reading competence. Rather, good readers were students who scored higher on verbal cognitive tests and had a greater interest in reading as…

This article reports on a method for calculating the space-saving capacity of all Grade 2 braille contractions and the literary braille code as a whole. The study found that, contrary to the widespread belief that contracted braille saves 31% over print, the actual text reduction is about 20%. (Author)

The Computerized Braille Tutor is an interactive software tutorial that sighted persons can use to learn the literary braille code. The software presents 15 lessons that address different aspects of the literary braille code and include braille-translation exercises, proofreading exercises, and graded self-evaluation proficiency tests. (Author)