Braille. American Foundation For The Blind. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/braille/12.
http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/braille/12
This source is from the American Foundation for the Blind, a website consistently
updated in order to keep members in the loop about what is new, and all the
resources available. The main point of the source is to educate those about Braille
and its vital use in the world. Furthermore to provide resources for those who use or
wish to use Braille. In addition there are sources that link to blog posts and more
information about the language system. This page is particularly of interest to me
as one of the issues I want to examine is whether Braille still has a place in a
modern society. This credible source actually straight out says that Braille is a
source of language that really is valuable even in modern times and cannot be
replaced.
The writers purpose is to give a quick explanation of Braille whilst iterating its
importance. They want to help people understand Braille and promote its use
through connections to how to use it, where you can find it and other resources. The
audience is anybody who happens to get onto the AFB website.
The author is credible because it is an official organization that promotes the well
good of those who are living with sight degeneration. They are not trying to sell
anything or push out a view point, they simply wish to educate and improve the
lives of those either living with themselves or living with someone else who suffers
from blindness.
I will use this in my research as it is a strong statement from a prominent blind
association that out right state its relevance and importance even today. It will be a
good argument to put forward in my paper against other counter arguments I may
find.

Brunot, William, and Gudrun Brunot. "COLORS WITHOUT SIGHT: A Method

For Differentiating Colors In Braille." ETC: A Review Of General Semantics
43.4 (1986): 332-335. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 8 Apr.
2016.
This source is from an academic journal that is based on semantics. I therefore
accept its credibility as it has an academic background. The authors are William and
Gudrun Brunot. The main point of the article is to explain the use of Braille in the
manner of distinguishing color. The authors went about trying to recreate a better
way of printing colors to avoid identification puzzles based on historic research
into past methods. They say that this method would be a lot more efficient as it will
be an easier process to print, and that it will have vital uses in education and many
other industries.

The purpose of this article is to educate on the research that has been carried out to
improve the efficiency of Braille color identification systems. The audience is those
who read this academic journal so most likely those who are into research in this
specific area. I think the perspectives are not so important as it is simply a
documentation of a new discovery. It was written in 1986 so it is dated, but it is
irrelevant in the sense of what it is conveying.
The authors are credible as they are researchers. The fact that they have found out
this new method conveys that they are clearly very knowledgeable in their area of
expertise and have put a lot of time into it.
The sources is relevant to me as it is showing that Braille is something that can
always be improved and furthered. It also illustrates that Braille is multifaceted and
can allow not only the user to read, but to distinguish color and texture. Another
benefit of this language.

Good Governance Initiative in India - Documentary on E-Braille. Dir.

DARPG. DARPG (Department of Administrative Reforms and Public
Grievances, India), 2014. Online.
This documentary provided by the DARPG (the Department of Administrative
Reforms and Public Grievances of India) was published online in 2014. The main
purpose of the film is to demonstrate that the blind community need not be pitied
and viewed as people who will not lead a normal and fulfilling life. The documentary
explains about the technological breakthrough with e-braille (software and printers
attached to computers allowing the blind to use computers and print braille easily)
and how using this new technology can lead to better education for the blind and
more opportunity. For example with this software it is not possible to teach
mathematics and science with Braille. Furthermore this technology allows visually
impaired people to work in a normal office environment and make a living.
This documentarys purpose is to educate the general public on being more open
minded about the blind community. It wishes to change our perceptions. The
purpose is to show us that Braille has many more applications than just a form of
written communication. It shows us that with these e-braille technologies, we can
help the blind live for independent lives with the activities that those with no visual
impairments can for example working.
The directors of this documentary are the DARPG (the Department of Administrative
Reforms and Public Grievances of India) which shows that is a credible government
run organization. The people interviewed in the video are those who do experience
life as a blind citizen, and so therefore I feel that they are good direct sources as
this directly affects them and their daily life. It was posted in 2014, so it is relevant

and the fact it uses e-Braille as its prime subject shows the growth that Braille can
have in the future.
It is relevant for my research essay as it is a new perspective from a different
culture, India. It is also a great example of a new way in which Braille can function.
It will be a good way to illustrate its relevance in an ever more modern world.

Kent, Deborah. What Is Braille? Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Elementary,

2012. The Ohio Digital Library. 2012. Web. 5 Apr. 2016.
<http://ohdbks.lib.overdrive.com/E91A0670-E57E-4D93-9A8B05EDD5F34BAA/10/50/en/ContentDetails.htm?id=13194371-9BC7-45E694D4-01B6BEF0EBF5>.
This is a book written by Deborah Kent and is a book that was published in 2012.
The main point of the book is to explain the function of Braille and how it benefits
the Blind Society. The source is great because it provides actual stories and
accounts of people who are blind and how Braille helps them. It also has visual
demonstrations of how things work as there are lots of pictures for example showing
the alphabet functionality in Braille and showing people using Braille and machinery
that can help read Braille on a computer. It is a very nice first hand illustration of
how wonderful Braille can be.
The writers purpose is to show visually and verbally how powerful a tool Braille can
be. She is clearly invested in this topic as she has gone all out to make it as
relatable as possible. The use of a little girls testimony to how Braille helps her
follow along in a normal classroom environment is touching. The audience is anyone
who wishes to understand more about how Braille works and who uses it and how. It
was written relatively recently in 2012 which shows that the methods demonstrated
are up to date and probably still in use.
The writer Deborah Kent has written other published books on the topics of
disability and blindness, so she is clearly knowledgeable in the field. She got a B.A.
in English from Oberlin College and earned a master's degree from Smith College
School for social work which demonstrates she is an academic. As I mentioned
before the publishing date is relatively new and up to date.
This source is useful for me because it is going to provide me the basic
understanding of how Braille works and how it can be used. Who it benefits, how
widespread it is used and so on. This resource I think is very useful and will be very
beneficial for my background knowledge and introduction segments of my research
paper.

Morrissey, Patrick. Reading Braille In Foreign Languages. Modern

Language Journal 41.6 (1957):265. Communication & Mass Media
Complete. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.
This source was taken from an academic Journal on Modern Foreign Language. The
author is Patrick Morrissey and he is a man who was born blind. The purpose of the
article is to express how it is possible for blind people to learn foreign languages
through braille as there are variations in the letters and characters, and through
growing up and hearing some foreign words from his mother who spoke some Irish
dialect and from his Swiss neighbors. He also discusses general foreign language
acquisition and how this varies and connects to braille foreign language acquisition.
The main purpose of this is to educate on how Braille isnt only useful for learning
your native language, it can also give opportunity for the blind community to learn
foreign languages just like everybody else. It is from the perspective of a person
who was born blind, so I think that it is a good angle to read from as it is firsthand
experience of how braille is beneficial. The audience is anyone who has access to
these kinds of journals, I am imagining a scholarly audience or researchers. Even
though the data base didnt publish the date, through google I found it was roughly
published around 2011, which means it is relatively recent and I think that in a time
where foreign language learning is at a low for English natives, it is a nice thought
that we can engage even more people in learning, especially the blind community
with these ideas.
The writer is Patrick Morrissey. He himself is blind, so I believe that what he is saying
is credible as he is not assuming what it is like to be blind and to use these
methods, he lives his life in that way. It is a first account experience of how these
systems work, and that they do work. The fact also that it is in a scholarly journal
makes me believe it is genuinely credible and academic.
This piece is beneficial to me as one of the main things I want to examine is if there
are any discrepancies between Braille from language to language worldwide and
this gives me concrete evidence that yes there is!

Reuters. "Palestinians Teach Blind Students English via Music." Daily Mail.
2 Mar. 2016. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3473028/Palestiniansteach-blind-students-English-music.html>.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3473028/Palestinians-teach-blindstudents-English-music.html
This source is from the Daily Mail which is a newspaper that is published on a daily
basis in the United Kingdom. The author is Reuters and it is extremely up to date as

it was posted this year. The main purpose of this article is to demonstrate a new
method of teaching that is being adopted in the Middle East to teach young blind
students English. This method using Music. The author expresses how despite the
back up from neuroscientists who claim that is definitely a beneficial method of
learning as it enhances the brains adaptation abilities, many Muslims do not agree
with music in education as they fear it will lead to distraction and the desire to
dance instead of focus and learn!
The purpose of this article is to educate the reader on new possibilities and
developments in Education. The audience is whoever picks up the newspaper so I
do not believe that is trying to make an appeal either way or whatever your opinion
is. The fact it is up to date shows that these are alternatives that are being worked
on right now in the world. There is two perspectives demonstrated scientific and
religious.
The newspaper is credible, it is one of the biggest in England. There is no bias in the
article as it expresses both the positive and negative feedback - its factual. I could
not find information on the specific writer of the article, but I would be led to believe
that to work for a newspaper such as the Daily Mail, one would need high
credentials in the area of which they are writing in.
This source is great for my paper because it is suggesting a potential alternative to
Braille. It is bringing up that perhaps there are other ways to teach things to the
Blind, and in a modern era, perhaps music is more relevant and accessible. It is a
good counter argument to whether Braille is still vital and relevant in todays
society.

"Services." Braille Institute. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

<http://www.brailleinstitute.org/>.
www.brailleinstitute.org
This source is a website with access to further sources which belongs to the Braille
Institute of America. This being a credible distinguished organization with the
purpose of eradicating any barriers that divide those with sight problems from any
other person. It makes use of a video library too which has some videos that could
be useful in the future of my research process.
The writers are people who work for the institute, and seen as it is a website that is
from an organization that are related to the American government I feel that is
credible. It is recognized, and has good links to for example document libraries. It is

regularly updated with the latest copyright being for this year, which shows that is
up to date information that is constantly being monitored.
As I mentioned, it is credible as the organization is so well established and the work
they do is visible through their website and the links they have to their social media
pages and YouTube channel.
This source is useful to me because it is the gateway to a bunch of other sources
that I can use further down the line if I have need. It is also a reliable source to find
out information about Braille, and what it is like living as a blind citizen.