Tactile, motor and cognitive capacities decline with age, but little is known about how this relates to braille reading outcomes. This study investigated correlates of braille reading speed among working-age and older adults. Texts were read in two modes (oral/silent) and two media (paper/electronic braille display) by 46 blind adults (age range…

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of survey-based research on predictors or correlates of employment outcomes for individuals with visual impairments (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision). Methods: We used a three-pronged systematic search process to identify quantitative, English, peer-reviewed…

This study investigated the self-concept of students with vision impairment who were placed in specialist and mainstream educational settings in South Australia. Self-Concept was explored across six dimensions, namely Physical, Moral, Personal, Family, Social and Academic Self-Concepts and the Total Self-Concept. The "Tennessee Self-Concept…

Relative to print reading, braille-reading finger movements are held to be of more constant speed, with continuous and exhaustive contact with all words. However, the continuity of movements is intermittent in two distinct ways: (a) readers reverse direction and reread material already encountered and (b) the continual fluctuations of velocity…

To inform decision-making around the adoption of the Unified English Braille (UEB) code in the United Kingdom, a suite of research was carried out. This study involved a variety of braille stakeholders--student braille readers (in full time education), adult braille readers, braille teachers, and braille transcribers. Participants were sent…

A new means of measuring the movement properties of the braille-reading finger is described and exemplified in an experiment in which experienced readers of braille encountered sentences comprised of keywords in which word and orthographic frequencies were manipulated. These new data are considered in theoretical and practical terms. (Contains 2…

The relations between reading, auditory, speech, phonological and tactile spatial processing are investigated in a Dutch speaking sample of blind braille readers as compared to sighted print readers. Performance is assessed in blind and sighted children and adults. Regarding phonological ability, braille readers perform equally well compared to…

In the current study we investigated word, pseudoword and story reading in Dutch speaking braille and print readers. To examine developmental patterns, these reading skills were assessed in both children and adults. The results reveal that braille readers read less accurately and fast than print readers. While item length has no impact on word…

Four women with visual impairments were taught 13 braille letters as phonemes and another 13 braille letters as graphemes and then were taught 10 braille words as onset-rime and another 10 braille words as whole words. Phoneme and onset-rime instruction resulted in faster and more accurate performance. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

Telephone interviews with blind adults who had learned and used braille as their primary reading mode in public schools revealed that most Ss reported using braille for personal notes and memoranda but rely on readers and recordings for the majority of their reading and type most of their personal correspondence. (Author/CL)

The study examined the ability to estimate the number of dots in Braille symbols by 21 legally blind and 21 sighted adults. Results indicated that this task was difficult for both blind and sighted subjects with little improvement over trials. Errors of underestimation exceeded errors of overestimation. (DB)

Twenty-four blind adults were tested to assess whether headings in braille text facilitated reading comprehension and recall. Subjects reacted positively to the use of headings, but upon being tested for recall no significant effect was found. (Author/JW)

Initial research is reported on development of a tangible graphics (a display with raised symbols for reading by hand rather than by eye) system and its evaluation by 20 blind adults. Results suggested that tangible graphs are a viable source of spatial information for blind readers. (Author/MC)

Forty adults with adventitious blindness were administered 12 different Braille discrimination tests representing combinations of standard or enlarged Braille and various amounts of horizontal and vertical spacing. Findings indicated that the most favorable discrimination conditions occurred with standard-sized Braille, with three spaces between…

This study evaluated performance of blind (n=17) and sighted adults on a haptic numerosity task of braille symbols in which symbol size was varied. Although blind subjects performed better than seeing subjects, the rate of learning and patterns of errors were similar, except that blind subjects did better with standard than with enlarged symbols.…