Download Transcript of `Braille and independence` audio

Transcript of 'Braille and independence'
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Woman 1: My husband and I are both visually impaired, we both
use braille so we both know how important it is. We've been able
to actually live independent lives together because of being able to
use braille really. Neither of us can imagine how we would have
coped without it so it's been very much part of us being able to
cope as a visually impaired couple.
Young girl: And once I went to a Co-op and I got a shampoo,
conditioner and a shower gel bottle and they all had 'shampoo',
'conditioner' and 'shower gel' on them written in braille. I was
amazed at first when I saw these labels. For me it was just
amazing that they knew that braille existed. And I've also seen
braille on menus, for mainly Italian restaurants. I went into a
restaurant and I had my white cane, which I actually rarely use,
and they gave me a braille menu automatically. It was just
amazing, even though I already knew what I was going to order!
Man 1: It figures very importantly in everything I do. I use it to, you
know, label CDs… and anything from spices to tins I guess, you
can label. But CDs especially, I've got probably about 3 or 4
hundred CDs so you know… They're alphabetised and it's easy to
find the one you want.
Man 2: I used to braille an envelope 'insurance' and in the
envelope would be all my letters to do with insurance, so that I
could know roughly where a letter was. So it's at the centre of
things really. You won't find braille very much in the outside world,
so when you do see it, it's wonderful. I mean I picked up a bottle of
bleach the other day and it said in plastic on the front, 'do not drink'.
OK, I wasn't about to drink it but it was wonderful to see it there!
Woman 2: I use braille as a parent, I do sign up medicine and
medication packages, if they're not already signed up. Because
sometimes you can get braille on them already and sometimes you
don't. Then I don't mix cough syrups and Calpol and stuff like that,
so I do sign it up then I know what is what.
Man 3: In some instances I can't think of an alternative to braille
for labelling. Labelling of products around the house, there's
labelling of power packs that I use for dozens of different products,
there's labelling for food. Really the quickest way of getting access
to packet foods, tins, finding out which CD you've got, is to be able
to read the thing. Particularly if you're trying to choose quickly from
a big selection of items. There are technical devices for doing
some of this but it is rather a clunky way of going about it and it's
what my dad used to call a handcart for a box of matches really,
the simplest way is to write it down so you can read it.