BLIND EMPLOYMENT
20% EMPLOYMENT For every 100 people aged 16-64 who are blind, only 20 will ever be employed. What about the other 80 people? Lacking skills? Afraid to lose benefits? Tried unsuccessfully and gave up? Medical or/and multiple disabilities issues? Unaware of advocacy?
10 % FACTOR
Smarter Balanced Braille 2015
APH (Federal Quota) Blind Readers 2015 Visual Readers Braille Readers Auditory Readers Pre-readers Non-readers Total Grade 1 1,002 244 149 556 645 2,596 Grade 2 1,064 258 154 393 696 2,564 Grade 3 1,112 280 156 303 713 Grade 4 1,221 278 146 230 636 2,511 grade 5 1,258 318 169 196 640 2,587 Grade 6 313 177 152 607 2,507 Grade 7 1,211 321 174 103 589 2,398 Grade 8 1,223 344 107 561 2,404 Grade 9 1,216 341 183 88 513 2,341 Grade 10 1,208 307 200 83 494 2,292 Grade 11 1,115 331 197 74 447 2,164 Grade 12 1,404 451 272 89 824 3,040 Grade 12+ 328 78 147 130 557 1,240 14,620 3864 2293 2504 7922 31,208
WHO WILL TRANSCRIBE? Braille certification takes time and requires keeping up with changes District policies differ in terms of expectations for braille preparation District policies differ in professional development for transcribers Transcribing software and embosser technology is costly
TRANSCRIBER REQUIREMENTS Code certification; Unified English Braille (UEB) English Braille American Edition(EBAE) Nemeth Math and Science Music & Foreign Language Proofreading Formatting Abraham Nemeth
WHO WILL TEACH BRAILLE? Teachers of the Visually Impaired have extensive course loads Instead of classes, many TVIs have caseloads District policies vary to class size and caseloads Electronic brailler (Smarter Braille and Cosmo) still need skill teaching More to braille than raised bumps UEB, EBAE, Nemeth, Music, Foreign Language
TEACHERS OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED California requirements: Preliminary courses (21 units) VI Disability Specific Courses (42 units) Braille Competency and Braille Literacy Instruction