From: "M. THOMPSON" 
Subject: Re: Braille Quality from a University
Thanks for your comments Al,
When I asked:
>> Should we insist on the use of Certified Braille transcriptionsts when
>> producing class materials.
You wrote:
>I'd say no.  I'm sure no expert, but I suspect that, given a clean
>document, a good Braille translator and some intelligent human
>intervention ordinarily should be able to produce reasonable Braille.  I
>also suspect that the human intervention would be especially important
>when graphs or tables are being brailled.
Does this represent the NFB view on Braille Quality for students at a
university?
I'm probably looking for something more specific here.  I'm looking for
what students feel is the most important to them.  
At NMSU we have four Braille printers at a cost of about $4000.00 each. 
Combined with the software and maintenance costs, that same money could
have purchased over ten thousand dollars worth of transcribing services by
Certified people.  Where would you rather see a university place the
emphasis? 
Has this decision served our students best interests?
I originally bought the first Braille printer and software so that
students could use it to produce their own Braille on-demand.  The printer
is located in our main computer center which is available 24 hours a day,
and 7 days a week.  The translation software is available and accessible
to blind students on all of our PCs in 13 different labs across campus. 
The idea behind automatic Braille production was to serve as a tool for
students to use for themselves.
However, I had hoped that the various factions of the university who need
to produce Braille for students would place the primary emphasis on
Quality Braille by contracting the work out to Certified Transcribers
since nobody at NMSU can read Braille much less holds any Transcribers
credentials.
Unfortunately, this has not been the case.  Now the mind-set is that since
we have all these Braille printers on campus that if we produce Braille at
all, that this is "good enough".  
The result is that while sighted students receive one quality of
materials, Blind students receive a much lower quality.  That would be
like saying:  Here in New Mexico, we feed our students Tacos and Burritos
as a standard diet.  However, our Blind students are simply given "dog
food"  when it it not too much trouble for the professors involved.
A university has the resources to make materials available to students.
Some of these materials need to be in Braille for our Blind students.
I'm asking (in the ideal world) where would you students (if you were in
my place) put the emphasis on Certified Braille Transcription?.  This is
assuming that students always have a redily-available braille printer with
accessible software to use for themselves.
We will end up spending the money somewhere.  Where would it benefit you
the most?  Given all that, what is your attitude toward receiving Braille
which is mostly, if not allways produced via our Braille printers with
nobody involved in the process that even reads Braille? 
You mentioned earlier (graphs and tables perhaps needing "human
attention")  Should that "human attention be by someone who is Certified
as a Braille Transcriber, or is it "good enough" to use someone who knows
a little Braille?  I find that many simple documents contain some column
or table formatting.
Why are Certified Transcribers important at all?
If we can give you either, which would you prefer?  Why?
Once again, can anyone tell me the NFB philosophy on this topic?
When is "good enough" Braille acceptable to be provided to Blind
students, especially when sighted students receive a much higher quality
version of those same materials.  How can we make our best effort to keep
the playing field level where materials are concerned?
There are Certified Transcribers who will take a faxed copy of a class
handout, transcribe it in an electronic format and e-mail it back to the 
university (often same day service).  This can then be printed on one of
our Braille printers.  (note: faster turnaround times cost more)
The money is going to be spent anyway.  What sould blind people expect,
and more important what do they need where Braille is concerned.
Quality, speed, and cost are often a tradeoff.  It's your education.
Where would you place the primary emphasis?
What points can you students make that will help us design the most
effective Braille production facility at a university?
Thanks
-Mike
>> > How would you rank the
>following? > > Cost > Quality
>> Speed
>
>I think the priority of these things might be different, depending on
>whats being brailled.  I use Braille whenever I can, and would have been
>happy to have a lot more of it in college and law school.  There probably 
>were times when top quality would have been essential.  With class
>handouts, I would have been willing to sacrifice a modicum of quality if
>this were necessary for me to get it fast enough for it to be useful in
>my studies.  Im having trouble commenting sensibly about cost.  How much
>it matters depends on what I can afford, to state the obvious.  I do
>think, though, that if cheap Braille was as difficult to read as some of
>the stuff Ive heard about, I'd forego the Braille and use readers, tapes, 
>or whatever else I could get.  
>> > Thanks > > -Mike Thompson
>
>And thank YOU for the questions.  I have spoken only for myself, but I
>hope my comments have been a little useful.
>
>Al Sten-Clanton
>
>
-- 
Mike Thompson (Systems Programming)  (505) 646-1364
New Mexico State University Computer Center - Room 133
Corner Stewart & Sweet      
Las Cruces, New Mexico  88003
Fax (505) 646-5278
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