Very informative that Flor. Thanks for the post. Tony----- Original Message ----- From: "Flor Lynch" <florlync@xxxxxx>
To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2011 2:19 AM Subject: [vip_students] Re: Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contest
Tony,As a Duxbury user sometimes, I will deal with this. Duxbury, or any other braille translation program - paid or unpaid - cannot do 'perfect Braille'. it requires human intervention, i.e., corrections, from time to time. the program (or any computer program) is just as good as the programmers can make it; no better than that. Grade II braille is quite an arbitrary set of rules. Add to that the 'irregular grammer', i.e., when not to use certain contractions. For example, a computer program, left to its own devices, would use the dis contraction in the word dishwasher. there are some other examples. thus, we have british braille, American Braille, and indeed, separate braille codes for the world's different languages.it is probably up to each national authority to set up the competition rules for its jurisdiction. there are a lot less of us than there are, for instance, in the UK, USA, and several other English-braille countries.----- Original Message ----- From: "tony sweeney" <deirton711@xxxxxxxxx>To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2011 1:44 AM Subject: [vip_students] Re: Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contestJohn, Just as an aside!As a matter of interest could you tell if braille was written/translated say with Duxbery or written with a style or the conventional Perkins as we know it; think that I could!Sorry not trying to add to the ridiculousness of all this!Had a search for the Focus 40 Blue earlier and I don't think that it writes braille (a refreshable reading though) so would that do too?----- Original Message -----From: "John Lynch" <johnlynch7@xxxxxxxxxx>To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 11:53 PM Subject: [vip_students] Re: Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contestEven if I got out my hand-frame and wrote with style - pardon the pun - there would be no way of proving how the entry was submitted. Whatever about looking, Braille mostly feels the same on paper if presented professionally.I wouldn't say the judges are themselves Braille readers, as from checking online in the past, I see (or maybe I feel) that they come from a cross-section of academic backgrounds. The reason this can be gauged is because some said it gave them an excellent, and in a few cases, intimate insight into blind people's lives and they felt quite privileged on that account.Thus, it's the composition of the essay that seems to matter, not how it's submitted to the relevant EBU organisation who select it for entry. The only way to show a blind person's Braille writing capabilities is to have entrants physically present in a hall or room with their frames, Perkins, Pykes, Stainsbys or qwerty keyboard Braillers and do their 'shtuff' on those.Anyway, I tell ye another story. When NCBI first decided to enter this contest in 2007, they didn't receive the results in a press release in late October. I contacted them three months later, and only then did they get on to the organiser, who furnished same and NCBI in turn did likewise to me. He apologised for his oversight but you can be certain sure it left a sour taste in the mouth of some. I was one of five entrants that year, just the right number; the following year I was the only one, so the previous year's hopefuls either never received the result or thought it was a waste of time bothering again.In 2009 then, for the great Louis's bicentenary, there was an understandable special effort made and this time, NCBI did publicise the results, when one of their own entrants was among the prizewinners. The 2008 results, together with the winning essays, were published on the EBU'S website but the 2007 winners, being the one I had to enquire about, apart from an Italian entry, all came from the Easter block. As one fella put it when I sent them to him, it was just like the Eurovision song contest of the last few years.Now, where do we go from here? John L----- Original Message ----- From: "Eleanor Burke" <eleanorburke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 10:00 PM Subject: [vip_students] Re: Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contest I agree entirely. -original message- Subject: [vip_students] Re: Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contest From: "Nicholas Kealy" <nicky.kealy@xxxxxxxxx> Date: 29/04/2011 9:42 pmSorry now but this is all a bit of a joke and ridiculous to me. I think its a complete cop-out. Braille to me is something that is written on a page. Its available to touch. Therefore, I find it ridiculous to think that you can enter a Braille essay competition using a digital device no matter what its designed for to produce it. If its not done on a Braille machine in my view and sent on paper then I personally just think that this competition is not doing anything at all to protect Braille as a written language at all.Cheers, Nicky.----- Original Message ----- From: "Eleanor Burke" <eleanorburke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 3:53 PM Subject: [vip_students] Re: Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contest It would be very interesting Flor if someone from NCBI could give us an authorative take on it. -original message- Subject: [vip_students] Re: Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contest From: "Flor Lynch" <florlync@xxxxxx> Date: 29/04/2011 3:43 pm Eleanor, Interesting. We here have been given the option of emailing our entries. one can't do that with a paper copy. Who is to know what went on between the person writing out their essay in their preferred format and the submission? Our electronic braille note-takers, to, have their own translation facilities (from print to Braille), as well. And, do the paper braille copies get sent all the way to japan, or electronic? (if paper, hoping they don't get crushed along the way!) I don't know whether I'll enter yet. Good luck to entrants.----- Original Message ----- From: "Eleanor Burke" <eleanorburke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 3:05 PM Subject: [vip_students] Re: Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contest I had that last year about Duxbury from UK HOWEVER i stand corrected if I an wrong. The theory was that a Word document translated into Braille on a computer did not demonstrate a blind person's ability to write Braille. -original message- Subject: [vip_students] Re: Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contestFrom: "Flor Lynch" <florlync@xxxxxx>Date: 29/04/2011 12:57 pm Hi Eleanor, have you received official word on that? I believe you could indeed use Duxbury on your computer which, after all, produces 'digital braille' files: You can even write files in .dxb - duxbury braille, and convert them to .brf - braille Ready Files. (you can (also, if preferred) use six-key perkins-style keyyboard braille entry, on your computer, using duxbury, and emboss that right away.) A file translated from Duxbury print to Duxbury braille is still a digital braille file. Hence, it would be best if NCBI or a competent authority would tell us (or those of us concerned) which format or kind of digital braille file is acceptable. About the essay theme itself: this theme is the same as that of the competition three - or four - years ago. the WBU (World blind union) is still in overall charge, from what I can make of it. Now the NFB in north america is in charge of running the competition over in that region; and they do not mention digital braille or email as an option for entry. In the past, we were allowed to write/email files in any format, or the obvious braille on paper.----- Original Message -----From: "Eleanor Burke" <eleanorburke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 8:58 AM Subject: [vip_students] Re: Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contest As long as it is Braille written on an electronic Braille device and them printed on an embosser but it cannot be written on a computer using word processing and transcribed to Braille with say Duxbury Braille Transcription. -original message- Subject: [vip_students] Fw: Re: EBU Braille essay contestFrom: "tony sweeney" <deirton711@xxxxxxxxx>Date: 29/04/2011 12:52 am Ah! Pondering here now of my question re digital braille in the context of the competition! I don't use any of the products of converting print from the computer to braille but I think this is it! You type your essay in print on the computer and then convertt to braille (digital) using something like Focus, and then you're done. Anyone with a better explaination then I'm happy that they do get back to the list, interesting. Best,Tony----- Original Message -----From: "tony sweeney" <deirton711@xxxxxxxxx>To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 12:30 AM Subject: Re: [vip_students] Re: EBU Braille essay contestHi, Yep, am curious of digital braille myself in the context of The competition! Not entering myself but best to all who do. Is there a direct link to the web address of the competition that we can check out? Sorry if I missed that post. Tony----- Original Message ----- From: "John Lynch" <johnlynch7@xxxxxxxxxx>To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 12:15 AM Subject: [vip_students] Re: EBU Braille essay contestWell Nicky, I am sure that email is your man if you wish to submit your entry for the competition thus and my very best wishes to all who do. Those of us who've tried it before can always spice up our previous efforts, as there's really not much we add or alter when it's the same topic every year. Then again, maybe we've had enough of it at this stage. To answer Eleanor's query, there was an Irish entrant among the winners in 2009. I think he was of Indian origin, who repatriated to this country. Incidentally, the RNIB'S closing date for preselection entries is today, so not much time left for our British or UK-BASED friends left now. There were a few winning entries available online on the EBU'S website before, not sure if they're still up, but prior to that, when the contest was held for other regions of the world, Asia, Oceania and the US/Canada, winning entires were posted on the World Blind Union's website. As to how adjudication is conducted, I think once presentation of essays are up to the required standard, it's just a statement of preference of a chosen few over others. John L----- Original Message ----- From: "Nicholas Kealy" <nicky.kealy@xxxxxxxxx>To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2011 11:18 PM Subject: [vip_students] Re: EBU Braille essay contestSorry Paul but digital braille? Like, can someone enlighten me here please?----- Original Message ----- From: "(NCBI) Paul Traynor" <paul.traynor@xxxxxxx>To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2011 10:07 AM Subject: [vip_students] EBU Braille essay contestHi All, Just forwarding the below for your attention. Paul. EBU Onkyo Braille Essay Contest The European Blind Union (EBU) has launched the 2011 European Braille essay contest, run by the EBU on behalf of Onkyo Co. Ltd. and the Braille Mainichi. The competition aims to promote the use of Braille as a key to access to information and social inclusion for people who are blind or vision impaired. The contest theme is "Braille literacy changes my way of life". Through personal experience, candidates should explain how Braille improves their daily lives. All Braille users residing in a European country may take part in the contest, regardless of age. Candidates should submit an essay of not more than 1,000 words in paper or digital Braille, including your name, age, country and number of words. First prize wins US$2,000, with four other small prizes. Please submit entries by Monday 30th May 2011 to NCBI Library and Media Centre, Unit 29, Finglas Business Centre, Jamestown Road, Finglas, Dublin 11 or email library@xxxxxxxx NCBI: Celebrating 80 Years ******************************************************************** National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) is a company limited by guarantee (registered in Ireland No. 26293) . Our registered office is at Whitworth Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. NCBI is also a registered Charity (chy4626). NOTICE: The information contained in this email and any attachments is confidential and may be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient you should not use, disclose, distribute or copy any of the content of it or of any attachment; you are requested to notify the sender immediately of your receipt of the email and then to delete it and any attachments from your system. 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