University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-03-24

: vantor of the point system Of printin:
for the blind. finds it triumphant; Il
ha> practically displaced all raised. ol
embossed letter systems. DIR. Howe "l
the Perkins Institution was among th'
p. earliest to improve the embossed let
tiers. rcducn" the size and cost "t MAN
inc books in this cumbrou- method. the
former bv one-halI and the latter hIi
threc-quartcr-. and naturally enough
he clun. To the Roman alphabet I" the
end Of his distinguished service III th'
r,u-,. Of cducation Of the blind. lie
maintained that Il prime principle I" bc
followed was to avoid a. much "a pos
-ibr the segregation of the blind. a
iv separate training" and -"parat"
mran- "f c"mmunicati" ion: To minimize
in every possible way the difference be
tween the blind and the seeing. The
Roman letter system could be taught
the blind in the public schools by the
ordinary teachers. and they coHld III
turn become teachers Of seeing children.
havin" come Ia think and talk ike SEQ
ine persons The difficulty with TN"
Roman letter system Wa- That while IL
answered for elementary education 1t
could not be Of course. written by tn"
student :" a. to hr read again. II was
thi- lack that wa NET in the Invcn-
Il, L. az
twenty. blind from infancy. "f Ei- al
pIab"t made up al prrmntatI"n> III the
arrangement "f groups "f points pune
tured in PAPER. The li"-t"n RESISTANCE
10 this innovation was stout and main
taincd for forty years or more. until
the Brail,. system modified was at lat
introduced here in combination with the
old raised letter system. For som"
time the Roman letters We're used at
Perkins for printed matter ami tn"
point alphabet for manuscript. but AT
the present time the u-c of the Braillc
alpha bet. "r "f notifications Of it. i
practically universal in Amerira a. it
was in Europe. both for manuscript
and printed matter. thirty wears ago.
:" complete ha- been this revolution
that the question was raised at the
latest convention of American teachers
"i the blind whether The pencil writing
should h" taught at all. Suprrintend- /
cnt Dow "f the Minnesota school for
the Blind. who i an authority on this
hi experience i that pupils do not con
rinu" To Use pencil writing Ion" after
they leave school. and the CONSENSUS of
opinion at In" convention was that lew
totally blind "N-pUpil- u,acc,l~romed TO
writing before the los al sight. rr
tanned the ability I" write. leciblv with
IT," pencil Tor NOR" than five Years. II
Wa urged in favor "f pencil writing
that II was needed for writing IL per
>"n> not blind. Tor @ivin. the blind the
power :" write a legal signature. for
voting under the Australian system. for
receipts and such purposes But it :
wa argued in rcioindrr that the blind
winter "t hi i "naIUTc could n"r know {
hat Was on the paper that nr had
,I"Ird. The great "i-tacl,. Ia ,!,prnd- |
~ "n p"nril-writin- in business mat |
"r> with tn" blind l. that the blind !
writer can neither tell for himself il .
." ha> made a mistake a. -c-in. pro- I
'.' often 10. Nor can h, correct an error
Oh" ha- crept in. A. a matter or :
act. the trachin" "f pencil writing ha- =
'''n dr"pPrl out ii many tir-r-cla>- J
'h""!> a. not worth I" the pupils the I,
i'm, it consumes =,
An impressive and suggestive. fact
bout all III" late ingenious and auda-
l"H- improvements in the teaching of
ne blind l. that the whole e,llca1ionar :.
l"v"m"nt Tor the blind l. compri-,,I "
ihin the Lifetime "i persons It'll Iiy- u
q" III the life. Tor instance. Of MIR. !,
lIiIa Ward Howe Whose. husband v,. ;,
at tn. very hc@innin. of it all Dr. !.
low" was eight Wears older than Louis :.
r"iii". hat whilr youn. ErailI, in hi. >,
'"n> "a> developing hi~ great and :.
thi' thought "i a puncIure alphabet. -,
Inch had 'iawm,ri on hi~ hlindr>> our :;
hi Practical need 10y mrmor,nJ, be .,
'IId read again in hi >tulie, aud NJ,
ndancr upon lectures. d.. How, M. u
'>"rl'e't i'll hi~ sympathetic -,udi,, -,
'ea' revolutionary movement. in :,
'u'h"rn ami Eastern Europe. ESPECIALLY J..
''>' ~ th" Poles anI th,. ,,r,.L, Wb.,
had returned from campai-pipu in =;
b" field with Lord Evron in Gr,.,. 49,,
ringing home with him a. his ., J.,
ndani III" hoy Michael An,on,. n- -
1--WE made hi> great improvement, ., -
" eNI>ting alphabet or embossed L., p,
r 10y >uh>titutin. the Roman small .,
tiers f"r the clumsy capitals hirb.r,, .
'f"i' lhi> wa> in the early thir- h,
=. and Hraill-'~ IDEA had L..r e.
ID IN practice in France in lSoo 7,
l. not long before th.. ErailI. ,
Nik Ia