ABU (Over 26 years old) Excellent Work "Which do you prefer for gaining knowledge and information about the world -- Braille or Audio Devices" India P.S.Srinivasan (38/male)

Introduction: The best educated person is he who knows where to find information on a variety of subject s.In a world which is flooded with information, we cannot isolate ourselves in an ivory tower and lead a life of complacency without keeping a close watch on what is happening around us.No one can ever brush aside the invaluable advice given by A.L Tennyson in one of his poems: "Follow knowledge like the sinking star, beyond the utmost bound of human thought".A visually challenged individual will be doubly disabled, if he cannot gain knowledge and information about the world.Had Adam been blind, he would have opted for Braille, instead of Eve, as his ‘helpmate’.Braille, which has contributed so much to the amelioration of the life of the blind, is the mother of all inventions, as it has opened us a window to the world. Braille Dots for Blind Hearts: Eminent educationists are of the opinion that learning happens 83 percent through sight, 11 percent through hearing, 3.5 percent through smell, 1.5 percent through touch and 1.0 percent through taste.This may be true for an able-bodied individual; but in the case of a blind person, it is my conviction that 83 percent of learning happens through the tactile sense.The gift of reading in Braille is probably one of the best things visually challenged individual can receive.We can never forget the very first time we read Braille-dots of wisdom that paved the way to our future. With Braille beneath our fingers, it may not be an exaggeration to say that the world of wisdom is in our finger tips.The delicate touch of our fingers not only reveals to us the seven Wonders of the World, but, literally, everything under the sun.Braille has bridged the gap between the sighted and the sightless more than any other invention.Braille made us equal playersin the competitive sport of life and, brought hours of leisure to many visually challenged individuals who loved it from the depth of their hearts.As far as a blind person is concerned, a world without Braille is like a boat without rudder, a song without refrain and a body without life.I would like to recall the golden words of Lord Byron on books: "My never-failing friends are they, with whom I converse day by day".The magic of Braille, which has transformed my life and that of millions of others, can only help me keep my conversations with my ‘never-failing friends’ alive for a long time. Juxtaposition of Braille Materials and Audio Devices: While audio devices can only be used by the blind to gain knowledge and information, the scope of Braille extends to the deaf-blind who are in a far more disadvantageous position than us.We may contend that listening to audio devices improves our pronunciation, but, accuracy in spelling and punctuation is of far greater significance which can only be achieved through Braille.Spelling and punctuation play a vital role in learning and in the effective use of a language. Braille can be read on the train, on the bus or at any place of our choice, whereas audio devices do not lend themselves to our convenience.Braille is an obedient servant, on the contrary, an audio device can only be an autocratic master.Audio devices are powerless to help us during power failure, but the all powerful Braille empowers us to read even without power. There is a probability that listening to audio devices for hours on end may, in the long run, contribute to agradual decline in hearing, but the perusal of Braille will only produce salutary effects.With a Braille book in my hand, I am like a king with great authority; but with an audio device I am like a king in exile.It is not my intention to vilify audio devices which have stood us in good-stead when we are unable to read Braille due to exhaustion, but to exalt Braille which is the root cause of a silent revolution in the life of the blind. Eye-opener: Reading Braille books and magazines is my favourite hobby which has, hitherto, been instrumental in satisfying my intellectual hunger.Once I was reading a Braille magazine on the train and an old man was sitting beside me.As I turned over the Braille pages one after another, the curiosity of the senior citizen was set on fire and he began to pierce me with questions about the tactile system of reading.After sharing with him vital pieces of information about Braille, he expressed his willingness to touch the dots with his own fingers.When asked what he thought about Braille, he replied: "Braille dots are like popcorn".Both of us burst out laughing over his funny remark.However, when good sense prevailed, he rightly called Braille ‘An eye-opener’.The elderly gentleman, I thought, hit the nail on the head with his words of wisdom.Even though Braille appears to be a complex code, it is simple to learn and easy to use. Conclusion: In a developing country like India, where reading machines and other modern devices are not widely used for the simple reason that most of us cannot afford to buy them, Braille shall reign supreme for a long time to come.Even in developed countries, among the readers of magazines for the blind, Braille readers outnumber those who prefer to read by listening.Acquiring knowledge and information is an endless process.Let us stand firmly behind Braille in our endeavour to update our knowledge and to equip ourselves with the latest information.Let us sing in unison-Long Live Louis Braille.

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