You might say it "worked" because it was work!įollowing each panel presentation, attendees were divided into four focus groups, which were assigned randomly beforehand by numbers on our name tags.
What made the conference a real success was its interactive nature. All of these are exactly what you would expect to hear when gathering a hundred individuals who all believe in the importance of braille.
We heard about technology past and present, and about the costs of braille production. We heard about policies affecting the teaching of braille in schools and from a 16-year-old who uses braille in everything she does. We heard from braille readers, librarians, technology specialists, braille producers, and educators. Over three days (June 19–21), panel presentations representing the views of various stakeholders within the braille community were heard. All panel presentations were streamed live via the Perkins YouTube channel, and updates were issued via Twitter. The conference had a more global presence as well. The 40-acre campus offered ample and comfortable spaces for sessions and meals, and walking the park-like grounds between sessions was a definite bonus. While location of a conference might not be its most pivotal element, it certainly plays a role in successful planning, and in this case, the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts was exactly right. They wanted results, a list of recommendations that might serve as a guide for later strategizing. Mary Nelle McLennan of the American Printing House for the Blind was then recruited for the key role of planning strategies for facilitating the conference.Īs Judy Dixon, NLS consumer relations officer, explained it, the coordinators knew they were assembling some of the best minds in the world of braille in one place, and they wanted more than a gathering in which every member present was a lover of braille. She threw the proverbial ball to key staff Judy Dixon and Steve Prine, who subsequently recruited Kim Charlson, director of the Perkins Talking Book and Braille Library, and the planning for the Braille Summit began. Karen Keninger, NLS director since early last year and a fervent supporter and user of braille, wanted some direction beyond her own beliefs for the future of braille and the direction NLS should pursue. Its users have a proven track record of more education, more secure employment, and more confidence in all matters involving literacy. Yet, everyone, blind or sighted, with an intimate knowledge of the tactile reading system developed by Frenchman Louis Braille recognizes it as the key to literacy for those unable to use print effectively. Production costs are high, and personal braille devices are expensive. Too many blind children are not taught to use braille, and only a small number of adults losing sight are exposed to braille as a literacy medium. Most AccessWorld readers are at least somewhat familiar with the endangered status of braille in our community. After attending, my assessment is that this one succeeded well above expectations and, more importantly, concluded on a note of significant hope for the future of braille and those who write and read it. As a seasoned attendee at, arguably, too many conferences, I was delighted by the invitation to participate in the Braille Summit and knew that the conference would be worthwhile. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) and the Perkins School for the Blind are certainly two such organizations, and when the announcement of the first ever Braille Summit circulated, expectations were naturally high. Some organizations have such reputations for longstanding excellence that we just assume that anything they set forth to accomplish will inevitably bear that stamp of excellence too.