The Braille reading skills of German-speaking students and young adults with visual impairments

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the literacy skills of Braille readers in the areas of reading fluency, reading and listening comprehension, and spelling. A total of 119 German-speaking, Braille readers aged between 11.0 and 22.11 years were tested for this purpose. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire, psychometric tests, and self-constructed assessments. Wherever possible, the results were compared with the standards of sighted peers. Regarding reading fluency, Braille readers performed significantly slower than print readers. In terms of spelling, the Braille users performed within an average range of sighted peers. Furthermore, a positive correlation was obtained between Braille reading fluency and spelling, whereas the use of auditory aids (e.g., speech output) showed a negative correlation with Braille reading fluency and spelling. In addition, a comparison between listening and reading within the study sample revealed that reading Braille proved to be better for comprehension, although listening was significantly faster. In conclusion, the findings provide evidence that Braille reading skills are important for the development of literacy skills in general. Nevertheless, listening skills are important and need to be systematically promoted.

Fifty shades of Braille: motivations, challenges and cultural significance in visual impairment

“…This discovery resonates with existing literature on visual impairment. Lang et al (2021) indicated that auditory access compensates for nearly every Braille reader – with the exception of those who intentionally refrain from using audio due to ideological reasons, as we will elaborate on shortly. They underscore that reading and listening are distinct modes of access that cannot replace each other interchangeably.…”

“…For instance, if voice synthesis better aligns with a specific goal at a given moment, individuals tend to prioritize it, potentially combining different tools (e.g. Lang et al , 2021). However, in addition to pursuing purely functional objectives (e.g.…”

“…Braille appears as “a tool that [allows] to tactually and orthographically map words in the same way that typical readers do using vision” (Lane-Karnas, 2023, p. 503). It acts as both a coping mechanism and a valuable means for developing literacy skills (Lang et al , 2021), prompting some scholars to advocate for early and intensive Braille education (e.g. Kana and Golga, 2023; Lang et al , 2021).…”

“…It acts as both a coping mechanism and a valuable means for developing literacy skills (Lang et al , 2021), prompting some scholars to advocate for early and intensive Braille education (e.g. Kana and Golga, 2023; Lang et al , 2021). In addition, Braille improves employability and grant access to diverse knowledge domains (Tobin and Hill, 2015).…”