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Why is it difficult to manipulate symbolic Information without Braille?
There is no method of manipulating symbolic information for the blind except
Braille.  Symbolic information on a computer is not part of the ASCII code
that a computer uses.  If some symbols are part of the extended ASCII code,
they do not have a semantic level to permit the reader to know the
difference between an epsilon and a summation.
While representations of these symbols are seen on computers, each software
package uses it sown  graphic code to show the symbol.  Other applications
do not understand the code. A screen reader can't read proprietary code.
The blind individual can not hear the symbolic information, but must rely on
a description of the information by a sighted reader and  has no way of
writing symbolic information except to a scribe.
Section 504 since the Loyola finding has stated that if a blind student
requests Braille for symbolic information, the institution must provide the
information in Braille and in a "timely manner."
                -----Original Message-----
                From:   William Hersh [mailto:Whersh@AOL.COM]
                Sent:   Sunday, April 18, 1999 10:42 AM
                To:     EASI@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
                Subject:        Re: William Hersch and Braille Literacy

                Why is it difficult to manipulate symbolic information
without Braille? Do
                you require a deaf person to use a oscilloscope? Do you
require a sighted
                person to read Braille? I am not advocating the exclusion of
Braille as a
                resource, I am questioning the wisdom of requiring it for
fulfillment of the
                degree requirements.