Braille forms cannot be filled in

I think that much of the sighted world often feels that Braille forms can be filled in.  This was made very apparent to me a few months ago when I tried to explain to a government official why it was impossible for blind persons to complete petitions in Braille.

 

I'd like to take a few moments here to explain further.

First, a Braille signature is not unique.  Braille is made up of a series of dots that are used to form letters so that when I write my name in Braille, it can be written by anyone else who knows Braille.  

Second, the dots are all uniform and cannot be changed in any way.  Braille is made up of the use of combinations of six or eight dots to form letters and punctuations. 

Third, it is very difficult to fill in forms using Braille because of the above.  Anyone can fill in a Braille form if they know how to write Braille and as a result it makes impossible to have a Braille form completed in a unique manner.

In short, Braille forms cannot be filled in because it is impossible to check for authenticity. 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and spread the word that Braille forms cannot be filled in.  Visit www.aph.org to learn more.