The Prison Braille Program - Research Paper Example

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One of their most pressing needs is acquiring literacy at an early age because it can support their success in education, socialization, and the workplace (Ryan & Bauman, 2016).The differences between the educational attainment, employment, and incomes of the blind and the rest of the country are staggering. Among the blind, 14.9% had a bachelor's degree or higher, 30.6% had some college education attainment, 31.3% had a high school diploma or GED, and 23.2% have less than high school educational attainment (Erickson et al., 2017), whereas on average, 88% of the non-blind had at least a high school diploma or GED and 33% held a bachelor’s or higher degree (Ryan & Bauman, 2016, p. 1). Educational levels are closely tied to employment and income rates.

In connection, the employment rate of the visually impaired was 40.4% compared with 73.6% among individuals without disabilities (Erickson, Lee, & von Schrader, 2016), even when the former can capably conduct a wide range of jobs and can be reliable workers, contrary to disability stereotypes. Consequently, the median annual earnings of the blind aged 21 to 64 were $37,600 compared to the real per capita personal income of $46,464 for the whole nation (Erickson et al., 2017; “Real Personal Income for States and Metropolitan Areas, 2015”, 2017, p. 7). Moreover, the median annual household income for the blind was $39,700, while it was $56,516 on average, a difference of almost 42% (Erickson et al.

, 2017; Proctor, Semega, & Kollar, 2016, p. 5). Due to the wide income disparity among other factors, the number of the blind living below the poverty line was 29.0% in 2015, 53% higher than the official national poverty rate in 2015 of 13.5% (Erickson et al., 2017; Proctor et al., 2016, p. 12). As a disadvantaged sector, the blind require educational support, starting with basic literacy instruction.One of the ways that the government and non-profit organizations help the blind is through the Prison Braille Program.

Braille is a system of raised dots that people who are blind read through touching. While it is not considered a language, it is a code by which languages (e.g. English and Spanish) can be written and read, thereby facilitating expression and reception.

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Download file to see previous pages Prison Braille programs have been operating in the U.S. since the 1960s, although their roots can be traced back to Norway in the 1920s where they first developed. They make Braille materials through Braille transcription, which involves converting printed text into Braille for blind and low-vision readers. In the U.S., 36 prison Braille programs are active in 26 different states in 2009, with new programs recently established for the past eight years (“Prison Braille FAQs,” 2013).

Prison Braille programs offer numerous benefits to different stakeholders. Fundamentally, they increase the number of high quality Braille materials that can improve the educational and career opportunities of the visually impaired (“Prison Braille FAQs,” 2013). Consequently, vision professionals will have greater access to Braille materials and help more blind people learn Braille. Similarly, the program supports the goal of prisons in rehabilitating offenders and preparing them for successful careers upon reentry. Ex-convicts tend to have a hard time re-entering society due to social stigma that disables them from both employment and educational opportunities (O'Reilly, 2014). Owing to the program, however, they learn how to transcribe Braille, which is a well-paying, decent job, or they can start their own Braille transcription services. A Braille transcriber can earn $18,000 to $50,000 every year (Braille Transcriber, n.d.). In addition, through the program, offenders learn other employment-related skills, namely computer and software skills, small business management, scheduling, teamwork, bookkeeping, and others (“Prison Braille FAQs,” 2013). Essentially, the Prison Braille Program presents a model of two marginalized groups helping each other out.

Project Relevance and Rationale

The blind are among the most marginalized groups of the community due to the intersection between their disability and poor access to quality education and livelihood options (Roe et al., 2014). An important contributor to achieving an independent, economically viable life is education, starting with functional literacy. If the visually impaired can acquire literacy, they can work, earn their living, and avoid poverty. Government and non-government organizations have a large role to play in teaching literacy to the blind. Several non-profit organizations, in particular, donate Braille materials and aids to classrooms catering to the visually impaired. Among them is Vision Services that use the Braille products of the Prison Braille System and provide them to schools teaching Braille to children, from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Vision Services has a mission of helping the blind learn how to read and write that can improve both life satisfaction and chances of success in academic, social, and employment settings.

Why I Selected This Project

In support of Vision Services, I seek to conduct secondary research and improve the understanding of the best practices and aids for the visually impaired, and this is an appropriate Capstone project because it allows me to take a leadership role in supporting positive changes in society, an essential component of the university mission (Callahan, 2001, p. 3). I intend to lead in designing and implementing solutions that can help the disadvantaged sectors of society because raising the quality of their lives improves society in general too. In addition, it is a good Capstone project as it fits the Global Course Outcomes by improving my communication and leadership knowledge/skills and community commitment. Interacting with different organizations and individuals boosts my communication skills, whereas implementing a project that requires coordination and interpersonal interactions increases my leadership experience. Likewise, through this project, I contribute to the welfare of diverse stakeholders, specifically, the prisoners, the blind, vision professionals, and the prison.

Addressing the rights of the blind to education and the offenders to employment training affirms the Jesuit commitment to justice. ...Download file to see next pages Read More