Algebra and Calculus are not the easiest subjects to understand, but subjects like these can be even more difficult for blind students. Learning to transcribe Nemeth Braille can be just as difficult as the math subjects transcribed in Braille. Men and women around the country learn how to transcribe Braille and produce textbooks in what may seem like an unlikely place. Prison.
Inmates work to help blind students learn math and science, blind musicians play their favorite songs and blind travelers navigate with embossed maps. We have spoken to several directors of these prison programs and the passion they have for Braille is amazing.
Braille textbooks can cost several thousands of dollars to produce and take hundreds of hours to transcribe. These prison programs address the issue of expensive Braille materials by using less expensive labor; as well as give the inmates a useful skill to earn a living when they are released.
Here is a great story on the Oshkosh Correctional Institution in Oshkosh, WI.
Oshkosh Correctional Institution in Oshkosh