Motherwell teenager with sight loss hails Braille over technology

Rosie Murray (17) has told how “nothing else can ever beat it” as she undertakes her school work using the system of raised dots that was brought into the world by Louis Braille who was born on January 4 1809

The pioneer went blind age four after an accident but invented the ingenious route into reading with the variation of six dots arranged in two columns of three that have improved the life chances of many students who would otherwise have been written off.

And Rosie who is being supported by the Royal National Institute for the Blind insists that not only is the system as vital as ever, technology itself is no match for it.

And the proof is how it helped her contend with a number of different conditions including Leber's, amaurosis, photo-phobia and nystagmus.

The Uddingston Grammar School pupil said: "I started learning to use braille when I was two because it was much more beneficial to me than to use print, I love braille and find it really easy to use. I don't know what I would do without it.

"I can read and write braille. For me, there are some things that braille will always be better for. For example, doing school work. It's also sometimes better to read something in braille than hear it being read out by a screen-reader to understand how a word is spelt.

"I think it can be easier to take something in sometimes when you're reading it directly rather than listening to it. I use braille because I like that direct interaction with text.

"I think using braille definitely gives you confidence with regard to grammar and spelling.

It makes you more aware of how things are structured, and it's easier to correct your work using braille than using a screen-reader. It definitely makes me feel more in control of what I'm writing."

"I really hope that braille continues to be used. I think that technology is great and has come such a long way. However, in my opinion, there is nothing like reading and interacting directly with something yourself.

"I think braille is a great example of that, and nothing else can ever beat it."