It was, but is it now? I don't think that we should restrict ourselves to what we could do 200y ago.
Specially when you could easily build a system already using the readers' knowledge of current Braille, something like this: https://i.imgur.com/faOWkxb.png
They're visually more distinctive, but more importantly: I think that they'd be easier to tell apart by touch.
If you do that you throw away everything that’s been written in Braille, or force the visually impaired to learn two alphabets. All in the name of an optimization that has an unproven benefit.
Let’s say it’s 10% better. Would that be worth it?
throw away everything that’s been written in Braille, or force the visually impaired to learn two alphabets.
Neither.
Check the picture linked in the very comment that you're replying to. Then you'll notice my proposal is to modify the current system, by either a) tweaking the shapes of the individual dots or b) replacing certain sequences of dots with lines. The underlying associations are still the same.
If it helps, think on it as a different typeface for Braille instead of a new alphabet. The actual con of the idea is printing, not reading.
Fakoo's idea on the other hand is, effectively, a new alphabet. It might be more advantageous than Braille, I don't know; however keep in mind that learning a new alphabet is by no means such a Herculean cognitive burden as you're pretending it to be, provided that you're already used to the relevant medium.
Let’s say it’s 10% better. Would that be worth it?
Nobody needs to assume anything in this case. _If_ the idea is worth trying, this can be measured by testing it.
Comments
It was, but is it now? I don't think that we should restrict ourselves to what we could do 200y ago.
Specially when you could easily build a system already using the readers' knowledge of current Braille, something like this: https://i.imgur.com/faOWkxb.png
They're visually more distinctive, but more importantly: I think that they'd be easier to tell apart by touch.
If you do that you throw away everything that’s been written in Braille, or force the visually impaired to learn two alphabets. All in the name of an optimization that has an unproven benefit.
Let’s say it’s 10% better. Would that be worth it?
Neither.
Check the picture linked in the very comment that you're replying to. Then you'll notice my proposal is to modify the current system, by either a) tweaking the shapes of the individual dots or b) replacing certain sequences of dots with lines. The underlying associations are still the same.
If it helps, think on it as a different typeface for Braille instead of a new alphabet. The actual con of the idea is printing, not reading.
Fakoo's idea on the other hand is, effectively, a new alphabet. It might be more advantageous than Braille, I don't know; however keep in mind that learning a new alphabet is by no means such a Herculean cognitive burden as you're pretending it to be, provided that you're already used to the relevant medium.
Nobody needs to assume anything in this case. _If_ the idea is worth trying, this can be measured by testing it.