Only 1 in 10 people who are blind can read it
(NEWSER) - Braille's battle to avoid the fate of the Dodo is a long-running one: In the 1950s, more than 50% of the blind learned it; today, that figure is down to just 10%. And smartphones are just making matters worse, reports NPR . It takes a look at the life of a blind 19-year-old who relies on his iPhone for the things you'd expect—email, texting—but also as a set of eyes. One app allows him to pass a bill under his camera to learn its value. But there's a cost. "All through elementary school I used Braille," he explains. "But when I got a laptop, I switched over and I went away from Braille. If you don't use it, you lose it. And that's what happened to me." More»