User:Randolph Cabral
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Randolph Cabral is best known as the founder and president of the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute (KBTI), located in Wichita, Kansas. Following news that his father, Jesus Sanchez Cabral had become blind, Randolph set out to learn all that he could about the needs of the blind, and causes of blindness.
In 1994 Randolph enrolled in classes to become a Braille transcriber from the National Library Service for the Blind and Visionally Impaired. In 1995 he attained national certification as a Literary Braille Transcriber. Soon after receiving national certification he became employed in the states' capitol as both a Braille transcriber and teacher of Braille. He remained in this capacity for nearly three years.
In 1998 Randolph moved to Wichita, Kansas. His father for whom he had taken an interest in the needs of the blind passed away. Realizing there were many other Americans like his father who were blind but unable to locate adequate services, Randolph set out on a mission to help make changes.
In 1999 he enrolled at Friends University were he completed his undergraduate in business related studies, graduating in 2000 magna cum laude. He was the only student among his classmates to be entered into the Hall of Towers. During his studies he conducted a research methodology in the need for Braille services at the post-secondary education level. Based on his research outcomes he went on to found the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute, a non-for-profit organization.
Unlike many Braille producing agencies and organizations of the time, Randolph approached operating the Institute teaching and producing Braille nationally as a for profit business. The Institute grew rapidly, training individuals from all walks of life, sighted and blind, and employing them. Randolph believed the only way to get people interested in learning and transcribing Braille was to have the skill recognized as a profession, that provided a professional wage.
Since the founding of the Institute more than one hundred transcribers have completed the KBTI training courses, more than half have also earned national certification. Today the Institute boast transcribers as far away as Kenya Africa. The Institute produces Braille in more than 35 foreign languages, and now contracts with more than 100 certified Braille transcribers producing literature, music, mathematices, tactile graphics, and scholastic textbook materials for an array of colleges, universitites, state and federal agencies, private businessness and individuals.
Randolph believed if Braille transcription was to be accepted as a profession and recognized academically, it needed to have a reputable curriculum that put it on par with college level curriculums. After writing a training curriculum that consisted of 38 accredited college level credits, the Institute began offering the training program to various colleges for inception as a vocation to interested students. When no colleges seemed interested, the Institute decided to offer the training as a distance-learning program. At the time no place in the world had successfully created a web-based program that would accommodate the teaching of Braille. However, in 2003 the Instiute successfully produced the nation's first, if not the world's first completely web-based Braille training program. The Instiute now has two locations in Kansas, and is preparing to open its third in Colorado. With the advent of technology, the Institue now trains and employs transcribers throughout the world, with transcribers. The Institute is in the process of offering Inter-active Distance Learning by satellite link-up.
In 2005, possibly earlier, as a tribute to his deceased father, a WWII veteran, Randolph Cabral created the nation's first ever, American tactile Braille flag. Today it can be seen at various veterans memorials in Kansas, namely Wichita, and Topeka, Kansas. For the past three years Randolph Cabral has been traveling to conventions held by the Blinded Veterans Association, the nations only congressionally recognized organization for blinded veterans, where he personally presents replicas of the American Braille flag to blinded service members from all wars.
On November 13, 2007, US Congressman Todd Tiahrt of Kansas, 4th District, introduced legislation along with 16 co-sponsors to the 101st Congress to have the American Braille flag placed at the Arlington National Cemetery as a tribute to blinded veterans, active service members who are blind, and other blind Americans. The Braille flag was uniquely created in a manner that permits the blind to see the colors of the stripes of the American flag, along with the fifty white stars on the blue field. The flag also bears the American Pledge of Allegiance in raised print and grade one Braille code. The Braille flag is also being slated for placement at Ground Zero in New York.
Randoph Cabral continues to make his home in Wichita, Kansas. Having changed the way Braille is now taught nationally, he is presently working on changing how Braille will be read by the blind.
