Portland State Magazine Fall 2015

FALL 2015 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 5 New braille, new teaching methods ENGLISH BRAILLE is getting an update—the most extensive since the 1930s—and PSU is teaching it online and through phone apps. A $548,483 federal grant is allowing special education and computer engineering students and faculty to come up with inventive ways to teach the new Unified English Braille to adults—both sighted and sight-impaired—over the next five years. Braille is a system of raised dots or code that can read by the fingers of people who are sight impaired. It is estimated that there are 286,000 working-age braille users in North America. The new braille brings the code into the computer age while dropping some contractions and allowing for a wider array of symbols. PSU’s online teaching tools can be accessed by voice-over or through a braille terminal. Remodel slated for Neuberger Hall FIFTY YEARS  of heavy use has taken its toll on Neuberger Hall and its 37 classrooms, 18 labs, and Financial Aid, Admissions and Veterans Services offices. A $60 million remodel will begin sometime in 2017 with state bond funding approved by Oregon legislators in the last session. The leaky roof is a priority along with the building’s mechanicals. Classrooms, labs and offices will be updated to meet the needs of modern instruction. Student services offices on the first floor will be reworked, and the entire building will be made accessible for people with disabilities. Improvements in energy efficiency should qualify the building to meet or exceed LEED Silver requirements. PA R K B L O C K S