Editor's Note: This article is reprinted from the June 1985 issue of the Braille Monitor.
Detroit, Michigan
March 5,1985
Re: Numbered Tags for Identification of clothing
To Whom It May Concern:
Quite sometime ago, I wrote to the American Foundation for the Blind and presented to their Organization an idea for identifying clothes. This idea was putting numbers on tags rather than color descriptions. I proposed the idea for personal reasons which I shall state; however, I felt that the idea would be beneficial to all blind persons.
I have a fairly large number of dress shirts that are of the same material and the same cut. However, their similarity ends here. Some of them are solid-colored with white cuffs and collars; some of them are solid-colored without white cuffs and collars; others have blue and white or brown and white pin stripes or checks. Still others have blue and white or brown and white pin stripes or checks with white cuffs and collars. I believe you can readily recognize the problem I would have in labeling these shirts with tags that merely state brown, blue, etc. I suddenly came upon the idea that if I had tags with numbers e.g., 1-20 or 1-99, then I could sew a tag on the shirt and write the description of the shirt on a card or Braille sheet. I further considered the fact that even those blind persons who are poor Braille readers are usually fair readers of Braille numbers, and they could dictate on a cassette the description of an article of clothing along with the corresponding number. This procedure would work with ties, socks, slacks, etc. I know that other techniques are available; however, I believe this technique would enable a blind person to avail him or herself of all colors, designs, and materials. It would be a lot easier to identify items which are of the same material, and it would virtually eliminate any margin for error.
Please let me know whether you believe this is a viable idea and whether you believe that it could be implemented by our organization.
Thank you for your time and attention. I am:
Very truly yours,
John C. Scott
Attorney at Law
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Baltimore, Maryland
April 2,1985
Dear Mr. Scott:
I found your ideas about using numbers to identify clothing interesting--particularly, since it is the system I have used for most of my life. At the top of the inside of the right hand inside coat pocket on suits I have a thin metal tag attached with a safety pin. I put a Braille number on each tag and write a correspondng number on a sheet of Braille paper. Each necktie has a Braille number stapled on the inside of the narrow end. Again, the corresponding number is written on a sheet of paper. Since I have more ties than suits, I begin the system with tie number one. If it goes with suits three, four, and six, my first line would read: Number one, followed by a space, followed by the numbers three, four, and six. The system continues down the page and on succeeding pages until I have no ties left. On a separate sheet I list each suit by number, followed by a detailed description of the suit (what color it is, where and when I bought it, and any other pertinent data- such as: "good for funerals)."
I have never used the numbering system on socks. Rather, I have cardboard dividers in a dresser drawer. My socks are divided into the general categories: brown, black, gray, and blue. When socks are washed, I keep them straight and put them back into their places.
As to shirts, mine-all, that is, that are used for business and dress wear--are (not because of blindness but because of my antediluvian tendencies) white. Therefore, they require no identification. I have both long sleeved and short sleeved casual shirts, but they fall into three general color
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