Braille Transcribing
It is said that a good braille transcriber must have a romance with the words that make up a language, a penchant for detail, and an eye toward perfection.
In addition to the above, the professional braille transcriber holds certification from the Library of Congress in Unified English Braille (UEB). Certification is also available in music braille and mathematics braille. The coursework is detailed and requires a high degree of perfection. The courses, which may be taken by correspondence, are administered by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) under the auspices of the Library of Congress (LOC)
The Unified Rules of English Braille, 2013 and UEB Guidelines for Technical Materials are governed by the International Council on English Braille (ICEB). The ICEB was established to develop a uniform braille code for use by English speaking countries. Members of the ICEB as of 2012 are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) oversees standardization and updates of the remaining codes and guidelines.
Virtually anything in print can be put into braille. Below is a list of code books that set out detailed guidelines for transcription of a great variety of material.
In addition to the above, the professional braille transcriber holds certification from the Library of Congress in Unified English Braille (UEB). Certification is also available in music braille and mathematics braille. The coursework is detailed and requires a high degree of perfection. The courses, which may be taken by correspondence, are administered by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) under the auspices of the Library of Congress (LOC)
The Unified Rules of English Braille, 2013 and UEB Guidelines for Technical Materials are governed by the International Council on English Braille (ICEB). The ICEB was established to develop a uniform braille code for use by English speaking countries. Members of the ICEB as of 2012 are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) oversees standardization and updates of the remaining codes and guidelines.
Virtually anything in print can be put into braille. Below is a list of code books that set out detailed guidelines for transcription of a great variety of material.
Braille Codes
THE RULES OF UNIFIED ENGLISH BRAILLE, 2013 (UEB)
This code book presents the alphabet, numbers and punctuation as devised by Louis Braille. It sets out rules for the use of contractions, introduces special symbols such as those used for currency and weights and measures, and gives directions for basic formatting. It is used in the transcription of general literary materials such as books, letters, menus, newsletters, etc. Virtually anything in print can be transcribed into braille. The Rules of Unified English Braille is available as a free download from the International Council on English Braille (ICEB).
MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE BRAILLE
The Nemeth Code, devised by Abraham Nemeth during the 1940s and ’50s, provides a braille code to expresses the complexities of higher math and science. Mathematics and Science Braille provides guidance for transcripts using the Nemeth code within UEB contexts. Mathematics and Science Braille is available as a free download from BANA.
MUSIC BRAILLE CODE, 2015
Louis Braille was a fine musician. He played piano, organ, violin and cello, and he taught music to young students who were blind. At the urging of his students, he adapted his raised dot system of reading to music notation. His braille music code, which is flexible enough to be applied to any instrument, met with immediate success. The Music Braille Code is available as a free download from BANA.
UEB GUIDELINES FOR TECHNICAL MATERIALS
UEB Guideline for Technical Materials provides for accurate and unambiguous transcription into braille of computer-related print text. This includes e-mail, website and Internet addresses, file names, and all other forms of computer notation. UEB Guidelines for Technical Materials is available as a free download from the International Council on English Braille.
BRAILLE FORMATS: PRINCIPLES OF PRINT-TO-BRAILLE TRANSCRIPTION, 2016
This set of guidelines provides instruction for a wide range of formatting situations such as graphs and charts, worksheets, textbooks, sidebars, cartoons, tests, codes and puzzles, glossaries, and more.
Braille Formats: Principles of Print-to Braille Transcription 2016 is available as a free download from BANA.
GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FOR TACTILE GRAPHICS
Tactile Illustrations provides guidelines for adapting print images so they can be felt by touch. This may include a variety of methods using different materials. Tactile images may include maps, floor plans, bus routes, the circulatory system, a thermometer, a digital clock, parts of a flower and much more.
Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics is available as a free download from BANA
FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Provisional Guidance for Transcribing Foreign Language Material in UEB
Braille has been adapted to nearly every language in the world. This manual provides provisional guidelines for UEB transcriptions that involve foreign languages. The Foreign Language manual is available as a free download from BANA.
This code book presents the alphabet, numbers and punctuation as devised by Louis Braille. It sets out rules for the use of contractions, introduces special symbols such as those used for currency and weights and measures, and gives directions for basic formatting. It is used in the transcription of general literary materials such as books, letters, menus, newsletters, etc. Virtually anything in print can be transcribed into braille. The Rules of Unified English Braille is available as a free download from the International Council on English Braille (ICEB).
MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE BRAILLE
The Nemeth Code, devised by Abraham Nemeth during the 1940s and ’50s, provides a braille code to expresses the complexities of higher math and science. Mathematics and Science Braille provides guidance for transcripts using the Nemeth code within UEB contexts. Mathematics and Science Braille is available as a free download from BANA.
MUSIC BRAILLE CODE, 2015
Louis Braille was a fine musician. He played piano, organ, violin and cello, and he taught music to young students who were blind. At the urging of his students, he adapted his raised dot system of reading to music notation. His braille music code, which is flexible enough to be applied to any instrument, met with immediate success. The Music Braille Code is available as a free download from BANA.
UEB GUIDELINES FOR TECHNICAL MATERIALS
UEB Guideline for Technical Materials provides for accurate and unambiguous transcription into braille of computer-related print text. This includes e-mail, website and Internet addresses, file names, and all other forms of computer notation. UEB Guidelines for Technical Materials is available as a free download from the International Council on English Braille.
BRAILLE FORMATS: PRINCIPLES OF PRINT-TO-BRAILLE TRANSCRIPTION, 2016
This set of guidelines provides instruction for a wide range of formatting situations such as graphs and charts, worksheets, textbooks, sidebars, cartoons, tests, codes and puzzles, glossaries, and more.
Braille Formats: Principles of Print-to Braille Transcription 2016 is available as a free download from BANA.
GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FOR TACTILE GRAPHICS
Tactile Illustrations provides guidelines for adapting print images so they can be felt by touch. This may include a variety of methods using different materials. Tactile images may include maps, floor plans, bus routes, the circulatory system, a thermometer, a digital clock, parts of a flower and much more.
Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics is available as a free download from BANA
FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Provisional Guidance for Transcribing Foreign Language Material in UEB
Braille has been adapted to nearly every language in the world. This manual provides provisional guidelines for UEB transcriptions that involve foreign languages. The Foreign Language manual is available as a free download from BANA.
