Transcript The State of the Dots:

A BANA Update
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1. To gain increased familiarity with the Braille
Authority of North America and its purpose and
current activities.
2. To increase familiarity with a) the complexities
of braille translation being brought about by the
changing nature of print, and b) the implications
of the decreasing boundaries between braille and
print brought about by the application of
technology.
3. To gain increased awareness of the need for
change in braille codes and learn about the
challenges of managing such change.
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The BANA Board consists of representatives
from organizations of blind people,
educators, and transcribers
International: 14 member organizations, plus
3 affiliate members
7 technical committees; 7 ad hoc committees;
other committees such as publications, and
board committees such as bylaw
All committees include at least one braille
reader, one transcriber, one educator, one
Canadian
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Board meets in person twice a year
Work done by Board and committees all year long
BANA is indebted to its hard-working volunteers
Numerous projects ongoing:
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Tactile Graphics guidelines
Formats Guidelines
Foreign Language Guidelines
Knit & crochet guidelines
Standardized test guidelines
 and many others!
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Drastic changes in the appearance and
production methods of print: new characters,
icons, layouts, and fonts
Print is increasingly read from screens;
schools are increasingly providing textbooks
digitally rather than on paper.
The boundaries between "technical" materials
and everyday materials increasingly blurred
(e.g. web sites and email addresses in general
literature).
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Digital text provides the capability for braille
users to read the material in braille instantly,
via refreshable braille.
Braille is more widely available than ever
before in history because of braille
embossers, translation software, and
refreshable braille.
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Because of ambiguities in current codes,
accurate translation of text into braille
remains far from perfect.
While technology enables braille users to type
their material in braille and have it converted
to print instantly, (backtranslation), the
current code introduces many errors.
Even the most basic mathematics material is
not displayed correctly in braille generated by
computers and mobile devices, and therefore
the material is not reliable in this medium.
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Evolution of print and braille
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Concern about braille complexity since CBC
introduced in late 1980s.
◦ Three part article on BANA’s website
◦ http://www.brailleauthority.org
◦ multiple braille symbols for same print symbol
◦ increased contextuality of braille
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Increasing difficulty in constructing new code
symbols to reflect current print usage.
In 1991, Drs. Abraham Nemeth and Tim Cranmer
presented a paper to BANA about the urgent
need to unify the various braille codes used in
North America.
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Started as BANA research project, became
international in early 1990s.
Developed primarily by braille readers in
seven countries.
ICEB endorsed in 2004 as an official code
All other ICEB members have now adopted it:
◦ Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Nigeria,
Canada, United Kingdom
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BANA’s position: monitoring adoption and
implementation around the world.
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A revision and extension of current literary code
including new symbols for things not currently in
EBAE. In that way, it unifies existing codes
(except music).
Eliminates 9 contractions from the current
literary code to reduce ambiguity; adds
mathematics symbols.
Numbers in the upper part of cell as they are
currently in literary materials.
Designed to be extensible (easy to add new
symbols as needed and unambiguous. Because of
this, UEB is more computable and better for
backtranslation.
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Research conducted in late 1990’s and early
2000’s published in JVIB.
Research into UEB in Canada published in JVIB
Research collated and summarized by the
RNIB:
http://www.rnib.org.uk/aboutus/Research/re
ports/support/Pages/UEB_UK.aspx
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The decision to use "upper numbers" in UEB
led Dr. Abraham Nemeth to develop his own
unified code, called the Nemeth Uniform
Braille System (NUBS).
The code essentially completed, BANA was
asked to evaluate it. Results are on the BANA
web site.
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Based on Nemeth code, unifies literary and
technical codes.
Retains all current contractions and changes
some punctuation, capitalization, and emphasis
indication. Numbers in lower part of cell in all
contexts.
Uses different symbols for some punctuation
depending upon context
◦ e.g., a different symbol is used for the period when it
occurs in numeric material, after single letters, or in
electronic addresses
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Designed to be extensible and computable.
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Both codes designed to be flexible,
consistent, and extensible.
Rule books available for both on line.
Training materials for UEB on line.
Translation software for UEB already exists
and is accessible; translation software for
NUBS exists but is not fully accessible.
UEB compatible with existing braille devices
and is supported by Apple products.
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Choices we face:
◦ 1. We can continue to tinker with the current codes
we have, potentially making them less easy to use
and more ambiguous;
◦ 2.We can adopt UEB, as have all of the other ICEB
countries;
◦ 3.We can adopt NUBS;
◦ 4.We can do nothing at all to change braille,
realizing this might cause braille to become
obsolete.
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Updates from this spring and summer:
◦ ICEB Meeting in South Africa
 Ireland now joining ICEB; India interested
◦ Canada – Beginning Implementation
◦ Consumer Conventions
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Braille Authority of North America
◦ www.brailleauthority.org
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Frances Mary D’Andrea, Chair
◦ [email protected]
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Diane P. Wormsley, AER BANA Representative
◦ [email protected]
BANA welcomes your comments and feedback!