[Menvi-discuss] Fwd: [BANA-Announce] BANA Adopts Unified English Braille (UEB) for United States

Fri Nov 9 10:58:48 EST 2012

Hello,
Is there a difference between grade 2 and UEB? I guess I've never seen 
UEB...
And I totally agree with the need for Braille, I find it interesting the 
statistic NFB gives that the job employment among the blind is equal to the 
Braille literacy.
I'm not a very fast Braille reader, but I have no idea where I would be 
without Braille. I use it in every day life all the time without thinking 
about it. It has saved me from walking into the wrong bathroom many times!
Thanks,

Brandon Keith Biggs
-----Original Message----- 
From: Kaiti Shelton
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2012 7:44 AM
To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] Fwd: [BANA-Announce] BANA Adopts Unified 
English Braille (UEB) for United States

The real point is, if we can get more people reading braille, it's
more important than the specific code they're reading.  This seems to
be one of those rare cases where quantity is more important than
quality, at least in terms of the type of code.  Don't take that to
mean quality of braille knowledge, but as long as someone is literate
in braille in some form, I think it is more important than harping on
whether they read grade 2 or UEBC.  Personally, like many people, I
can see myself favoring grade 2 because it's what I have been reading
since I learned how, but as long as I can still read my files from
Bookshare, Web Braille, etc, I don't really mind which code is the
official one, or which one others read as long as they're reading it.

Thank goodness music braille hasn't been changed though.  Just as an
interesting tidbit, my theory and aural skills instructor has taught
himself how to produce braille music files using lime and another
online source, and has even learned a surprising amount of the music
code itself.  He thinks that in some respects braille music is a more
efficient system than print music.  Seriously, he is the first person
I've ever met who thinks of it in that way, which is especially
surprising because my TVI's wouldn't teach me the code and he just
picked it up for a student and out of his own interest.

On 11/9/12, Dani L Pagador <axs.brl at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi, Everyone.
> Look here for more info re UEBC.
> <http://www.iceb.org/ueb.html>
> I don't have any thoughts one way or the other. I'll learn whatever I need
> to to keep reading and doing and being. I don't think changes are
> immediate,
> so this gives everyone, including me, an opportunity to adjust.
> More Later,
> Dani
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Menvi-discuss [mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of
> Jared Rimer, MENVI webmaster
> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 7:42 PM
> To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
> Subject: [Menvi-discuss] Fwd: [BANA-Announce] BANA Adopts Unified English
> Braille (UEB) for United States
>
> Hi Folks,
> A lot of you may have seen this already, but I'm interested in your
> thoughts.  This press release was sent on the fourth of November, dealing
> with UEB for the United States.  I am interested in your thoughts.
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [BANA-Announce] BANA Adopts Unified English Braille (UEB)
> for
> United States
> Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2012 01:20:08 +0000
> From: <Kim.Charlson at Perkins.org>
> To: <BANA-Announce at brailleauthority.org>
>
>
>
> //
>
> *Press Release*
>
> *November 2012*
>
> **
>
> *For Immediate Release*
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> CONTACT: Frances Mary D'Andrea, Chair
>
> Braille Authority of North America
>
> Phone: 412-521-5797
>
> Email: literacy2 at mindspring.com <mailto:literacy2 at mindspring.com>
>
> **
>
> *BANA Adopts Unified English Braille (UEB) for United States*
>
> On November 2, 2012, the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) set a
> new
> course for the future of braille in the United States (U.S.) when it
> adopted
> Unified English Braille (UEB). The motion, which passed decisively,
> specifies that UEB will eventually replace the current English Braille
> American Edition and that the U.S. will retain the Nemeth Code for
> Mathematics and Science Notation.
>
> The transition to UEB will not be immediate and will follow a carefully
> crafted timeline. Implementation plans will be formulated with the input
> and
> participation of stakeholders from the consumer, education, 
> rehabilitation,
> transcription, and production communities. Plans will take into
> consideration the various aspects of creating, teaching, learning, and
> using
> braille in a wide variety of settings. The plans will be designed to
> provide
> workable transitions for all involved in braille use and production and to
> minimize disruption for current braille readers.
>
> UEB is based on the current literary braille code and was developed with
> input from many people, primarily braille readers, who worked to achieve 
> an
> optimal balance among many key factors. Those factors include keeping the
> general-purpose literary code as its base, allowing the addition of new
> symbols, providing flexibility for change as print changes, reducing the
> complexity of rules, and allowing greater accuracy in back translation.
>
> Letters and numbers will stay the same as they are in the current literary
> code. There will be some changes to punctuation, but most will remain the
> same. Some rules for the use of contractions will change.
> Nine contractions will be eliminated, and some contractions will be used
> more often. A FAQ providing more detail about changes is available on the
> BANA website.
>
> After implementation, the official braille codes for the United States 
> will
> be /Unified English Braille/; /Nemeth Code for Mathematics and Science
> Notation, 1972 Revision/ and published updates; /Music Braille Code, 
> 1997/;
> and /The IPA Braille Code, 2008/.
>
> More detailed information about UEB and the motion that BANA passed can be
> found on the BANA website at www.brailleauthority.org
> <http://www.brailleauthority.org/>.
>
> /The Board of BANA consists of appointed representatives from fifteen
> member
> organizations of braille producers, transcribers, teachers, and 
> consumers./
>
> //
>
> /The mission and purpose of the Braille Authority of North America are to
> assure literacy for tactile readers through the standardization of braille
> and/or tactile graphics. BANA promotes and facilitates the use, teaching,
> and production of braille. It publishes rules, interprets, and renders
> opinions pertaining to braille in all existing codes. It deals with codes
> now in existence or to be developed in the future, in collaboration with
> other countries using English braille. In exercising its function and
> authority, BANA considers the effects of its decisions on other existing
> braille codes and formats; the ease of production by various methods; and
> acceptability to readers. /
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Kaiti

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