June 2010
Rules of Unified English Braille
Edited by Christine Simpson
In collaboration with International Council on English Braille
Published in Australia by
Copyright: © 2010 Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities and International Council on English Braille
This publication is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/au/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California 94105, USA.
ISBN: 978-0-9807064-1-3
CONTACT:
International Council on English Braille Information@iceb.org www.iceb.org
Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc PO Box 229, Lindisfarne, Tasmania 7015 Australia roundtableadmn@bigpond.com http://www.e-bility.com/roundtable/
The official version of The Rules of Unified English Braille is held as a PDF file on the ICEB website. Print and braille versions of the Rulebook may be downloaded from there.
Associated Documents
(available for download from the ICEB website)
Rules of Unified English Braille
Table of Contents
Table of Contents...............................................................................iii Foreword............................................................................................ ix Preface ............................................................................................... xi Acknowledgements........................................................................... xv How to Use This Book ..................................................................... xvii Section 1: Introduction......................................................................1
1.1 Definition of braille.........................................................................1
1.2 Principles of Unified English Braille...................................................2
1.3 Basic signs found in other forms of English braille.............................3 Contractions.......................................................................................3 Punctuation........................................................................................4 Composition signs (indicators) .............................................................4 General symbols.................................................................................4 Technical subjects...............................................................................5
Section 2: Terminology and General Rules.........................................7
2.1 Terminology ..................................................................................7
2.2 Contractions summary....................................................................9
2.3 Following print ............................................................................ 10
2.4 Indicators and modes...................................................................11
2.5 Grades of braille........................................................................... 13 Uncontracted (grade 1) braille ........................................................... 13 Contracted (grade 2) braille...............................................................14 Other grades of braille ...................................................................... 14
2.6 Standing alone.............................................................................14
Section 3: General Symbols and Indicators.....................................19
3.1 Ampersand ................................................................................. 20
3.2 Arrows ....................................................................................... 21
3.3 Asterisk, dagger and double dagger .............................................. 21
3.4 Braille grouping indicators ............................................................ 23
3.5 Bullet ......................................................................................... 24
3.6 Caret .......................................................................................... 24
3.7 Commercial at (@ sign) ............................................................... 25
3.8 Copyright, registered and trademark signs ..................................... 25
3.9 Crosses ....................................................................................... 25
3.10 Currency signs ......................................................................... 26
3.11 Degrees, minutes and seconds .................................................. 27
3.12 Ditto mark ............................................................................... 28
3.13 Dot locator for mention ............................................................. 28
3.14 Dot locator for use ................................................................... 29
3.15 Feet and inches ........................................................................ 30
3.16 Female (Venus) and male (Mars) signs........................................31
3.17 Mathematical signs: plus. equals, multiplication, division, minus, ratio, proportion, less-than and greater-than ...............................31
3.18 Number sign (crosshatch, hash, pound sign) ...............................32
3.19 Paragraph and section signs .......................................................32
3.20 Percent sign .............................................................................33
3.21 Shapes .....................................................................................33
3.22 Space .......................................................................................34
3.23 Subscript and superscript indicators ............................................35
3.24 Tilde (swung dash) ...................................................................36
3.25 Transcriber-defined symbols ......................................................37
3.26 Transcriber's note indicators ......................................................38
Section 4: Letters and Their Modifiers.............................................41
4.1 English alphabet...........................................................................41
4.2 Modifiers......................................................................................42
4.3 Ligatured letters ...........................................................................46
4.4 Eng and schwa.............................................................................47
4.5 Greek letters ................................................................................48
Section 5: Grade 1 Mode..................................................................51
5.1 Mode indicators............................................................................51
5.2 Grade 1 symbol indicator ..............................................................51
5.3 Grade 1 word indicator .................................................................52
5.4 Grade 1 passage indicator ............................................................52
5.5 Grade 1 terminator ......................................................................53
5.6 Numeric indicator ........................................................................53
5.7 Grade 1 mode avoids confusion with contractions ...........................54
5.8 Grade 1 indicators and capitalisation ..............................................55
5.9 Choice of indicators ......................................................................56
5.10 Optional use of the grade 1 indicator...........................................57
5.11 Use of grade 1 indicators in grade 1 text .....................................57
Section 6: Numeric Mode..................................................................59
6.1 Numeric indicators .......................................................................59
6.2 Numeric mode symbols.................................................................60
6.3 Termination of numeric mode........................................................61
6.4 Placement of numeric prefix with full stop (period)..........................61
6.5 Numeric indicators set grade 1 mode .............................................62
6.6 The numeric space ......................................................................63
6.7 Treatment of dates, time, coinage, etc. ..........................................64
6.8 Spaced numeric indicator .............................................................65
6.9 Numeric passage indicator and numeric terminator ........................66
6.10 Division of a number between lines .............................................66
Rules of Unified English Braille
Section 7: Punctuation..................................................................... 69
7.1 General ....................................................................................... 70
7.2 Dash, low line (underscore) and hyphen ....................................... 72 Hyphen(s) used as dash .................................................................... 73
7.3 Ellipsis ........................................................................................ 74
7.4 Solidus (forward slash) ................................................................ 74
7.5 Question mark ............................................................................ 74
7.6 Quotation marks ......................................................................... 75
7.7 Multi-line brackets .................................................................... 78
Section 8: Capitalisation .................................................................. 79
8.1 Use of capitals ............................................................................. 79
8.2 Extent of capitals mode ................................................................ 79
8.3 Defining a capital letter................................................................. 79
8.4 Capitalised word indicator ............................................................ 80
8.5 Capitalised passage indicator ....................................................... 83
8.6 Capitals terminator ...................................................................... 86
8.7 Placement of indicators................................................................. 87
8.8 Choice of capitalised indicators......................................................87
8.9 Accented letters in fully capitalised words ...................................... 89
Section 9: Typeforms ....................................................................... 91
9.1 Deciding when to use typeform indicators ...................................... 92
9.2 Typeform symbol indicators ......................................................... 93
9.3 Typeform word indicators ............................................................ 94
9.4 Typeform passage indicators and terminators ................................ 96
9.5 Transcriber-defined typeform indicators ........................................ 97
9.6 Small capitals............................................................................... 98
9.7 Placement of typeform symbols with punctuation ........................... 99
9.8 Multiple typeform indicators for the same text .............................. 101
9.9 Typeform passages extending across consecutive same text elements ................................................................... 101
Section 10: Contractions................................................................ 103
10.1 Alphabetic wordsigns ................................................................. 103
10.2 Strong wordsigns....................................................................... 106
10.3 Strong contractions..................................................................... 108
10.4 Strong groupsigns....................................................................... 109 ch, sh, th, wh, ou, st....................................................................... 111 ing................................................................................................. 112
10.5 Lower wordsigns ..................................................................... 112 be, were, his, was........................................................................... 113 enough .......................................................................................... 114 in .................................................................................................. 114 Lower sign rule............................................................................... 116
10.6 Lower groupsigns ....................................................................116 be, con, dis.....................................................................................116 ea, bb, cc, ff, gg..............................................................................119 ea ..................................................................................................121 en, in .............................................................................................122 Lower sign rule ...............................................................................123
10.7 Initial-letter contractions ..........................................................124 upon, these, those, whose, there......................................................127 had ................................................................................................128 ever ...............................................................................................128 here, name.....................................................................................129 one ................................................................................................129 some..............................................................................................131 time ...............................................................................................131 under .............................................................................................132
10.8 Final-letter groupsigns.............................................................132 ity..................................................................................................135 ness...............................................................................................135
10.9 Shortforms..............................................................................135 Shortforms as words........................................................................136 Shortforms as parts of longer words .................................................137 Words not appearing on the Shortforms List......................................139 Avoiding confusion with shortforms ..................................................140
10.10 Preference............................................................................142 Lower sign rule ...............................................................................145
10.11 Bridging ...............................................................................146 Compound words............................................................................146 Aspirated "h" ..................................................................................146 Prefixes ..........................................................................................147 Suffixes ..........................................................................................150 Diphthongs .....................................................................................151
10.12 Miscellaneous...........................................................................152 Abbreviations and acronyms.............................................................152 Computer material...........................................................................155 Dialect............................................................................................156 Fragments of words.........................................................................156 Guidelines when pronunciation or syllabification is unknown...............157 Lisping ...........................................................................................158 Medial punctuation and indicators.....................................................158 Omitted letters................................................................................159 Speech hesitation, slurred words, vocal sounds..................................160 Spelling ..........................................................................................160 Stammering....................................................................................161
Rules of Unified English Braille
Syllabified words............................................................................. 162
10.13 Word division ....................................................................... 162 Hyphenated words.......................................................................... 163 Alphabetic wordsigns and strong wordsigns ...................................... 164 ing................................................................................................. 165 Lower sign rule............................................................................... 165 Dash.............................................................................................. 165 be, con, dis .................................................................................... 166 ea, bb, cc, ff, gg ............................................................................. 167 Final-letter groupsigns..................................................................... 167 Shortforms ..................................................................................... 167
Section 11: Technical Material........................................................ 169
11.1 Introduction............................................................................ 169
11.2 Signs of operation and comparison ........................................... 169 Spacing of operation and comparison signs in non-technical material.. 169 Spacing of operation and comparison signs in technical material......... 170
11.3 Fractions ................................................................................ 170 Simple numeric fractions ................................................................. 170 Mixed numbers............................................................................... 171 Fractions written in linear form in print ............................................. 171 General fraction indicators............................................................... 171
11.4 Superscripts and subscripts...................................................... 172 Definition of an item ....................................................................... 172 Superscripts and subscripts within literary text .................................. 172 Algebraic expressions involving superscripts...................................... 173
11.5 Square roots and other radicals ................................................ 173 Square roots................................................................................... 174 Cube roots etc................................................................................ 174
11.6 Arrows ................................................................................... 174 Simple arrows................................................................................. 174 Arrows with non-standard shafts...................................................... 175 Arrows with non-standard tips ......................................................... 175 Less common arrows ...................................................................... 176
11.7 Shape symbols........................................................................ 176 Use of the shape termination indicator ............................................. 176 Transcriber-defined shapes.............................................................. 176 Physical enclosure indicator ............................................................ 177
11.8 Matrices and vectors................................................................ 177 Placement of multi-line grouping symbols ......................................... 177
11.9 Chemistry ............................................................................... 178 Use of capital indicators and terminators .......................................... 178
11.10 Computer notation................................................................ 178 Definition of computer notation........................................................ 178
Grade of braille in computer notation................................................178
Section 12: Early Forms of English.................................................181 Section 13: Foreign Language........................................................185
13.1 Determining what is foreign......................................................185
13.2 Using UEB contractions ............................................................188
13.3 Guidelines for contracting anglicised words derived from specific languages................................................190
13.4 Representing accented letters...................................................190
13.5 Using UEB signs.......................................................................190
13.6 Using foreign code signs...........................................................192
13.7 Code switch indicators..............................................................195
13.8 Mixed-language literature.........................................................196
Appendix 1: UEB Shortforms List...................................................199
The list..............................................................................................199
Rules for list construction....................................................................209 Shortforms as words........................................................................209 Shortforms as parts of longer words .................................................209 after, blind and friend......................................................................210 be and con shortforms.....................................................................210
Rules of Unified English Braille
Foreword
It is a great pleasure for me to write the Foreword to The Rules of Unified English Braille and to chart the course of the development of Unified English Braille (UEB) over almost 20 years.
It has been an incredible journey! one that began in 1991 when the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) embarked on a research project to determine the feasibility of unifying its literary and technical codes. In 1993 the internationalisation of the project became a reality when the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) accepted the BANA proposal at its first executive meeting in Sydney, Australia. UEB was on the super highway! The destination remained unchanged but much of the journey had to be repeated over uncertain terrain.
The research and development to harmonise English Braille across codes and between countries has been based on six core principles:
Braille experts from each of the participating countries of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States have from time to time re-examined previous decisions—although the core principles underpinning UEB have remained unchanged—in their painstaking analysis to assign symbols and codify the details of UEB. Each of these experts brought their own perspectives as code developers, educators, transcribers, proofreaders, and braille readers—who were always in the majority. These amazing participants were sustained by faith in their ability to compromise and the soul-searching necessary to leave behind the differences in English braille codes to realize the dream of a unified code for the future.
Recent social and technological changes have had major impacts on the lives of braille readers. Integration at school, at work, and into society in general requires braille that is compatible with print. Rules of the braille codes that served context-based braille in the past became a roadblock to today’s automated production methods because of their huge reliance on human intervention. Technology offers accessibility to material produced electronically. UEB, by adhering to its six underlying principles, has provided the braille code for today and tomorrow.
Along the way, the journey involved countless email discussions. There were also face-to-face meetings of the Contractions, Formats, Math and Rules Committees which devoted several days to resolve many months of electronic debate. Such things as:
One of UEB’s main roadmaps gives the details for symbol construction. These guide the creation of future symbols and ensure that a symbol’s beginning and ending are always identifiable—so important because many braille symbols are more than one cell.
Now, in June 2010, the UEB Rulebook is being published. Those involved in the project did not anticipate the length and complexity of their journey in the intervening years; but they soon discovered that having the principles, although the most important step, was only the first of many. Another factor was that all of the participants in the UEB project did so as volunteers with support obtained by their braille authorities. This truly was the project of a lifetime for them and worthy of the thousands of hours they gave to advancing UEB to its completion.
While this journey is complete, another one has begun as braille authorities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria and South Africa have adopted UEB and implementation has commenced. Many people are excited about UEB’s refreshment of the braille code supporting the integration of blind people into the multi-faceted information society.
The UEB Rulebook will give great assistance to all who are currently working with UEB as well as those who will do so in the future. I congratulate the Australian Braille Authority for undertaking this very worthwhile and necessary project and all those who have assisted with its completion in such a short time.
I also extend my very best wishes to all those who will be taking part in the journey of the future of Unified English Braille.
Darleen Bogart Chair, UEB Project Committee 1991–2010
Rules of Unified English Braille
Preface
Unified English Braille (UEB) was adopted as Australia’s official braille code on May 14 2005 during the Annual Meeting of the Australian Braille Authority (ABA). At the time, there were few teaching and learning resources available for UEB, and although the UEB Primer developed by Josie Howse in 2006 continues to be invaluable for anyone learning the basics of UEB, there was clearly a need for an authoritative and complete elaboration of the rules of the new code that could be used by braille educators, producers, and readers.
After preliminary discussion with several organisations involved in the teaching and production of braille, a project brief was adopted by the ABA Executive in August 2007 for the development of what has come to be known as the UEB Rulebook. The proposal included a specification of the work that would be required, as well as a budget for the project. There was discussion by the Executive of the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc. (of which the ABA is a subcommittee), and also at the General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) in April 2008. Following some fine-tuning of the original proposal, sponsorship was sought for the project in June 2008, and five organisations contributed funds to allow the project to commence in August 2008.
Christine Simpson was engaged by the Round Table to edit and compile the Rulebook based on the core formulation of the rules of UEB that was being done by the committees of the ICEB responsible for developing UEB. Christine is an experienced teacher of braille to adults, a leading producer of braille materials in Australia, and a lifelong user of braille in all aspects of her personal and professional life. Under the guidance of the ABA Executive, the UEB Rulebook development was supported by a Project Advisory Committee comprising representatives from the ABA Executive, the sponsoring organisations, and ICEB. This Committee has met regularly during the past two years, and has provided invaluable advice on all aspects of the book’s development. The members of the Committee were:
RNIB chose not to appoint a member to the Committee. Christine Simpson provided secretarial support for the Committee.
As the UEB Rulebook nears completion, it is invigorating to reflect on the factors that have combined to nourish the project and ensure its success. I have identified three: collaboration, commitment, and convergence.
The development of UEB itself has been a triumph of collaborative endeavour, and it is not an exaggeration to say that with the Rulebook, collaboration has reached its apotheosis. Collaboration between organisations, collaboration between individuals, and collaboration among countries has all been integral to the success of the Rulebook. While some of this collaborative work took place through telephone meetings and face-to-face discussion, much of it was made possible by technologies such as the Internet, computer software, and refreshable braille displays. It is hard to imagine, for example, how the Rulebook could have been developed in such a comparatively short time without email, sophisticated word-processing software, and the Duxbury Braille Translator. Braille and emerging technologies are sometimes portrayed as competitors, especially by those who do not understand, and who thus feel threatened by, the liberating empowerment that braille offers. UEB seeks to equip braille (which, ironically, is one of the first “digital” technologies in every sense of that word) with the flexibility to evolve synergistically with other technologies. Indeed, the Internet and much computer software have evolved at the same time as UEB itself has been developed, and the Rulebook embodies a true technological harmony. We have been able to collaborate much more effectively, and reach a much wider group of braille users for feedback and comment, than would have been possible when the UEB project was begun. The result is that the Rulebook is truly an example of “democracy in action”, and it is responsive to the needs of a broad spectrum of braille users.
The Rulebook could not have been developed without the commitment of many people and groups. The organisations who provided financial sponsorship of the project have demonstrated their commitment to UEB and the aims and objectives of the Rulebook. The sponsors are:
In addition to providing financial support, the sponsors have been generous with staff time for attending meetings of the Project Advisory Committee and reviewing drafts as the Rulebook has progressed.
The ICEB has been strongly committed to the UEB Rulebook project since the earliest stages of planning, and has expedited the work of the UEB Rules Committee and the UEB project Committee to help ensure that the Rulebook could be completed on time and within budget. The ICEB has been represented on the project Advisory Committee, and ICEB members have provided valuable feedback on the various drafts that have been circulated for comment.
The members of the Project Advisory Committee have all shown a personal commitment to the Rulebook project, and the result reflects their valuable input, advice, and feedback. The Committee met 14 times by teleconference, and all meetings were well-attended, and characterised by enthusiastic and thoughtful discussion.
Rules of Unified English Braille
The Executive of the Round Table, led by Brian Conway in his role of Round Table President, has been committed to the UEB Rulebook Project through the management of its financial aspects, as well as assisting with the design of the Rulebook cover, and arranging for printing.
The Round Table provides a forum for organisations in Australia and New Zealand with an interest in print disability to collaborate on matters of common concern, such as the development of standards and guidelines. The Round Table was successful in obtaining Government funding for UEB workshops that were held throughout Australia in the mid-1990s. The input and feedback provided by these workshops helped to shape the development of UEB in various ways and, ultimately, have influenced the content and structure of the Rulebook.
Many people have worked hard, often behind the scenes, to support and promote the development of the UEB Rulebook. In this sense, the Rulebook has been enriched by the commitment of the braille community, acting individually and together, to renew and consolidate the work that Louis Braille began almost 200 years ago.
In today’s world of digital media, the term “convergence” is generally used to refer to a coming-together or blending of previously separate technologies. So we can say that over the past two decades there has been a growing convergence of telecommunications, computing and publishing, to the point where individuals can now create content using their computers, and then publish it on various websites using their mobile phones. However, in the context of the UEB Rulebook, I am using the term “convergence” to refer to a felicitous coming-together of personal attributes, capacities and qualities that have formed a sure foundation for the project. Everyone involved in one way or another with the project bears witness to the notion that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things, but three people stand out.
Phyllis Landon has provided constant enthusiasm, leadership and wisdom as she has chaired the UEB Rules Committee, drafted the various rules, and provided a never-ending source of ingenious examples that will, I am sure, enlighten generations of UEB students. Phyllis’s contribution is imprinted on every page of the Rulebook (even this one), and it has been a privilege to work with her.
Darleen Bogart is almost as synonymous with UEB as Louis Braille is with braille. Darleen has been the Chair of the UEB project initiative since it was internationalised in 1993, and for two years before that she was Chair of the committee established by the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) to investigate the feasibility of creating a unified braille code. In 1993 the expectation was that the development of UEB would be completed within three years. We may have initially under-estimated the magnitude of the task, but during the past 17 years, Darleen has never waivered in her passionate belief that braille deserves the best that we can bring to it, and then some more. She has occasionally cajoled, sometimes persuaded, often encouraged, but always inspired us by her commitment, diplomacy, insight, and focus. Darleen has been an enthusiastic supporter of the UEB Rulebook project from the beginning, and she has nurtured it at every step along the way.
Christine Simpson was always the obvious choice as the editor and compiler of the Rulebook. As a braille teacher, she has an in-depth knowledge of UEB itself, and she knows how to communicate that knowledge in ways that lead to effective learning; as a producer of braille, Christine has an unsurpassed knowledge of the intricacies of braille translation and formatting; and as a user of braille, she has the dedication and passion to flow over, under, and around any obstacles and overcome any challenges. The development of the Rulebook has certainly presented some technical challenges. To allow drafts of the Rulebook’s individual sections to be produced and updated effectively and efficiently in both print and braille, Christine developed an innovative approach that combined use of Microsoft Word’s Styles and Template features with some of the advanced capabilities of the Duxbury Braille Translator. These techniques that Christine pioneered will be of value to anyone who needs to produce complex documents in print and braille through multiple revisions, and they certainly made it possible to provide much greater opportunities for feedback than would have otherwise been the case.
Christine has devoted almost two years of her working life to the development of the UEB Rulebook, and the result is a work of outstanding quality, accuracy, clarity, and value. It is a rich and lasting testimony to Christine’s personal dedication to braille, her ability to harmonise different and sometimes quite divergent perspectives into a consensus, and her capacity to think creatively about the teaching, learning and use of braille.
The UEB Rulebook is the culmination of a journey that celebrates the contemporary relevance and vitality of braille. There will, of course, be future editions of the Rulebook as UEB continues to evolve and we gain more experience of using UEB in a variety of situations. No doubt each subsequent edition will have its own particular style in response to particular needs and challenges. This first edition, though, is one-of-a-kind (as first editions are apt to be): it sets a benchmark and establishes expectations of excellence that can only be good for braille and UEB.
We hope that the UEB Rulebook will be a valued resource for anyone who teaches braille, produces braille, or reads and writes braille. It is a book to be used and kept close at hand rather than left to languish on a shelf.
Above all, we hope that the UEB Rulebook will help strengthen braille as the primary literacy medium of people who are blind, and in so doing enable braille users to participate fully in all aspects of life.
Bruce Maguire Chair, Australian Braille Authority Chair, UEB Rulebook Project Advisory Committee
Rules of Unified English Braille
Acknowledgements
Editing and production of this Rulebook has been sponsored by the following organisations. I acknowledge and thank: Royal National Institute of Blind People (UK) Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (Australia) Vision Australia Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Royal Society for the Blind of South Australia
During the process of compiling and editing these many braille rules, together with the hundreds of examples, I have been conscious throughout of the hard work and dedication of many people involved in providing source material and feedback as I have worked my way through the various topics.
Firstly my thanks to members of the UEB Rules Committee and their very capable leader Phyllis Landon. Much of their work was carried out long before I even came on the scene. Phyllis has done an outstanding job, and spent countless hours drafting and refining text, as Chair of the UEB Rules Committee.
My thanks next go to members of the Rulebook Project Advisory Committee, lead by Bruce Maguire. It has been they who have provided me with guidance, encouragement and feedback which has proven invaluable.
In particular I acknowledge with true appreciation the constant feedback and advice given to me by Phyllis Landon, Leona Holloway and Bill Jolley. Without their careful review of wording (statement of rules and the many examples), their numerous suggestions, additions and corrections, this Rulebook could never be the invaluable reference tool we expect it will become.
A special thank you to my husband John, whose thoughtful assistance with the print layout has been truly appreciated. His many suggestions to refine the visual look of this document have helped to make a complex set of rules and examples appear clear, uncluttered and easily manageable.
Christine Simpson Editor June 2010
Rules of Unified English Braille
How to Use This Book
This Rulebook, The Rules of Unified English Braille, is primarily intended for use by braille transcribers, although it is certainly hoped that they will not be the only ones to benefit from it. We anticipate that it will also serve as a key reference for braille translation software developers and other braille experts.
The Rulebook is not a book from which the reader should expect to learn braille. Instead, it is one for which it is envisaged that a transcriber may use often, that a reader of braille may use occasionally and that a student of braille will not use—there are other publications available or being developed for learning braille. It is a reference text, not a textbook; as topics cannot be presented in an order which allows the reader to learn the Braille code. Each section assumes that the reader has a good working knowledge of braille and that the Rulebook is being consulted about the fundamentals of Unified English Braille or to answer a specific rule-related query.
The Rulebook contains a statement of each braille rule followed by examples. It includes cross-references and notes. The words “Refer to:" indicate text that refers the reader to related material mostly elsewhere in the Rulebook and the word “Note:” indicates text that serves to clarify a point, or to remind the reader of something important.
Text in square brackets should be considered as an "editorial note”; included for the purpose of helping the reader better understand an example or a point being illustrated. Text in round brackets is usually part of an example.
The print version has been prepared using SimBraille font for all braille examples, so it does not show the dot locator preceding the symbols under discussion. However, in the braille version the dot locator may be required and has been added accordingly.
Examples in the print version show the text in regular font and then the braille translation of the example text using SimBraille. These examples are shown just once in the braille version. Where more than one example is placed on a single line, multiple spaces between each example have been inserted. In some instances a Transcriber Note has been added to the braille text to ensure that the point being illustrated is clear to the braille reader.
Under the heading “Examples:” readers will usually first see instances of where a particular symbols-sequence or contraction is used, followed under the heading “But:” by a listing of instances where such symbols-sequences or contractions may not be used.
Lists of symbols are, in the main, ordered according to braille order (see Section 1.1.2, Introduction).
Appendix 1, UEB Shortforms List, presents the shortforms in alphabetical order together with their associated wordlists. Each word list is in two parts: the words which begin with the shortform, and then the words with the shortform occurring after the beginning of the word.
Appendix 2, UEB Symbols List, presents the complete list of UEB symbols listed in braille order. It gives: UEB symbol, unicode value, symbol name, usage and reference.
Section 11, Technical Material, summarises the information contained in Unified English Braille Guidelines for Technical Matyerial that constitutes rules rather than guidelines. Accordingly, it is presented in a slightly different style from the rest of the Rulebook. The Guidelines document in print or braille may be downloaded from http://www.iceb.org .
Section 1: Introduction
1.1.1 Braille is a tactile method of reading and writing for blind people developed by Louis Braille (1809–1852), a blind Frenchman. The braille system uses six raised dots in a systematic arrangement with two columns of three dots, known as a braille cell. By convention, the dots in the left column are numbered 1, 2 and 3 from top to bottom and the dots in the right column are numbered 4, 5 and 6 from top to bottom.
1 ●● 4
2 ●● 5
1.1.2 The six dots of the braille cell are configured in 64 possible combinations (including the space which has no dots present). The 63 braille characters with dots are grouped in a table of seven lines. This table is used to establish "braille order" for listing braille signs.
Line 1: ⠁ Line 2: ⠅ Line 3: ⠥ Line 4: ⠡ Line 5: ⠂ Line 6: ⠌ Line 7: ⠈
⠃⠉⠙⠑⠋⠛⠓⠊⠚ ⠇⠍⠝⠕⠏⠟⠗⠎⠞ ⠧⠭⠽⠵⠯⠿⠷⠮⠾ ⠣⠩⠹⠱⠫⠻⠳⠪⠺ ⠆⠒⠲⠢⠖⠶⠦⠔⠴ ⠬⠼⠜⠄⠤ ⠘⠸⠐⠨⠰⠠
Line 1 is formed with characters in the upper part of the cell, using dots 1, 2, 4 and 5. Line 2 adds dot 3 to each of the characters in Line 1. Line 3 adds dots 3 and 6 to each of the characters in Line 1.
Line 4 adds dot 6 to each of the characters in Line 1. Line 5 repeats the dot configurations of Line 1 in the lower part of the cell, using dots 2, 3, 5 and 6.
Line 6 is formed with characters using dots 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Line 7 is formed with characters in the right column of the cell, using dots 4, 5 and 6.
1.1.3 An individual may write braille by hand either using a slate and stylus to push dots out from the back of the paper working from right to left or using a mechanical device called a brailler. A person may also use an embosser to reproduce an electronic braille file. These methods all produce embossed braille on hardcopy paper.
1.1.4 A person may read an electronic braille file by using a refreshable braille display attached to his/her computer. This employs pins which raise and lower to form the braille characters.
1.1.5 Originally developed to represent the French language, braille has been adapted for English and many other languages.
1.1.6 Braille is used to represent all subject matter, including literature, mathematics, science and technology. Louis Braille developed the system which is used worldwide today for representing music.
1.2.1 Unified English Braille (UEB) is a system of English braille which represents all subjects except music.
1.2.2 The purpose of UEB is to allow the reader to understand without ambiguity what symbols are being expressed by a given braille text.
1.2.3 The primary transcribing rule is to produce braille that, when read, yields exactly the original print text (apart from purely ornamental aspects).
1.2.4 A print symbol has one braille equivalent in UEB. Use the braille sign for that print symbol regardless of the subject area.
1.2.5 In UEB the 64 braille characters including the space are designated as being either a prefix or a root. There are 8 prefixes: ⠼ plus the braille characters formed from the dots in the right column of the cell,
that is the characters from Line 7 of the table in section 1.1.2 above. The other 56 braille characters are roots. The UEB prefixes are:
⠼⠈ ⠘⠸⠐⠨⠰⠠
1.2.6 The last two braille characters in the table ⠰ and ⠠ are special prefixes. A special prefix may be used in combination with another special prefix to form a braille sign. Such braille signs are used only as indicators.
Example: The passage indicators ⠰⠰⠰ and ⠠⠠⠠
1.2.7 Any other braille sign in UEB is constructed from a root or from a root plus one or more prefixes.
Examples:
⠎ ⠐⠎ ⠨⠎ ⠈⠨⠣ ⠠⠘⠌ ⠈⠼⠹
Note: In the following sections, only braille signs found in both English Braille American Edition and British Braille are listed.
Contractions
1.3.1 Other forms of English braille write the wordsigns for "a", "and", "for", "of", "the" and "with" unspaced from one another.
1.3.2 Other forms of English braille use the following contractions which are not used in UEB: ⠕⠄⠉ o'clock (shortform) ⠲ dd (groupsign between letters) ⠖ to (wordsign unspaced from following word) ⠔⠖ into (wordsign unspaced from following word) ⠴ by (wordsign unspaced from following word) ⠼ ble (groupsign following other letters) ⠤ com (groupsign at beginning of word)
⠠⠝ ation (groupsign following other letters) ⠠⠽ ally (groupsign following other letters)
Punctuation
1.3.3 Other forms of English braille use the following punctuation signs which are not used in UEB: ⠶ opening and closing parentheses (round brackets) ⠶⠄ closing square bracket ⠴⠄ closing single quotation mark (inverted commas) ⠄⠄⠄ ellipsis ⠤⠤ dash (short dash)
⠤⠤⠤⠤ double dash (long dash) ⠠⠶ opening square bracket
Composition signs (indicators)
1.3.4 Other forms of English braille use the following composition signs (indicators) which are not used in UEB: ⠂ non-Latin (non-Roman) letter indicator ⠈ accent sign (nonspecific) ⠈ print symbol indicator
⠨ italic sign (for a word) ⠨⠨ double italic sign (for a passage)
General symbols
1.3.5 Other forms of English braille use the following general symbols which are not used in UEB: ⠇ pound sign (pound sterling) ⠏⠜ paragraph sign ⠎⠄ section sign
⠲ dollar sign ⠔⠔ asterisk
⠤ end of foot ⠤⠤ caesura ⠘ short or unstressed syllable ⠸ long or stressed syllable
Technical subjects
1.3.6 Other forms of English braille use special codes to represent mathematics and science, computer notation and other technical or specialised subjects.
Section 2: Terminology and General Rules
alphabetic: designating letters of the alphabet, including modified letters, ligatured letters and contractions, which stand for letters alphabetic wordsign: any one of the wordsigns in which a letter represents a word braille cell: the physical area which is occupied by a braille character braille character: any one of the 64 distinct patterns of six dots, including the space, which can be expressed in braille
braille sign: one or more consecutive braille characters comprising a unit, consisting of a root on its own or a root preceded by one or more prefixes (also referred to as braille symbol)
braille space: a blank cell, or the blank margin at the beginning and end of a braille line braille symbol: used interchangeably with braille sign contracted: transcribed using contractions (also referred to as grade 2 braille) contraction: a braille sign which represents a word or a group of letters final-letter groupsign: a two-cell braille sign formed by dots 46 or dots 56 followed by the final letter of the group
grade 1: the meaning assigned to a braille sign which would otherwise be read as a contraction or as a numeral (Meanings assigned under special modes such as arrows are not considered grade 1.)
grade 1 braille: used interchangeably with uncontracted grade 2 braille: used interchangeably with contracted graphic sign: a braille sign that stands for a single print symbol groupsign: a contraction which represents a group of letters indicator: a braille sign that does not directly represent a print symbol but
that indicates how subsequent braille sign(s) are to be interpreted initial-letter contraction: a two-cell braille sign formed by dot 5, dots 45 or dots 456 followed by the first letter or groupsign of the word item: any one of a precisely-defined grouping of braille signs used primarily in technical material to establish the extent of certain indicators, such as indices
letters-sequence: an unbroken string of alphabetic signs preceded and followed by non-alphabetic signs, including space lower: containing neither dot 1 nor dot 4 mode: a condition initiated by an indicator and describing the effect of the indicator on subsequent braille signs modifier: a diacritical mark (such as an accent) normally used in combination with a letter nesting: the practice of closing indicators in the reverse order of opening
non-alphabetic: designating any print or braille symbol, including the space, which is not a letter, modified letter, ligatured letter or contraction
passage: three or more symbols-sequences passage indicator: initiates a mode which persists indefinitely until an explicit terminator is encountered prefix: any one of the seven braille characters having only right-hand dots (⠈⠘⠸⠐⠨⠰⠠) or the braille character ⠼ print symbol: a single letter, digit, punctuation mark or other print sign customarily used as an elementary unit of text root: any one of the 56 braille characters, including the space, which is not
a prefix shortform: a contraction consisting of a word specially abbreviated in braille standing alone: condition of being unaccompanied by additional letters,
symbols or punctuation except as specified in the "standing alone" rule; used to determine when a braille sign is read as a contraction
strong: designating contractions (other than alphabetic wordsigns) containing dots in both the top and bottom rows and in both the left and right columns of the braille cell
strong character: designating a braille character containing dots in both the top and bottom rows and in both the left and right columns of the braille cell, which therefore is physically unambiguous
symbols-sequence: an unbroken string of braille signs, whether alphabetic or non-alphabetic, preceded and followed by space (also referred to as symbols-word)
terminator: a braille sign which marks the end of a mode
text element: a section of text normally read as a unit (a single paragraph, a single heading at any level, a single item in a list or outline, a stanza of a poem, or other comparable unit), but not "pages" or "lines" in the physical sense that are created simply as an accident of print formatting
uncontracted: transcribed without contractions (also referred to as grade 1 braille)
upper: including dot 1 and/or dot 4
word indicator: initiates a mode which extends over the next letters-sequence in the case of the capitals indicator or over the next symbols-sequence in the case of other indicators
wordsign: a contraction which represents a complete word
2.2 Contractions summary alphabetic wordsigns:
but can do every from go have just knowledge like more not people quite rather so that us very will it you as
strong wordsigns:
child shall this which out still
strong contractions: may be used as groupsigns and as wordsigns. and for of the with
strong groupsigns: ch gh sh th wh ed er ou ow st ing ar
lower wordsigns:
be enough were his in was
lower groupsigns: ea be bb con cc dis en ff gg in
initial-letter contractions: may be used as groupsigns and as wordsigns.
name one part time under young where ought work
final-letter groupsigns:
ence
shortforms: about after against altogether braille deceive first himself letter necessary perceiving receiving such tonight yourself should because beneath conceive
ong ful
above afternoon also although could deceiving good herself myself neither perhaps rejoice today itself yourselves thyself before beside conceiving
less ount
tion ness
according afterward almost always declare either great immediate much paid quick rejoicing together its themselves ourselves behind between oneself
question right some there character through
ment ity
across again already blind declaring friend him little must perceive receive said tomorrow your children would below beyond
2.3.1 Follow print when transcribing into braille.
2.3.2 When transcribing, ignore print ornamentation which is present only to enhance the appearance of the publication and does not impart any useful information. Examples of print ornamentation include:
2.3.3 When a facsimile transcription is required, reproduce all aspects of print as fully as possible including ornamentation. Examples of circumstances when a facsimile transcription may be requested are:
2.3.4 In general, do not correct print errors.
2.4.1 The purpose of indicators is to change the meaning of the following braille characters or to change an aspect of the following text (e.g. to indicate capitals or a special typeface).
2.4.2 Many braille signs have more than one meaning.
Examples:
⠋ the letter "f"; in numeric mode - digit "6"; contracted (grade 2) meaning - the alphabetic wordsign "from"
⠳ in grade 1 mode - arrow indicator; contracted (grade 2) meanings - the strong groupsign "ou" and the strong wordsign "out"
⠦ question mark; opening nonspecific quotation mark; contracted (grade 2) meaning - the lower wordsign "his"
⠸ vertical solid line segment; line indicator, as in poetry
⠐⠙ in numeric mode - numeric space followed by digit "4"; contracted (grade 2) meaning - the initial-letter contraction "day"
⠨⠎ Greek letter sigma; contracted (grade 2) meaning - the final-letter groupsign "less"
2.4.3 The reader determines the meaning of a braille sign in several ways:
2.4.4 Use an indicator to establish the mode which determines the meaning of the braille signs which follow.
Note: The list below gives the basic indicators and the modes which they set. It does not include indicators for extended modes (e.g. grade 1 word indicator and grade 1 passage indicator), indicators for variations (e.g. bold arrow indicator), subsidiary indicators (e.g. superposition indicator used in shape mode) or terminators.
⠫ sets shape mode: Guidelines for Technical Material, Part 14, Shape Symbols and Composite Symbols
⠳ sets arrow mode: Guidelines for Technical Material, Part 13, Arrows
⠼ sets numeric mode and grade 1 mode: Section 6, Numeric Mode
⠐⠒ opens and sets horizontal line mode:
⠰ sets grade 1 mode: Section 5, Grade 1 Mode
2.4.5 Use an indicator to change an aspect of the text which follows. Note: The list below gives the basic indicators of this type. ⠢ subscript indicator: Guidelines for Technical Material, Part 7, Superscripts and Subscripts ⠔ superscript indicator: Guidelines for Technical Material, Part 7, Superscripts and Subscripts ⠈⠆ script symbol indicator: Section 9, Typeforms ⠘⠆ bold symbol indicator: Section 9, Typeforms ⠘⠖ ligature indicator: Section 4, Letters and Their Modifiers ⠸⠆ underlined symbol indicator: Section 9, Typeforms
⠨⠆ italic symbol indicator: Section 9, Typeforms ⠠⠠ capitals word indicator: Section 8, Capitalisation
2.4.6 The list below gives other indicators.
⠿ cursor indicator: Guidelines for Technical Material, Part 17, Computer Notation
⠷⠾ general fraction open and close indicators: Guidelines for Technical Material, Part 6, Fractions
⠣ ⠜ braille grouping opening and closing indicators: Section 3, General Symbols
⠈⠨⠣ ⠈⠨⠜ transcriber's note opening and closing indicators: Section 3, General Symbols
⠘⠷ non-UEB word indicator:
⠐ line continuation indicator: Section 6, Numeric Mode
⠐⠐⠿ dot locator for use: Section 3, General Symbols
⠨⠿ dot locator for mention: Section 3, General Symbols
Uncontracted (grade 1) braille
2.5.1 The use of contractions is disallowed by certain rules. These include:
2.5.2 Uncontracted (grade 1) braille is different from grade 1 mode.
2.5.3 Grade 1 mode exists only when introduced by a grade 1 indicator or by a numeric indicator.
2.5.4 Uncontracted (grade 1) braille is a transcription option which may be selected for any number of reasons, including:
Note: Braille authorities and production agencies may establish policies for the guidance of transcribers in the use of uncontracted (grade 1) braille.
2.5.5 Although contractions are not used in grade 1 mode, uncontracted (grade 1) braille may be employed without the use of grade 1 indicators.
Contracted (grade 2) braille
Note: The use of the contractions in contracted (grade 2) braille is covered in Section 10, Contractions.
Note: UEB contracted braille differs slightly from other forms of English contracted braille. See Section 1.3, Introduction, for Basic Signs Found in Other Forms of English Braille.
Other grades of braille
Note: Other grades of braille have been developed. One of these is grade 3 braille which contains several hundred contractions and is primarily for personal use. Another is grade 1½ braille. Employing only 44 one-cell contractions, this was the official code of the United States from 1918 to 1932.
2.6.1 A letter or letters-sequence is considered to be "standing alone" if it is preceded and followed by a space, a hyphen or a dash. The dash may be of any length, that is the dash or the long dash.
Examples: x ⠰⠭ it ⠭ which ⠱ was ⠴ al ⠰⠁⠇ also ⠁⠇ e-x-u-d-e ⠰⠰⠑⠤⠭⠤⠥⠤⠙⠤⠑ do-it-yourself ⠙⠤⠭⠤⠽⠗⠋ out-and-out ⠳⠤⠯⠤⠳ 5-yrf-678 ⠼⠑⠤⠰⠽⠗⠋⠤⠼⠋⠛⠓ I like x–it works. ⠠⠊ ⠇ ⠰⠭⠠⠤⠭ ⠐⠺⠎⠲ his child–this one ⠦ ⠡⠠⠤⠹ ⠐⠕
my friend–Fr John ⠍⠽ ⠋⠗⠠⠤⠰⠠⠋⠗ ⠠⠚⠕⠓⠝ th--r ⠞⠓⠤⠤⠰⠗ Mme. M— ⠠⠍⠍⠑⠲ ⠰⠠⠍⠐⠠⠤ –s ⠠⠤⠰⠎ —st ⠐⠠⠤⠎⠞
2.6.2 A letter or letters-sequence is considered to be "standing alone" when the following common punctuation and indicator symbols intervene between the letter or letters-sequence and the preceding space, hyphen or dash: • opening parenthesis (round bracket), opening square bracket or
opening curly bracket (brace bracket) • opening quotation mark of any kind
Examples: (c ⠐⠣⠰⠉ [can ⠨⠣⠉ {af ⠸⠣⠰⠁⠋ –(after ⠠⠤⠐⠣⠁⠋ “do ⠦⠙ ‘your ⠠⠦⠽⠗ "yr-123 ⠠⠶⠰⠽⠗⠤⠼⠁⠃⠉ 'e 'as ⠄⠰⠑ ⠄⠵ p ⠨⠆⠰⠏ people ⠘⠂⠏ enough ⠸⠂⠢ child-safe ⠨⠂⠡⠤⠎⠁⠋⠑ N ⠰⠠⠝ Not Like That ⠠⠝ ⠠⠇ ⠠⠞ LITTLE CHILD ⠠⠠⠇⠇ ⠠⠠⠡ –GREAT ⠠⠤⠠⠠⠛⠗⠞ OUT OF TOWN ⠠⠠⠠⠳ ⠷ ⠞⠪⠝⠠⠄ [open TN]every ⠈⠨⠣⠑ [open TN]In ⠈⠨⠣⠠⠔ –“[Be true.]” ⠠⠤⠦⠨⠣⠠⠆ ⠞⠗⠥⠑⠲⠨⠜⠴
But: <x, y> ⠈⠣⠭⠂ ⠽⠈⠜ this/that ⠹⠊⠎⠸⠌⠹⠁⠞ *from ⠐⠔⠋⠗⠕⠍ &c ⠈⠯⠉ Apt. #B ⠠⠁⠏⠞⠲ ⠸⠹⠠⠃ ¶d ⠘⠏⠙ é ⠘⠌⠑ ū ⠈⠤⠥ ~s ⠈⠔⠎ ~st ⠈⠔⠌
2.6.3 A letter or letters-sequence is considered to be "standing alone" when the following common punctuation and indicator symbols intervene between the letter or letters-sequence and the following space, hyphen or dash:
Examples: very, very still; rather good. ⠧⠂ ⠧ ⠌⠆⠗ ⠛⠙⠲
d: ⠰⠙⠒ this... ⠹⠲⠲⠲ rejoice! ⠗⠚⠉⠖ (q, r) ⠐⠣⠰⠟⠂ ⠰⠗⠐⠜ [quite, rather] ⠨⠣⠟⠂ ⠗⠨⠜ {k-p} ⠸⠣⠰⠅⠤⠰⠏⠸⠜ "Which go-between?" ⠦⠠⠱ ⠛⠤⠆⠞⠦⠴ children.” ⠡⠝⠲⠴ t' have– ⠰⠞⠄ ⠓⠠⠤ friends' numbers ⠋⠗⠎⠄ ⠝⠥⠍⠃⠻⠎
Himself or herself?–Neither!
⠨⠶⠠⠓⠍⠋ ⠕⠗ ⠓⠻⠋⠦⠠⠤⠠⠝⠑⠊⠖⠨⠄
ALWAYS BE YOURSELF ⠠⠠⠠⠁⠇⠺ ⠆ ⠽⠗⠋⠠⠄ [open TN]His choice was D.[close TN]
⠈⠨⠣⠠⠦ ⠡⠕⠊⠉⠑ ⠴ ⠰⠠⠙⠲⠈⠨⠜
But: t'night ⠞⠄⠝⠊⠣⠞ word(s) ⠘⠺⠐⠣⠎⠐⠜ ab/cd ⠁⠃⠸⠌⠉⠙ could/should ⠉⠳⠇⠙⠸⠌⠩⠳⠇⠙ section B2 ⠎⠑⠉⠰⠝ ⠠⠃⠰⠔⠼⠃ knowledge.3 ⠐⠅⠇⠫⠛⠑⠲⠰⠔⠼⠉ this.)* ⠹⠊⠎⠲⠐⠜⠐⠔ < J.Child@children.net >
⠈⠣⠠⠚⠲⠠⠡⠊⠇⠙⠈⠁⠡⠊⠇⠙⠗⠢⠲⠝⠑⠞⠈⠜ just_for_good.org ⠚⠥⠌⠨⠤⠿⠨⠤⠛⠕⠕⠙⠲⠕⠗⠛ l_ _f ⠇⠨⠤⠨⠤⠋ ch...f ⠡⠲⠲⠲⠋
a:b :: x:y ⠁⠰⠒⠃ ⠒⠒ ⠭⠰⠒⠽
X% ⠠⠭⠨⠴ Braillex® ⠠⠃⠗⠁⠊⠇⠇⠑⠭⠘⠗ Braille4All ⠠⠃⠗⠁⠊⠇⠇⠑⠼⠙⠠⠁⠇⠇
2.6.4 A word with an interior apostrophe is considered to be "standing alone" under the specific provisions of Section 10, Contractions,
10.1.2 (alphabetic wordsigns), 10.2.2 (strong wordsigns) and 10.9 (shortforms).
Examples: ‘It'll ⠠⠦⠠⠭⠄⠇⠇ [X'll ⠨⠣⠰⠠⠭⠄⠇⠇ YOU'RE ⠨⠂⠠⠠⠽⠄⠠⠠⠗⠑ child's?) ⠡⠄⠎⠦⠐⠜ “p's and q's” ⠦⠰⠏⠄⠎ ⠯ ⠰⠟⠄⠎⠴ “That's Mr. Little's!” ⠦⠠⠞⠄⠎ ⠠⠍⠗⠲ ⠨⠂⠠⠇⠇⠄⠎⠖⠴
For Original ICEB's Documents, Unmodified or Updated.