Implementing UEB in the UK
presented
by
Claire Maxwell RNIB
&
James Bowden UKAAF
The main differences between
Unified English Braille (UEB) and
Standard English Braille (SEB)
Unified English Braille (UEB)
Summary of changes for
ordinary braille
• Introductions
• Draft version of summary document
• Braille signs now only represent one
character – removing ambiguity
Some familiar contractions
that are no longer used
in UEB
ble
com
dd
ation
ally
o’clock
to
into
by
unable
come
daddy
na;n
tally
#c o'clock
to "w
9to pieces
by !n
Further examples
addition table addi;n table
station
/a;n
into space
9to space
the toddler tumbled
! Toddl] tumbl$
Sequencing has been
abolished in UEB
Sequencing
All of these wordsigns must now be spaced
from each other:
and
for
of
the
with
a
&
=
(
!
)
a
Examples
for the time being
= ! "t ;+
of and for the people ( & = ! p
and with the result & ) ! result
Use of the ence contraction
In words containing “enced” or “encer”
the contraction ence is used rather
than en then ed or er
silencer
sil;er
silenced sil;ed
Lower wordsigns
Lower wordsigns such as in, be and
his can be used in contact with capital
indicators or terminators even if the
string does not include an upper sign.
Be Calm!
,2 ,calm6
His head
,8 h1d
The ea contraction
The ea contraction is now permissible
in words like caveat, genealogy,
Montreal, pancreas, Neapolitan and
Seattle.
The ea contraction can also be used
as part of diphthongs as in Judaean.
Contractions and the oblique
stroke
The oblique stroke is not treated as a
word boundary for some of the
contraction rules in UEB.
Simple upper wordsigns (such as but
and can) or lower groupsigns (such as
be, con and dis) cannot be used in
contact with the oblique stroke.
Examples
print/audio
pr9t_/audio
above/below
above_/below
quite/very
quite_/v]y
Capitals
Capital indicators are the same as for
SEB.
Symbol
,
Word
,,
Passage
,,,
Terminator
,'
Examples
LEFT-HAND
,,left-,,h&
I AM HERE!
,,,I am "h6,'
NORTH/SOUTH ,,nor?_/,,s\?
Italics, bold and underline
UEB has separate indicators for italics, bold
and underline.
Italic
Bold
Underline
symbol
.2
^2
_2
word
.1
^1
_1
passage
.7
^7
_7
terminator .'
^'
_'
Examples
books
book^2s
reading The Times
r1d+ .1,! .1,"ts
avant-garde
.1avant-g>de
February
_1,febru>y
Quotation marks
Outer quotation marks have generic braille
signs in UEB (the same as SEB) regardless of
what is used in print.
Inner quotation marks have new signs in UEB
Outer:
8
0
Inner single:
,8
,0
Inner double:
^8
^0
Email and web addresses
Email and web addresses are treated
as normal text.
mark@trade123.co.uk
m>k@atrade#abc4;co4uk
friend@rogers.com
fri5d@arog]s4com
ukaaf.org
ukaaf4org
Training and resources
What happens next?
Academic year 2012/13
•
•
•
•
Funding issues
Development of basic reference materials
Raise awareness of UEB
Develop course to upgrade from SEB to
UEB
22
Academic year 2013/14
• Updating of production software
• Update braille learning courses
(prioritising those for younger learners)
• Library titles to be converted to UEB or
purchased
• Workshops for teachers on upgrading to
UEB
23
Academic year 2014/15
• Children's braille courses complete.
Conversion of adult courses begins
• All children's books and magazines being
produced in UEB
• Second strand of workshops for teachers
dealing with technical subjects in UEB
• Taster sessions etc for general readers
RNIB certificated course in 2nd grade Braille
to include UEB
24
Academic year 2015 to 2016
• Most school children should be using
literary braille by year end
• State exams in SEB and UEB for the
last year (apart from some agreed
technical subjects)
• All general production of magazines and
books in UEB
25
When to start teaching UEB
26
Resources and References
www.ukaaf.org
Or
enquiries@ukaaf.org
http://www.iceb.org/
27
Thank you for listening