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N.B. 1:00 PM Eastern = 6:00 PM BST

2022 Braille Literacy Canada Symposium

Braille Literacy Canada (BLC) will be holding its second annual virtual braille symposium on Friday, June 17th, 2022 from 1 – 5 PM EDT (10am-2pm Pacific/11am-3pm Mountain/Saskatchewan, 12pm-4pm Central, 2pm-6pm Atlantic). This event will be of interest to braille readers, educators, transcribers, parents, producers and anyone else with a passion for braille literacy!

The schedule of events is as follows:

• 1:00pm EST: Revitalising Braille through a Grass Roots Community (Matthew Horspool and Dave Williams, Braillists Foundation)
• 2:00pm EST: Hadley’s Braille for Everyday Use (Douglas Walker and Dr. Kim Walker, Hadley)
• 3:00pm EST: What is the science of reading, and what does it teach us about braille contractions? (Dr. Robert Englebretson, Rice University)
• 4:00pm EST: Walking Through Paths to Literacy For All Things Braille (Kate Borg, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired)

Each presentation will be approximately 30 minutes long, followed by a 15 minute question-and-answer period, and then a 15 minute intermission. More information on our exciting line up of speakers is provided below.

We would like to take a moment to thank all of our sponsors who, through their generous support, are helping to make this event a true success, including by donating some incredible door prizes and special offers that you will not want to miss!

• HumanWare is the global leader in technology-based solutions for the visually impaired. We offer a wide range of innovative products including the BrailleNote Touch+, Brailliant braille display, the entire line of Victor Reader digital audiobook players, Connect 12 electronic magnifiers, Reveal 16 screens, and Explore ultra-compact electronic magnifiers.
• Aille Design (pronounced: eye) is an inclusive clothing brand making a fashion statement you can feel. We work directly with the blind and visually impaired community to create clothing with beautiful braille messages that are fully legible and customizable. Our designs can be used for the functionality of the legible braille, can be dressed up as a unique fashion piece, or worn to initiate conversation about disability inclusion and the importance of braille. 5% of t-shirt sales are donated to low vision organizations and all braille beadwork and accessibility cards are handmade by Aille Design founder, Alexa Jovanovic. Request an accessibility card with your purchase to receive detailed product information in braille and large print format.
• Kids Can Press, part of the Corus Entertainment family, is the largest Canadian-owned children’s publisher and the 2017 recipient of the distinguished Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher, North America. The publisher’s catalog includes an award-winning list of over 700 picture books, nonfiction and fiction titles for children and young adults that are translated and sold around the world. Kids Can Press will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2023.

The event will be free of charge to members (or members of organizations who are corporate members of BLC) and $20.00 for non-members. Interested in becoming a BLC member? Annual membership is $20 – check out our membership section for more information!

Registration will close on Wednesday, June 15th, 2022. Live automatic captioning will be provided through Zoom, and written transcripts of the presentations will be made available after the event. Once you have submitted your registration, your request will be reviewed and a Zoom link will be e-mailed to you within a few days. Email any questions you have to [email protected].

Click here to REGISTER.

If you have trouble with that link, point your browser to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rcuqgqTgoHNE6DUAxovR0glJTq4v53gFQ

Revitalising Braille through a Grass Roots Community

Presented at 1pm EST (10am Pacific, 11am Mountain/Saskatchewan, 12pm Central, 2pm Atlantic) by Matthew Horspool and Dave Williams of the Braillists Foundation

Since 2014, the Braillists Foundation has been connecting UK braille users with braille product manufacturers, and building a community of braille enthusiasts. In 2020, in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, activity went online and the Braillists community was made global. Through remote Braille for Beginners courses, Masterclasses, a Book Club, a podcast, email discussion groups and drop-in sessions, perceptions of braille within the community have grown exponentially more positive, and collective enthusiasm about braille has peaked the interest of external organisations and individuals who were previously unconvinced about braille’s future.

In this workshop, you will hear first hand the story of the Braillists and learn more about how our initiatives work. We will share how much of the braille code we teach in our Braille for Beginners courses, explain what factors we consider when programming our Masterclasses, and demonstrate how teamwork and determination can lead to even the smallest of organisations growing into a vibrant global movement.

Matthew Horspool has been formally involved with the Braillists since it was registered as a charity in 2020, and took up the post of General Manager in 2021. His career started in a school for the blind, where he worked as a braille transcriber and teacher of technical braille codes. In addition to his work with the Braillists, he is Braille Subject Lead for the UK Association for Accessible Formats and works closely with the International Council on English Braille. In his spare time, he sings in the choir at Coventry Cathedral, where braille is invaluable to his success.

Hadley’s Braille for Everyday Use

Presented at 2pm EST (11am Pacific, 12pm Mountain/Saskatchewan, 1pm Central, 3pm Atlantic) by Douglas Walker and Dr. Kim Walker of Hadley

Hadley’s new Braille for Everyday Use is a new approach to braille. It is designed to make braille learning more engaging, accessible, and successful. The program is allowing us to better serve the growing population of older adults who are new to vision loss and would greatly benefit from learning braille.

Douglas Walker has been an educator in the field of blindness for more than thirty years. He currently serves as the Co-Director of Research and Development at Hadley. Douglas is responsible for new concept designs as well as, new content creation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Masters in Vision from Vanderbilt University and a Certificate in Assistive Technology from California State University Northridge.

Dr. Kim Walker is the Co-Director of Research and Development at the Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She has been an educator in the field of blindness for over 30 years. Kim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Tennessee Technological University, a Masters degree in Visual Impairments from Vanderbilt University and a Doctorate degree in organizational leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University.

What is the science of reading, and what does it teach us about braille contractions?

Presented at 3pm EST (12pm Pacific, 1pm Mountain/Saskatchewan, 2pm Central, 4pm Atlantic) by Dr. Robert Englebretson, Rice University

In this talk, I will give an overview of recent research from the cognitive sciences about the neural, perceptual, cognitive, and linguistic underpinnings of reading and writing. I will outline how this is relevant to braille. I will share some of our team’s specific findings from our ongoing research about the reading and writing of braille contractions, and will focus on the problematic nature of contractions that bridge parts of words, such as those that cross the boundary between prefixes and stems (for example the AND contraction in ‘pandemic’ or the ED contraction in ‘redraw’) and those that cross the boundary between stems and suffixes (for example the ED contraction in ‘freedom’ or the EA contraction in ‘mileage’). I will conclude with some suggestions of how our ongoing work may contribute to evidence-based approaches to teaching and to the continued development of braille.

Robert Englebretson is the chair of the Linguistics Department at Rice University, where he teaches courses in linguistic analysis, discourse and grammar, field methods, and research on braille. He has done fieldwork in Indonesia, and has authored a book and several articles on Colloquial Indonesian grammar.

Englebretson’s focus on braille research began in 2006 when he was appointed to the International Council on English Braille’s Committee on Linguistics and Foreign Languages. In this role, he revised and published a braille version of the IPA to empower better access to phonetics for blind and visually-impaired people working in language-related fields. In November 2019, the Braille Authority of North America recognized Englebretson with the Darleen Bogart Braille Excellence Award for this work.

Also in 2019, a team of researchers including Englebretson, Simon Fischer-Baum (Rice University) and Cay Holbrook (University of British Columbia) were awarded an Exploration research grant from the Institute for Education Sciences (AWARD No. R324A190093) “Exploring the Knowledge, Skills, and Strategies Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments Need to Effectively Teach Braille Reading and Writing.” His work seeks to bring braille research squarely into the mainstream of the reading sciences, and to contribute to evidence-based approaches to improving braille literacy.

Walking Through Paths to Literacy For All Things Braille

Presented at 4pm EST (1pm Pacific, 2pm Mountain/Saskatchewan, 3pm Central, 5pm Atlantic) by Kate Borg, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The Paths to Literacy website (pathstoliteracy.org) is a collaboration between Perkins School for the Blind and Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI). By combining our resources and expertise we strive to help stimulate discussion in the field on the many different aspects of literacy for students who are blind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities or who are deafblind. In this session, we will explore the new Paths to Literacy website and the many resources that it has to offer!

Participants will gain knowledge to:

• Navigate the new site
• Easily find and access resources on braille literacy and instruction
• Understand how to contribute content to the site

Kate Borg is the Director of Outreach Programs at TSBVI and the Texas Deafblind Project Coordinator. Kate joined TSBVI in 2019 after working at the Utah School for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) and in Prince William County, Virginia. Kate has been a school principal, instructional coach, classroom teacher, and itinerant TVI working with students who are blind, visually impaired, and deafblind. In addition to leading TSBVI’s Outreach mission, Kate serves as the current president of the Texas Chapter of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (TAER) and sits on research grant committees to improve instruction for students with sensory impairment.

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Braille Literacy Canada / Littératie braille Canada, founded in 1990 as the Canadian Braille Authority, is a national charitable organization dedicated to the promotion of braille as the primary medium of literacy for those who are blind or visually impaired. BLC is recognized by the International Council on English Braille as the authority for the development, adoption, and establishment of standards relating to braille in Canada. With a membership comprising organizations and individuals, educators, braille transcribers, braille producers, parents of braille users and braille users themselves, BLC represents a broad cross-section of those working with or impacted by braille and is lead by a volunteer board of directors elected by the BLC membership.

Visit our web site at https://www.brailleliteracycanada.ca or join us on social media:

On Twitter: @BrlLitCan

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrailleLiteracyCanada/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3502741/

The Braillists Foundation seeks to co-opt a volunteer with expertise of managing the finances of a small Charitable Incorporated Organisation to its Board of Trustees.

The successful candidate will be responsible for day-to-day financial administration, financial monitoring, reporting on the health of the finances to the other Trustees on a monthly basis, and the production of annual accounts in line with the regulations of the Charity Commission in England and Wales. He/she will also be responsible for the monitoring and assessment of the accounts in which the Braillists Foundation deposits its funds, recommending changes to the account portfolio to the Board as they become necessary and overseeing their implementation in accordance with the wishes of the Trustees.

The Treasurer is a full Member of the Board of Trustees, with all associated rights and responsibilities, and will be expected to participate in monthly Board meetings via online/telephone conference call. The expected amount of time required to undertake the full remit of this post should not usually exceed three hours per month.

For further details, please see our Vacancies page.

This new version offers many performance improvements and optimisations, including a new version of the UKAAF template.

Find out more on the Duxbury What’s New page.

An exciting new update is available for BrailleNote Touch Plus that offers access to the cloud, improved usability of PowerPoint files, new foreign language braille tables and more.

Find out more by reading the HumanWare news article.

• Where: Bristol Braille Technology, Philip Street, Bristol
• Time: 1400-1600 on Saturday 30 April, followed by refreshments in a local pub for those who can stay

The local Bristol branch of the Braillists is excited to be hosting its first post-pandemic in-person meeting, organised by Paul Sullivan and hosted by Bristol Braille Technology. You don’t have to be from Bristol; everyone who can make it is invited.

• Bring your own devices
• Get your questions answered
• Share your tips and tricks with others

Following on from the popular Masterclasses on using braille with iOS, this event will be an opportunity to develop your skills with braille displays on mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads, Kindles and Android devices. If you don’t already use a braille display, it will give you the opportunity to try some out and decide if they are for you. If you have a braille display that can be used with a mobile phone or tablet, you are invited to bring it with you.

The event will take the form of a workshop:

• In the first hour, four people will demonstrate how they use a specific braille display and mobile device. For instance, a Focus 14 with an iPhone, or an Orbit Reader with a Kindle. Each demonstration will finish with time for questions and people will be encouraged to share their own tricks and tips with these devices.
• In the second hour we will break-out into small groups to do hands-on skills sharing with braille displays and mobile devices. At the same time, people will be able to try out and feedback on the latest developments with the Canute, including an experimental nine line text editor, and look at the Graphiti from Orbit Research.

If you have an SD card containing braille books from RNIB and would like it updated with the latest content (2,000 books, originally released in April 2021), James Bowden will be on hand to do this for you. However, all the files on your card will be replaced during the update process, )including documents and other files that you have created yourself) so please remember to back it up before you come, so that you do not lose anything important.

Bristol Braille’s workshop is close to several bus routes passing through East Street, Bedminster and we will organise a pick-up from and to Bristol Temple Meads station.

To register your interest or get more information please email Paul Sullivan at [email protected] with the following details:

• How did you hear about this event?
• How many people will be attending?
• Name / names?
• Email address?
• Mobile or other phone number?
• How will you be coming?
• If you are travelling by train, will you need to be met / taken back to Temple Meads station?
• Will you be bringing a guide dog?
• Will you be staying for the social event afterwards?

Due to limited numbers, registration is on a first come, first served basis. Masks welcome but not required, air purifiers will be running and hand sanitiser made available.

N.B. This event is organised by members of the Braillists community, but run independently of the Braillists Foundation itself. It takes place in the United Kingdom. The Braillists Foundation grew out of these meetings in Bristol so we are very pleased to finally be back!

The Braillists were delighted to have been invited to appear on the Blind Abilities podcast, in conversation with one of our Braille for Beginners participants.

You can listen to the episode here.

The work of the Braillists Foundation, to spread braille literacy during the pandemic, was recognised by the National Braille Press Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation announced in Anaheim earlier last month. The Braillists Foundation received a monitary contribution and an honourable mention at the 37th Annual California State University (CSUN) Assistive Technology Conference on Technology and Disability.

Dave Williams, Chair of the Braillists Foundation, said: “We are thrilled to even be considered for NBP’s Touch of Genius. Massive thank you to the judging panel and huge congratulations to our amazing team of volunteers for all your incredible hard work spreading tactile literacy, especially amongst those denied this opportunity elsewhere. Braille enables blind people to read and write by touch freeing our ears to access the people and places around us, to find our own voices and gain greater confidence and independence.”

Over the past two years, the Braillists Foundation has delivered hundreds of classes online, presentations, and resources for thousands of braille readers across the UK and around the world. The UK-based charity, formally established in early 2020, has provided opportunities for beginners to learn braille, practice sessions, get help and support. The Braillists community provides a safe space where learners can access peer support and encouragement, boosting motivation and engagement at a time when many feel discouraged due to dwindling eyesight. The opportunity to learn a skill like braille is rewarding in itself because of the transformative power and benefits it can bring to its users.

The Braillists Foundation has ambitious plans for the future. They are hoping to offer an on-demand version of Braille for Beginners so people will not be tied to a specific class schedule. They are also planning to enhance their braille learning classes to include contracted braille, and perhaps maths and science.

Notes

• The Braillists is a grass-roots community connecting Braille readers with Braille technology developers and funders. We believe Braille has the potential to transform the life of any blind person who has the opportunity to learn it. Our Aims are to:
  1. Promote the value of Braille as a proven literacy tool that enriches the lives of blind people.
  2. Support efforts to make affordable Braille and tactile reading technologies available to all blind people irrespective of education and employment status.
  3. Provide an open forum for the exchange of ideas about the development of future Braille technology.
• The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is an annual prize awarded to a project, or projects, that show the most innovative idea in the field of braille and tactile literacy. Innovators have come from all over the world in the fields of education, technology, engineering, tactile graphics, and literacy. This is the only prize to foster and reward innovation in the area of braille and tactile literacy for the blind and deaf blind communities.

Please direct non-urgent enquiries to [email protected]. Media enquiries call +447890396117

The International Council on English Braille (ICEB) is pleased to confirm that the midterm meeting of the Executive Committee will be held from Sunday 5th June to Thursday 9th June 2022. The event will be held daily online via Zoom at 20:00 UTC. The virtual meeting will bring the Executive Committee together to discuss ICEB business, including updates on work undertaken by ICEB committees. The meeting will include additional presentations on braille and reports from the member country representatives to ICEB. Observers are welcome to attend.

The deadline to register is the 13th of May, 2022. The meeting agenda, as well as committee and country reports, will be provided to registrants in Word and BRF formats. Visit www.iceb.org/register to complete the registration form.

Those interested are also invited to follow @ICEBbraille on Twitter and the hashtag #ICEB2022 for updates.

Thanks are extended to Braille Literacy Canada (BLC) for hosting the meeting in collaboration with ICEB. We look forward to connecting with you all in a week dedicated to braille!

The International Council on English Braille (ICEB) was formed in 1991 and provides a forum for international cooperation among those countries that use English-language braille by assisting countries to establish standard-setting bodies in relation to braille codes and practices; working towards the development and adoption of international minimum standards for the production and teaching of braille; and facilitating the exchange of braille materials between member countries. Its members currently include braille authorities from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. To learn more about ICEB, visit http://www.iceb.org or write to [email protected].

The Queensland Department of Education’s Statewide Vision Impairment Services team is pleased to announce that our Braille Letter Songs are now available online. The 26 Braille letter songs include the braille dot numbers and alphabetic word sign contractions for each letter of the English alphabet. Dot numbers are linked to consistent musical pitches to ensure that each song has a unique melody and to assist with the memorisation of each letter’s braille formation.

The songs can be found on Soundcloud here.

American Printing House for the Blind, 6 April 2022

Imagine reading an interesting article or editing a hefty document with no way to navigate by page or heading, only able to scroll down one line at a time. Braille readers experience this tedium whenever they access digital braille files, making reading at home, in the classroom, and in the workplace a slow process. We think it’s time to take the braille file into the 21st century. In collaboration with leaders from across the field, APH is developing a new, revolutionary braille file standard that will be accessible on both braille displays and embossers and will change the way students, teachers, and transcribers interact with braille and tactile graphics. We’re calling it the eBRF.

For more information, read the article on the APH website.