Braille Basics: Ensuring Accessibility and Inclusion

Braille provides a vital pathway to literacy, independence, and inclusion for millions of individuals who are who are blind or have low vision. By incorporating braille into your communication strategy, your organization can expand its reach and foster a more inclusive environment. In this article, we’ll explore what braille is and how it can be used to enhance accessibility.

Understanding Braille: What It Is and How It Works

Braille is not a language but rather a tactile code that allows people who are blind or have low vision read and write. It uses a system of raised dots arranged in cells of up to six dots each. Each braille cell is a combination of these six dots, offering 64 possible configurations to represent letters, numbers, punctuation, and even whole words.

Invented in 1824 by Louis Braille, a French teenager, the system has evolved to accommodate modern needs, yet its core structure remains unchanged. Braille’s flexibility allows it to be adapted to various languages and scripts, making it a versatile and universal literacy tool.

Types of Braille

Braille is typically divided into three grades, each serving a specific purpose:

Grade 1 braille (uncontracted braille): This is the most basic form of braille, where each braille cell corresponds to a single letter, number, or punctuation mark. It’s primarily used by those just beginning to learn braille, as the one-to-one conversion provides an easy way to ease into the system.

Grade 2 braille (contracted braille): Grade 2 braille is for more experienced braille users. By using contractions to represent entire words or groups of letters, this grade requires less space and is faster to read. Grade 2 is the most common form of braille used for public signs, restaurant menus, books, magazines, and other widely used materials.

Grade 3 braille (shorthand braille): Less formal and more individualized, Grade 3 braille includes even more contractions and shorthand, often compressing whole words into just one or a few characters. Because there is no standardization, Grade 3 is not used in official publications and is more commonly found in personal notes, letters, and diaries.

Braille Across Different Languages

While braille’s structure remains consistent, its application varies across languages. Different languages may require additional modifications, especially those with unique scripts or diacritical marks. For instance, languages like Spanish or French incorporate accents, represented by additional braille dots. Non-Latin scripts such as Arabic or Chinese may use entirely different arrangements of dots to convey their characters. Globally, there are braille codes for over 133 languages.

Braille Transcription and Embossing: The Process

Braille transcription is the process that converts printed or electronic text into braille. This is not to be confused with braille translation, which converts one language’s braille code into another. A braille transcriber, or braille transcriptionist, uses specialized software to convert text into its corresponding braille character equivalents, adhering to all braille rules and conventions. Careful attention must be paid to the document structure, and all formatting elements like titles, page numbers, and tables of contents.

Once transcribed, the document is printed using a braille embosser. These specialized printers create raised dots, producing tactile characters that are easy for braille readers to interpret. The process is completed with a rigorous quality assurance check, ensuring that the final product meets the highest standards of accuracy and readability.

Services are also available to convert documents to a “screen reader friendly” format and create accessible PDFs for individuals who are blind, visually impaired, or cognitively impaired.

Large Print Services: Enhancing Accessibility for Individuals with Low Vision

While not a substitute for braille, large print is a service that makes documents accessible to individuals with low vision, providing a readable format for those who may struggle with standard print sizes. Unlike simply enlarging a document, large print involves careful reformatting to ensure clarity and usability. Text is typically enlarged to at least 18 points, with increased line spacing and restructured tables and images to maintain readability. Large print can be particularly beneficial for seniors, whose eyesight may deteriorate with age, and for anyone who finds small print challenging.

Of course, if a person is entirely blind, large print won’t help. However, by offering large print materials, organizations demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity and embrace the diversity of visual abilities.

Unlocking Access with Braille Services

Braille is a powerful tool for inclusion, offering individuals who are blind or have low vision the same access to information that sighted people enjoy. By understanding and implementing braille services, organizations can meet accessibility standards while ensuring that their content is accessible to all members of the community.