Lexi Webster
Braille is a tactile reading system that involves a series of raised dots embossed on paper or displayed digitally. It is used by people with vision impairment, deafblindness, or low vision. Braille is not just used for reading and writing but also for music notation, mathematical symbols, and scientific notation. It is an essential tool for literacy and plays a vital role in many aspects of life, from labelling canned food to conveying complex mathematical equations. While it is difficult to estimate the number of Braille readers in Australia, it is known that Braille literacy is linked to better educational outcomes, higher employment rates, and greater independence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Braille in Australia | Uses characters based on the Latin or Roman alphabet |
| Braille Authority in Australia | A subcommittee of the Round Table on Information Access for People with a Print Disability Inc. |
| Unified English Braille (UEB) | The official braille code for usage in Australia |
| Braille literacy rate | 10% of blind people read braille (source data is outdated and invalid) |
| Australian banknotes | Introduced the tactile feature on their five-dollar banknote in 2016 |
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What You'll Learn
Unified English Braille (UEB)
Braille is a system of raised dots that people with vision impairment use to read documents, books, and more. It was invented by Frenchman Louis Braille in the early 19th century, after he lost his vision at a young age. Braille consists of two vertical rows of three dots, forming cells with six dots each. It is a tactile way of reading text, where the reader passes their finger over the dots to feel what is written.
UEB aims to create one set of rules that can be applied across various types of English-language material. It includes symbols and contractions for literary, mathematical, and scientific text, as well as support for computer-related symbols, foreign alphabets, and visual effects. The rules and guidelines for UEB are produced by the International Council on English Braille (ICEB).
The UEB Online website offers free training programs and competency exams in braille literacy and mathematics using the UEB code. These programs are suitable for anyone who wants to learn and teach the braille code, including educators, families, and health professionals. The website provides systematic instruction and accreditation in UEB for people worldwide who are promoting braille for persons with blindness, low vision, or deafblindness.
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Braille literacy rates
Braille was invented in the early 19th century by Frenchman Louis Braille, who lost his vision at a young age. It consists of raised bumps or dots arranged in cells of six dots each. These dots can be read by touch, allowing blind and visually impaired individuals to read and write. Braille is not just used for reading and writing but also for music notation, mathematical symbols, scientific notation, and any form of printed text. Unified English Braille (UEB) is the official braille code for usage in Australia and several other English-speaking countries. UEB includes symbols and contractions for literary, mathematical, and scientific text and can represent line drawings.
The Australian Braille Authority, a subcommittee of the Round Table on Information Access for People with a Print Disability Inc., has established rules and guidelines for braille usage in Australia. They promote the use of grade one (uncontracted) braille and provide specifications for braille signs and tactile graphics. Australia has also introduced tactile features on its banknotes to assist individuals with blindness or low vision in identifying the denomination by touch.
While exact figures for braille literacy rates in Australia may not be available, the presence of organisations like the Australian Braille Authority and the inclusion of tactile features on Australian banknotes indicate a recognition of the importance of braille literacy and accessibility for individuals with visual impairments.
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History of braille
Braille is a tactile writing system used by blind or visually impaired people. It is named after its creator, Louis Braille, a Frenchman who lost his sight as a child in an accident in his father's workshop.
Louis Braille was born on 4 January 1809 in the village of Coupvray, France. At the age of 10, he received a scholarship to attend the National Institute for Blind Youth in Paris, France. At the institute, he was introduced to a 12-dot cryptography system created by French Army Officer Charles Barbier for soldiers to use for nighttime battlefield communication. Inspired by Barbier's system, Braille spent the next few years developing a simpler system using only six dots so that blind people could use a single finger to feel and read. By the age of 15, he had developed a fairly extensive braille code based on the French alphabet, which he published in 1829.
The braille system consists of raised dots that represent the letters of the alphabet, as well as equivalents for punctuation marks and symbols to show letter groupings. Braille can be read on embossed paper or using refreshable braille displays that connect to computers and smartphone devices. It can be written using a slate and stylus, a braille writer, an electronic braille notetaker, or a computer connected to a braille embosser.
Today, braille has been adapted for use worldwide in various languages, symbols, numbers, mathematics, and music—all using the six-dot combinations. Unified English Braille (UEB) is the official braille code for usage in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, and other English-speaking countries. UEB includes symbols and contractions for literary, mathematical, and scientific text and can also be used to represent line drawings.
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How braille works
Braille is a tactile way of reading text, consisting of a series of raised dots embossed onto special paper. Braille readers pass their fingers over the dots to feel what is written. It is not a separate language but an alternative written form of a standard language. Braille in Australia is based on the Latin or Roman alphabet. However, languages with different alphabets, such as Arabic, Japanese, and Russian, have their own Braille forms. Braille is not limited to text; there are also Braille codes for mathematical and scientific symbols and music notation.
Braille was invented in the early 19th century by Frenchman Louis Braille, who lost his sight at age three in an accident in his father's workshop. Braille attended the Royal Institution for Blind Youth, where he was inspired by a visitor named Charles Barbier, who had invented a code called "night writing" to allow soldiers to communicate in the dark. By the time he was 12, Braille had developed his own Braille code, and by age 15, he was teaching it to his classmates. Braille produced the first book in Braille in 1829.
Braille has had a profound impact on education and literacy for people with vision impairment. Before its invention, blind people had limited educational and employment opportunities. Braille has replaced slow and cumbersome printing methods, such as books with raised letters, which were enormous and heavy. Braille has enabled direct access to the written word and plays a vital role in many aspects of life, from labelling canned food to conveying complex mathematical equations.
In Australia, Unified English Braille (UEB) is the official Braille code. UEB includes symbols and contractions for literary, mathematical, and scientific text and can also be used to represent line drawings. The Australian Braille Authority has established rules and guidelines for the formatting of Braille text in Australia. Braille and tactile signs in Australia must comply with the Disability Access to Premises (Buildings) Standards (2010) or, when those Standards are not applicable, with Australian Standard AS 1428.1:2021 (Design for Access and Mobility).
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Braille in Australia
Braille is a system of raised dots or bumps in cells of two vertical rows of three, used by people with vision impairment to read documents, music, mathematical symbols, scientific notation, and more. It is not a separate language but an alternative written form of a standard language. Braille was invented in the early 19th century by Frenchman Louis Braille, who lost his vision at a young age. Braille is an essential tool for literacy, enabling direct access to the written word, and it plays a vital role in many aspects of life, from labelling canned food to conveying complex mathematical equations.
In Australia, Unified English Braille (UEB) is the official braille code for usage in Australia. UEB was developed in the 1990s and is now used in many English-speaking countries around the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Australian Braille Authority, a subcommittee of the Round Table on Information Access for People with a Print Disability Inc., has established a set of rules and guidelines for the formatting of braille text in Australia.
Braille literacy is linked to better educational outcomes, higher employment rates, and greater independence for people who are blind or have low vision. However, braille literacy rates have been declining due to the low number of public schools that can afford to train and hire braille-qualified teachers. Additionally, not all people who are blind can read braille; some lack the tactile sensitivity required and rely more heavily on audio material and screen-reading technology.
There are a number of resources available in Australia to promote braille literacy. The Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness offers printable fun sheets with activities, colouring pages, suggestions for braille games, and instructions for reading and writing braille by touch. There are also organisations such as VisAbility WA, which provides coaching on how to use vision technology like JAWS (Screen Reader) and other tools for people with vision impairment.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unclear how many people in Australia read braille. Braille literacy statistics are often elusive and misunderstood. However, it is known that braille plays a vital role in the lives of people with vision impairment in Australia.
Braille is a system of raised dots or bumps in cells consisting of two vertical rows of three that can be felt by touch. It is used by people with vision impairment to read documents, books, music, mathematical symbols, and scientific notation.
When people produce braille, it is called braille transcription. When computer software produces braille, it is called a braille translator.
Unified English Braille (UEB) is the official braille code for usage in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It includes symbols and contractions for literary, mathematical, and scientific text and can also be used to represent line drawings.
Braille can be found on banknotes in Australia and other countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It helps people with vision impairment identify the value of the notes. Braille is also used on coins, such as the Euro coins, which were designed in cooperation with organisations representing blind people.
