British Braille is the main publication of BAUK and sets out the rules of Standard English Braille as used in the United Kingdom. A new edition was published in 2004, incorporating ideas and suggestions of braille users and producers collected since the last update in 1992, as well as making corrections. Print and braille versions can be viewed or downloaded from the BAUK publications page. Hard copy versions in print or braille may be obtained from RNIB. Both a capitalized and a non-capitalized braille edition are available. Some minor corrections have since been made to the publication produced in 2004, and these are also listed on the BAUK publications page
A full list of rule changes is given in the document British Braille 2004: List of Changes. This is intended for transcribers, proofreaders and others who need detailed technical information. A shorter summary of the main changes is given in the document Main Changes to British Braille 2004. (The latter is largely based on the document circulated by BAUK when we asked for feedback on the proposals - thanks to all of you who responded.). These documents are available in other formats from the BAUK publications page.
It was anticipated that braille producers would be able to incorporate these changes into their transcriptions by the end of August 2005, and this may be regarded as the official implementation date.
BAUK is participating in an international project under the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) to design a revision of Standard English Braille called the Unified English Braille Code. The code will include technical areas such as mathematics, computing and chemistry, without the need for special codes. This is being regarded by BAUK as a research project, and no committment has been made to adopt the code.
The participating countries are: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States. Other countries, though not directly participating, are following with interest.
The work of the project was divided into a number of committees engaged in different areas:
Following the ICEB Assembly in 2004, this committee structure has been replaced by committees set up to handle the remaining work needed on the code, e.g. formatting, as well as an over-arching committee which is responsible for steering the implementation and maintenance of UEB.
The project is at a fairly advanced stage, with just a few aspects of the code design to be settled.
An early evaluation of the code was conducted in the UK and other participating countries in 1998, with mixed results. Some countries, such as Canada and New Zealand have been strongly in favour of the code, but major organisations of the blind in the US have declared themselves to be against the code in its current form. Resolutions about the future of the project were made at the ICEB Assembly in 2004. Following the Assembly, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa issued statements signaling their intention to move ahead with implementing the code in their countries. Since then, Australia have begun the transition to UEB, and New Zealand are following a similar course.
BAUK is currently conducting further evaluation of UEB in the UK, including making further samples available to the public, together with a questionnaire. See the item UEB Consultaion below for more information. As part of this public consultation process BAUK also held three short seminars on UEB at Sight Village 2007, in Birmingham, which provided us with some useful feedback.
Some other brief samples of UEB (not part of the UEB consultation samples) are available below to give an idea of what the code looks like. Note that these have been prepared on the basis both of definite UEB decisions, as well as in places some working assumptions based on current thinking within the project or else coming from a UK perspective, which should not be regarded as definitive.
Further information can be found at the UEB web site: www.iceb.org/ubc.html.
BAUK is conducting a nationwide consultation exercise on Unified English Braille (UEB). It is hoped that as many people in the UK as possible who have any interest in braille will participate in this consultation so that the responses to the short questionnaire will be of most value to BAUK when deciding whether or not to recommend that UEB should be introduced in the UK.
As explained above, UEB is an international project designed to update the current braille codes used in English-speaking countries. The main design goal is to bring ordinary literary braille and specialist braille (such as maths) into a single unified code. Adoption across different countries is also seen as a major benefit.
UEB deletes a few contractions and makes some changes to the rules affecting others; a few braille signs used in literary braille are also altered. But for most braille readers the changes would not be great. On the other hand, for technical material such as maths and computing the differences are more wide ranging.
BAUK has produced a booklet containing an introduction to UEB, and samples of different types of material transcribed into UEB, so that you can get a realistic feel for how UEB would be, if used as the braille standard in the UK.
Please read the UEB samples and then take a few minutes to answer the questionnaire included at the end of the booklet and return it to BAUK, so that your views can be fully taken into account in the analysis of responses.
The sample booklet has already been sent out to a large number of braille readers using RNIB's database of braille users. If you do not receive a copy by this route, you can request a copy in print or braille from:
Alternatively, you can download or view the electronic files for braille or print from the links below:
You may submit your response in braille, typescript, clear handwriting, electronic MS Word or text file, or read your response over the phone. The addresses and procedure for making these responses are given in the booklet in the section "Consultation process", before the samples themselves.
The closing date for receipt of completed questionnaires is Tuesday, 30th September, 2008.
At its meeting on 12 December 2007, BAUK passed the following motion aimed at progressing its evaluation of UEB:
BAUK endorses Unified English Braille as a trial code for use in the UK, encouraging members to provide various examples of the code's use to enable braille readers to make an informed choice concerning it's potential future use. The trial period will expire on 31 December 2008, and BAUK will decide on the status of the code thereafter at its Autumn 2008 meeting.
This motion stemmed from a proposal paper presented at the meeting, given in full below. The propsed motion contained in the paper was amended to the final agreed form given above.
The purpose of this paper is to propose a resolution for adoption by BAUK concerning the future use of unified English braille in the UK.
The most recent meeting of the ICEB held in Canada endorsed UEB as sufficiently developed for adoption and implementation of the code has advanced to varying degrees throughout the world. As the next meeting of the ICEB approaches, (Australia 2008), it is important to reflect on the development of the project thus far and the UK's stance concerning the code.
BAUK has clearly indicated that consultation must precede any decision concerning the adoption of the code as the substantive code for use in the UK. It has also been clearly indicated that braille readers will be involved in the decision making process. Initial thoughts around consultation focused on a questionnaire to be sent out to braille readers and those interested in the future of braille, but a lack of resources has prevented significant development along these lines. More recent discussions have focused on workshops and a possible questionnaire with some workshops having taken place at Site Village 2007.
Exposure to the code is exceptionally low at present. There is concern that significant resources could be required to enable increased exposure such that braille readers can make an informed choice based on experience of the current UK code and UEB, and this is difficult to justify without direction from BAUK as to the acceptance of UEB as a code for use in the UK. Passing a resolution attempting to clarify this position would not be the thin end of the wedge, but would provide an environment in which UEB has some legitimacy as a code for use in the UK, the purpose being to encourage organisations to produce a range of materials such that braille readers become more familiar with it and can make a more informed choice about the future of braille.
Whereas unified English Braille has been endorsed by the ICEB as sufficiently developed for adoption and thus is sufficiently robust to permit further exposure in the UK.
Whereas current exposure in the UK is low and it is difficult for braille readers to make an informed choice concerning the future of braille.
Whereas it is difficult for organisations to engage in increasing exposure to UEB without being clear as to its status in the UK.
It is proposed that BAUK should endorse unified English braille as a code for use in the UK, encouraging members to provide various examples of the code's use to enable braille readers to make an informed choice concerning its potential future use.
Pete Osborne
November 2007
The International Council on English Braille (ICEB), of which BAUK is a member, held its General Assembly on 6th - 10th April 2008, in Melbourne, Australia. BAUK sent three delegates. Much of the discussion related to UEB, e.g. with reports on how countries that are already using the code are getting on, activities in other countries, and reports from the various active UEB committees within ICEB.
The resolutions made at the Assembly may be read here.
A report, written by Bill Poole, on the prevous Assembly held in 2004 can be read here. The resolutions made by that Assembly may be read here.