[Blindmath] braille code changes and nemeth

[Sean Tikkun]

I think your friend brings up good point, but I have more concern with representations of operation. Numbers as a raised or lowered dot is not that complex to adjust to. The different symbols in terms of operations however are a much larger change.

Sean

> On Mar 20, 2015, at 9:31 AM, HPS via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi, I like to pick anyones brain on the proposed changes to the braille code. I do not read braille but my daughter does, so in her behalf I'm trying to get involved in finding out the pros and cons on this issue. I have an acquaintance that has some good points and I'm sharing her take on it below. 
> Thanks
> Heidi
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Regarding the braille code changes
> and  math, I think that several things 
> are going on that are causing people
> not to react much. For one thing, the 
> Braille Authority of North America seems
> to be good and reassuring people 
> that the Nemeth Code will be retained, and so
> they have nothing to worry 
> about. What they are not saying in the same breath,
> though, is that the 
> plan is for the Nemeth codeto be mixed in with Unified
> English Braille. 
> Right now, when students encounter a math book, they will
> find that the 
> entire book is transcribed using the Nemeth code, meaning that
> numbers, 
> operation signs  such as the plus sign, and such look the same
> throughout 
> the book, whether they appear in mathematical expressions or in the
> text 
> surrounding those expressions. What is being proposed now is that the
> 
> Nemeth code only be used for mathematical terms/expressions in those 
> books,
> while Unified English Braille will be used for the rest of the 
> material in the
> book. Since Nemeth and UEB have very different 
> representations for
> mathematical symbols,  and even numbers are not the 
> same in the two codes, it
> seems like this will create a much more 
> complicated system for students to
> wait through or for transcribers to 
> create. Furthermore, there will have to be
> an extra braille 
> character or two every time there is a switch between UEB and
> 
> Nemeth. Imagine, for example,
> 
> Let x be the number of nuts in the bowl. 
> After Jerry eats 1/4 of the 
> nuts, there are 15 nuts left. How many nuts did
> Jerry eat?
> 
> 
> In this kind of work problem, the terms x, 1/4, and 15 BE
> considered 
> mathematical and would appear in mathematical expressions that are
> used to 
> solve the problem. According to the guidance asked
> 
> http://www.brailleauthority.org/ueb/nemeth-provisional/guidance.pdf, the
> 
> fraction 1/4 in this problem will need to be written in Nemeth code,,
> 
> preceded and followed by the appropriate indicators, while the number 15
> 
> will be written in UEB.
> 
> Another issue is that people seem to think that
> braille code changes are 
> inevitable, not knowing that the Braille Authority
> does not actually have 
> legal authority. They simply represent the consensus of
> representatives 
> from a number of consumer, transcriber, and braille production
> 
> organizations or companies. So, they have power only as long as the masses
> 
> agree to follow them.
> 
> 
> 
> 
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