[Blindmath] braille code changes and nemeth

Sat Mar 21 02:41:04 UTC 2015

UEB makes a great deal of sense with today's print symbols.

FedEx for example is confusing in braille. A password which has a number in the middle is impossible to enter correctly in braille.

The Braille Authority is not trying to put themselves forward as a governing body, but rather a body of braille readers, educators, and transcribers who see the need for a better way to present material, and to be unified in all english speaking countries.

So far as I have studied, the changes are logical, and not convoluted. In fact when I mention the changes as I learn them, to my students they all agree it all makes sense. UEB will not render the present braille system illegible, it will only dismantle the barrier created by the changes in print.

Maureen Murphy Lewicki
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Bethlehem Central Schools
700 Delaware Avenue
Delmar, NY 12054
http://bcsd.k12.ny.us/

On Mar 20, 2015, at 2:36 PM, Jorge Paez via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindmath at nfbnet.org>> wrote:

The last point, regarding the lack of authority for the Braille
Authority is interesting--I didn't know that.
I for one would be happy to disregard the new rules and just stick to
the original ones, which is what I will continue to do.
I wonder though how many publishers will really pay attention to the
Braille Authority?
I mean any change will take years and if it makes life more
complicated for the transcribers, I can guarantee that most publishers
will be happy enough to stick to the original system, no matter how
much some individuals or organizations might insist that the UEB is
better--which I don't think it is.

On 3/20/15, Sean Tikkun via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindmath at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
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<mailto: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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--
Thank you.

Jorge A. Paez

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgeapaez

Elance page: http://jorgeapaez1994.elance.com

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