[BlindMath] Helpful suggestions

[Susan Jolly]

Hi Hector,

Thanks for your questions.

If you are in the United States you can get math textbooks in two official
forms.  The text will always be in UEB contracted braille but the math can
be in either Nemeth math or in UEB math. Both forms use six-dot braille. If
you are in another country I don't know the answer.

I don't want to get involved in yet another discussion of Nemeth math versus
UEB math so I'll just say that I prefer Nemeth math for two reasons: it is
more like print math and it typically uses fewer braille cells for the same
math expression.

Now I hope I can clear up the confusion about the two different meanings of
"computer braille."  One meaning has to do with translating print versions
of digital items such as email addresses or fragments of computer code from
print to braille. It used to be in the United States that there was a
special braille system called Computer Braille Code (CBC) used for this
purpose.  However that code is no longer in use since UEB includes rules for
translating digital items. This meaning is what is meant by computer braille
being discontinued.

The other meaning has to do with the digital format or digital encoding that
is used to represent six-dot braille in a digital file such as a brf file
and is not discontinued.  This  format is usually either ASCII Braille or
six-dot computer braille which are almost identical. If you get a brf file
produced by a transcriber or by software it will usually be in ASCII
Braille.  If you save a six-dot braille file that you write on a notetaker
it will be in six-dot computer braille.  Drivers built into notetakers or
braille embossers convert the digital encoding to raised braille.

Please let me know if this isn't clear or if you have more questions.

SusanJ