[nabs-l] Fwd: [BANA-Announce] BANA Affirms Date for Implementation of UEB

[David Andrews]

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>Press Release
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>November 2013
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>For Immediate Release
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>CONTACT: Frances Mary D’Andrea, Chair
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>Braille Authority of North America
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>Phone: 412-521-5797
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>Email: <mailto:literacy2 at mindspring.com>literacy2 at mindspring.com
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>BANA Affirms Date for Implementation of UEB
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>The Braille Authority of North America (BANA), 
>at its November 8–10 meeting in Louisville, 
>Kentucky, affirmed January 4, 2016, as the date 
>by which the United States will implement the 
>general use of Unified English Braille (UEB). 
>This action was based on a year of dialogue and 
>planning that included the UEB Transition Forum, 
>held on October 16. The forum, which involved 48 
>delegates representing 31 organizations from the 
>braille community, was structured to help 
>organizations craft the steps and timetable 
>through which the United States will make an 
>effective transition to Unified English Braille.
>
>The decision to adopt UEB in the United States 
>was made by a decisive vote of the BANA Board on 
>November 2, 2012. The full motion is posted on 
>the BANA website at 
><http://www.brailleauthority.org/ueb/UEBpassed.html>http://www.brailleauthority.org/ueb/UEBpassed.html. 
>
>
>BANA recognizes that the implementation of UEB 
>will require major adjustments to the 
>infrastructures that produce, deliver, and teach 
>braille, as well as time and strategies for 
>braille users to become familiar with changes in 
>the code. BANA continues to work with leaders 
>throughout the field to build a carefully 
>designed timeline and coordinated plan. Detailed 
>timelines are under development by individual 
>organizations, and transition efforts are now 
>being initiated. BANA stands ready to 
>collaborate with the braille community as it 
>builds and adapts the infrastructure necessary for a smooth transition to UEB.
>
>NOTE: This press release is available in HTML on 
>the BANA website at 
><http://www.brailleauthority.org/pressreleases/pr-2013-11-26.html>http://www.brailleauthority.org/pressreleases/pr-2013-11-26.html.
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>For additional resource information, visit 
><http://www.brailleauthority.org>www.brailleauthority.org.
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>The Board of BANA consists of appointed 
>representatives from seventeen member 
>organizations of braille producers, transcribers, teachers, and consumers.
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>The mission of the Braille Authority of North 
>America is to assure literacy for tactile 
>readers through the standardization of braille and/or tactile graphics.
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>The purpose of BANA is to promote and to 
>facilitate the uses, teaching, and production of 
>braille. Pursuant to this purpose, BANA will 
>promulgate rules, make interpretations, and 
>render opinions pertaining to braille codes and 
>guidelines for the provisions of literary and 
>technical materials and related forms and 
>formats of embossed materials now in existence 
>or to be developed in the future for the use of 
>blind persons in North America. When 
>appropriate, BANA shall accomplish these 
>activities in international collaboration with 
>countries using English braille. In exercising 
>its function and authority, BANA shall consider 
>the effects of its decisions on other existing 
>braille codes and guidelines, forms and formats; 
>ease of production by various methods; and acceptability to readers.
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