[Nfbk] BANA Fall Meeting News

[Joey Couch]

Press Release

November 30, 2011

For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Judy Dixon, Chair
Braille Authority of North America
Phone: 202-707-0722, Email: jdix at loc.gov

November Actions: BANA Elected New Chair,
Approved New Member, and Voted on Revision of Braille Formats

The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) held its fall meeting on
November 3-6, 2011, in Baltimore, MD. The National Federation of the
Blind (NFB), a BANA member organization, hosted the meeting, which
included an Open Forum that provided an opportunity for participants
to learn more about the workings of BANA and to provide feedback to
the Board about braille.

During its three-day meeting, the BANA Board reviewed and acted on
semiannual reports from its eighteen committees and deliberated issues
and challenges facing braille users and producers. Notable actions by
the Board included the approval of an application of full BANA
membership by Horizons for the Blind; the election of officers; and
consideration of the revision of the formats guidelines publication, a
monumental project undertaken by the Braille Formats Technical
Committee.  Additionally, BANA welcomed two new Board Representatives
- Ruth McKinney from Braille Institute of America and Susan Spicknall
from National Braille Press.

The newly elected BANA officers for 2012 are:
 Chair: Frances Mary D'Andrea, representing the American Foundation
for the Blind (AFB), replaces Judy Dixon who is completing a five-year
tenure as BANA Chair;

Vice Chair: Mary Nelle McLennan, representing the American Printing
House for the Blind (APH);
Secretary: Jennifer Dunnam, representing the National Federation of
the Blind (NFB);
Treasurer: Sue Reilly, representing the California Transcribers and
Educators of the Blind and Visually Impaired (CTEBVI).

Based on extensive review prior to the meeting, the Board evaluated
the proposed revision to the Braille Formats publication. The previous
edition of these guidelines for making structural decisions when
transcribing was last published in 1997. In an email vote completed in
mid-November, the BANA Board approved the adoption of the Braille
Formats: Principles of Print to Braille Transcription, 2011. In the
coming months, after publishing preparations are complete, the final
document will be posted on the BANA website and will be produced for
purchase. BANA recognizes the hard work and remarkable commitment of
the Braille Formats Technical Committee in completing this complex
project.

In the months before the Board meeting, Horizons for the Blind, a
not-for-profit organization located in Crystal Lake, IL, applied for
full membership in BANA.  After reviewing the extensive application,
the BANA Board approved full membership for Horizons for the Blind and
welcomed them into the organization.

BANA's next meeting will take place in connection with the National
Braille Association's conference in St. Louis. The dates of this
spring meeting will be April 28 through 30, 2012, with the Open Forum
scheduled for Saturday, April 28. Additional details about the spring
meeting will be announced in the next few months.

For additional resource information, visit
www.brailleauthority.org<http://www.brailleauthority.org/>

The mission and purpose of the Braille Authority of North America are
to assure literacy for tactile readers through the standardization of
braille and/or tactile graphics. BANA promotes and facilitates the
use, teaching, and production of braille. It publishes rules,
interprets, and renders opinions pertaining to braille in all existing
codes. It deals with codes now in existence or to be developed in the
future, in collaboration with other countries using English braille.
In exercising its function and authority, BANA considers the effects
of its decisions on other existing braille codes and formats; the ease
of production by various methods; and acceptability to readers.

Joey Couch
phone 606-216-8033.
email ki4vjd at gmail.com
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