[Nfbk] BANA Recent Actions: Accepts Two New Member Organizations and Approves Addition to Nemeth Code

[Joey Couch]

FYI


[bana logo]

Press Release

May 2013

For Immediate Release

[bar]



CONTACT: Frances Mary D'Andrea, Chair

Braille Authority of North America

Phone: 412-521-5797

Email: literacy2 at mindspring.com

Recent Actions: BANA Accepts Two New Member Organizations and Approves
Addition to Nemeth Code

The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) held its 2013 spring
meeting April 11 - 13 in Washington, D.C. The National Library Service
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a BANA member
organization, hosted the meeting at the Library of Congress.

During its three-day meeting, the BANA Board reviewed and acted on
semiannual reports from its eighteen committees, considered committee
recommendations, and deliberated issues and challenges facing braille
users and producers. The UEB Task Force reported on the development of
a plan for the transition to UEB in the United States as well as the
collaborative steps that have been taken to initiate dialogue and
planning among the various braille communities that will be impacted.

Actions taken at the Board Meeting included the following:

The review and approval of a major revision of the organization's
entire set of bylaws and policies as recommended after intense study
by the BANA Bylaws Committee.

Approval of the applications for two new member organizations: the
Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB) and the Hadley School for the
Blind. BANA welcomes both of these organizations and looks  forward to
working with them.

Approval of a recommendation from BANA's Braille Mathematics Technical
Committee that the following be added to the Nemeth Code:

"Rule XIV, §86c. When the expression being modified is a single digit
or a letter, lower-case or capitalized, from any alphabet, and in any
type form, and when the modifier is the horizontal bar directly under
such a single digit or letter, the digit or letter, followed by the
directly under symbol and the bar, serves to express the modification.
This construction should be regarded as a contracted form of
expression and must be used whenever applicable. If the modification
includes a superscript, subscript, or prime, the five-step rule of a
above must be followed. The five-step rule may be used in conjunction
with the contracted form without fear of confusion."

On Saturday morning, BANA hosted an Open Forum at the Arlington Public
Library, Arlington, VA. The forum was quite well attended by DC area
braille readers, students, and teachers. Participants also traveled
from West Virginia and Maryland to attend. BANA Board members and
forum participants engaged in a dynamic dialogue that centered on the
characteristics of UEB and the coming transition. The tone of the
forum was extremely upbeat with numerous questions and comments about
the importance and future of braille; the well-spoken students added
their individual and open-minded perspectives.

For additional resource information, visit www.brailleauthority.org

The Board of BANA consists of appointed representatives from fifteen
member organizations of braille producers, transcribers, teachers, and
consumers.

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.

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.

Joey Couch
phone 606-216-8033.
email ki4vjd at gmail.com
twitter.
 http://www.twitter.com/ki4vjd
facebook.
 http://www.facebook.com/ki4vjd