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<font size=5><b>Press Release<br>
May 2012<br>
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<br>
<div align="center"><font size=4><b>For Immediate Release<br>
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<font face="Verdana" size=2>CONTACT: Frances Mary D’Andrea, Chair<br>
Braille Authority of North America<br>
Phone: 412-521-5797<br>
Email:
<a href="mailto:literacy2@mindspring.com">literacy2@mindspring.com</a><br>
<br>
</font><br>
<div align="center"><font size=4><b>Implementation Date Set for 2011
Braille Formats<br>
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<font face="Verdana" size=2> <br>
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<font face="Verdana" size=2>On April 24, BANA released the new <i>Braille
Formats: Principles of Print-to-Braille Transcription, 2011</i>. This
completely revised publication is available in three accessible
electronic versions: enhanced PDF, BRF, and online HTML. These are
available at
<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/">www.brailleauthority.org</a>
and are offered without charge. Print and braille versions will be
available for purchase from the American Printing House for the Blind
later this year.<br>
</font><br>
<font face="Verdana" size=2>This is an extensive revision of the previous
formats publication. Appendix A of the new publication provides a quick
reference of changes and additions. <br>
</font><br>
<font face="Verdana" size=2>The official implementation date for use of
<i>Braille Formats 2011</i> is January 1, 2013. The principles set forth
in the <i>Braille Formats 2011</i> supersede all previous formats
documents, including the rules and appendices regarding formatting given
in <i>English Braille American Edition</i>
(EBAE).</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size=2> <br>
BANA wishes to thank the tireless members of the Braille Formats
Technical Committee and their Chair Lynnette Taylor for their decade of
work and commitment that made this publication possible.<br>
<br>
</font><br>
<font face="Verdana" size=2>Direct link to this press release on the BANA
website:
<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/pressreleases/pr-may2012.html">
http://www.brailleauthority.org/pressreleases/pr-may2012.html</a><br>
</font><br>
<font size=2> <br>
</font><br>
<font size=2>For additional resource information, visit
<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/">www.brailleauthority.org</a>
<br>
</font><br>
<font size=2><i> <br>
</i></font><br>
<font size=2><i>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.
<br>
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