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<div align="center"><b>Press Release<br>
</b></div>
<br>
<div align="center"><b>August 2012<br>
</b></div>
<br>
<div align="center"> <br>
</div>
<br>
<div align="center"><b>For Immediate Release<br>
</b></div>
<br>
CONTACT: Frances Mary D’Andrea, Chair<br><br>
Braille Authority of North America<br><br>
Phone: 412-521-5797<br><br>
Email:
<a href="mailto:literacy2@mindspring.com"><font color="#0000FF">
literacy2@mindspring.com</a><br>
</font><br>
<br><br>
<div align="center"><b>BANA to Vote about Braille Code in November<br>
</b></div>
<br>
<br><br>
At its fall 2012 meeting, which will be held November 2nd through 4th,
the Braille Authority of North America will take a vote that will set the
course for the future of braille codes in the United States. The
direction under consideration is the adoption of Unified English Braille
while maintaining the Nemeth Code for technical materials.<br><br>
<br><br>
"We need to make improvements to reduce barriers that hinder timely
and accurate braille transcription and to ensure that braille will remain
a flexible, robust system that meets the needs of people who read and
write braille in this digital age," said Frances Mary D'Andrea,
Chair of BANA. "If the motion is approved, it would be the first
step in the decision-making process, which will include developing a
carefully formulated plan for transition and implementation of the code
while as much as possible avoiding disruption for current braille
readers."<br><br>
<br><br>
The Board of BANA consists of appointed representatives from fifteen
member organizations of braille producers, transcribers, teachers, and
consumers. Detailed information about the background of the code issues
can be found in the article "Evolution of Braille: Can the Past Help
Plan the Future?" Links to this article are available on the BANA
website home page at
<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/">www.brailleauthority.org</a>.
Print and braille copies of this article are available upon request.
Please send an email to
<a href="mailto:brailleauthority@gmail.com"><font color="#0000FF">
brailleauthority@gmail.com</a></font>, providing your postal mailing
address and stating if you want a print or braille copy.<br><br>
<br><br>
Additional information about UEB can be found at the website of the
International Council on English Braille at
<a href="http://www.iceb.org/"><font color="#0000FF">www.iceb.org</a>
</font>. <br><br>
<br><br>
Details about the fall BANA Board meeting, to be hosted by the Braille
Institute of America in Los Angeles, will be announced in the coming
weeks. For additional resource information, visit
<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/">www.brailleauthority.org</a>
.<br><br>
<br><br>
<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>
</i><br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
BANA-Announce mailing list<br>
BANA-Announce@brailleauthority.org<br>
<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/mailman/listinfo/bana-announce" eudora="autourl">
http://www.brailleauthority.org/mailman/listinfo/bana-announce</a>
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