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<div align="center"><font size=4><b>Press Release<br>
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<br>
<div align="center"><font size=4><b>November 2012<br>
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<br>
<div align="center"><font size=4><b> <br>
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<div align="center"><font size=4><b>For Immediate Release<br>
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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">literacy2@mindspring.com</a><br>
<br>
<div align="center"><font size=4><b> <br>
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<div align="center"><font size=4><b>BANA Adopts Unified English Braille
(UEB) for United States<br>
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<br><br>
On November 2, 2012, the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) set a
new course for the future of braille in the United States (U.S.) when it
adopted Unified English Braille (UEB). The motion, which passed
decisively, specifies that UEB will eventually replace the current
English Braille American Edition and that the U.S. will retain the Nemeth
Code for Mathematics and Science Notation.<br><br>
<br><br>
The transition to UEB will not be immediate and will follow a carefully
crafted timeline. Implementation plans will be formulated with the input
and participation of stakeholders from the consumer, education,
rehabilitation, transcription, and production communities. Plans will
take into consideration the various aspects of creating, teaching,
learning, and using braille in a wide variety of settings. The plans will
be designed to provide workable transitions for all involved in braille
use and production and to minimize disruption for current braille
readers. <br><br>
<br><br>
UEB is based on the current literary braille code and was developed with
input from many people, primarily braille readers, who worked to achieve
an optimal balance among many key factors. Those factors include keeping
the general-purpose literary code as its base, allowing the addition of
new symbols, providing flexibility for change as print changes, reducing
the complexity of rules, and allowing greater accuracy in back
translation. <br><br>
<br><br>
Letters and numbers will stay the same as they are in the current
literary code. There will be some changes to punctuation, but most will
remain the same. Some rules for the use of contractions will change. Nine
contractions will be eliminated, and some contractions will be used more
often. A FAQ providing more detail about changes is available on the BANA
website. <br><br>
<br><br>
After implementation, the official braille codes for the United States
will be <i>Unified English Braille</i>; <i>Nemeth Code for Mathematics
and Science Notation, 1972 Revision</i> and published updates; <i>Music
Braille Code, 1997</i>; and <i>The IPA Braille Code, 2008</i>.<br><br>
<br><br>
More detailed information about UEB and the motion that BANA passed can
be found on the BANA website at
<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/">www.brailleauthority.org</a>
.<br><br>
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<font face="Verdana" size=2> <br>
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<font face="Verdana" size=2><i>The Board of BANA consists of appointed
representatives from fifteen member organizations of braille producers,
transcribers, teachers, and consumers.<br>
</i></font><br>
<font face="Verdana" size=2><i> <br>
</i></font><br>
<font face="Verdana" 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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