<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'><b>The National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) would like to announce</b> <b>a new certification being offered beginning January 2015: the</b> <b>National Certification in Unified English Braille (NCUEB)</b>. Although this certification is intended primarily for professionals in the blindness field, anyone is welcome to take the test, and there are no prerequisites other than knowledge of the UEB code.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'>Since the Braille Authority of North America (BANA), the governing authority of the braille code in the United States, has set January 4, 2016 as the official conversion date to Unified English Braille (UEB), <b>the</b> <b>National Certification in Literary Braille (NCLB)</b> <b>will no longer be offered as of January 1, 2015</b>. Obviously, there will still be a great deal of material in circulation for many years to come that has been transcribed in Literary Braille, and we recognize that many professionals may be interested in becoming certified in both UEB and Literary Braille, so we have scheduled a number of testing opportunities for the NCLB certification in 2014. All registration information is located at: <a href="http://www.nbpcb.org/nclb">www.nbpcb.org/nclb</a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'><b>2014 Test Dates for</b> <b>National Certification in Literary Braille (NCLB)</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><b>May 17</b> Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired, Tucson, AZ<span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><b>May 31</b> Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired, Richmond, VA<span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><b>June 11</b> Iowa Department for the Blind, Des Moines, IA<span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><b>Sept. 13</b> San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind, San Francisco, CA<span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><b>Sept. 27</b> BLIND Inc., Minneapolis, MN<span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in;line-height:150%'><b>Oct. 10</b> Embassy Suites LAX South, Los Angeles, CA<span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'>Anyone holding NCLB certification at the end of 2014 will continue to maintain their status until the expiration date on their most recent certificate. If your agency or organization would be interested in scheduling an exam in your area, please contact us.<span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'>The NBPCB, along with many other organizations whose work involves all aspects of the learning, teaching, and production of braille, are committed to ensuring that the transition from Literary Braille to UEB will be a smooth one. To this end, <b>many workshops will be held throughout the country to offer an opportunity for both professionals and consumers to become familiar with UEB</b>. Please consult our website often for information regarding scheduled workshops sponsored by the NBPCB. <span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'>For questions regarding any aspects of NCUEB or becoming dually certified in both the Unified English Braille and Literary Braille, please contact us at <a href="mailto:braille@nbpcb.org">braille@nbpcb.org</a>.<span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>REGISTER TO TAKE THE NATIONAL CERTIFICATION IN LITERARY BRAILLE (NCLB) Exam <a href="http://www.nbpcb.org/pages/announcements.php"><span style='color:blue'>http://www.nbpcb.org/pages/announcements.php</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>210 Woodard Hall<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>PO Box 3158<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ruston LA 71272<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Office: 318.257.4554<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fax: 318.257.2259 (Fax)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Skype: edwardbell2010<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:ebell@latech.edu"><span style='color:blue'>ebell@latech.edu</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.latech.edu/instituteonblindness"><span style='color:blue'>www.latech.edu/instituteonblindness</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>********************<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>-- Stephen Jay Gould<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>