UNIT: 10 INTRODUCTION TO BRAILLE AND TACTILE MATERIALS
Key Unit Competence: Use Braille and tactile materials as
alternative communication for
Introductory Activity
Read the following passage and answer the questions
Umutoni, now 25 years was born with oculocutaneous albinism. As with all
disabilities. This has a complex definition. For Umutoni, it means she has
no pigment in her eyes, skin, or hair. She is extremely sensitive to light,
she has nystagmus and she is legally blind. She has also had some other
physical problems along the way, but has developed into an outstanding
young lady working as a Chief Executive Officer of a well-known company
working in East Africa.
The road to victory has not been easy and sometimes Umutoni did not
choose the easy route. Even as a small child many people saw the special
qualities in her and encouraged and guided her. Others have been unable
to see beyond her shortcomings. The key to her success has been her
strength of character to focus on her abilities, not her disabilities. Her
favorite saying is” I may not have eyesight but I have vision”. Her vision is
now to improve on Braille system invented by Louis Braille decades ago.
Her academic life has definitely had its ups and downs. She enrolled in
special school for learners with Visual Impairment for her primary education.
The school has all the materials needed for her education. There were
appropriate braille materials for her, like perkins machine and computers
with appropriate software. Books were in braille and teachers were
conversant with braille and taught her in braille. The school environment
was also friendly and adapted to meet her needs. However, her social
life was not as good as her academic life which affected her level of selfesteem.
She later decided to join an inclusive school for her secondary
education. The supportive schools have helped her develop into the kind
Questions:
1. Umutoni succeed in life despite her disability. What could be the
reasons of her success?
2. What is the vision of Umutoni? Who invented braille?
10.1. History of Braille and tactile materials
Activity 10.1.
1. How do people with Visual Impairment learn and how do they
write and read?
2. Do you know any people who contributed to the development of Braille?
10.1.1 What is braille?
Braille is a system of embossed dots which are formulated using combinations
of six dots. They are arranged in two vertical rows of three dots each. Different
arrangement of the dots forms the alphabet and other characters which you
will learn later in this unit.
They form a group of six dots numbered as follow:
One group of the six dots as shown above is called Braille cell.
Persons with Visual Impairment read these dots through touch. Those
who read through touch are referred to as touch readers. They use their
fingers to find the position and arrangement of the dots and know what is
communicated. Braille writing is very different from print writing. Each letter
of the alphabet and all other print characters and symbols have their Braille
equivalent depending on the arrangement of the dots. This is done by usingthe six dots of the braille cell.
The position of the dot in a cell can make a lot of difference in meaning. Youwill learn how to write the alphabet in Braille later.
10.1.2 Historical Background of Braille
Before braille was developed as a system of reading and writing for
people who are blind, there were other efforts to enable them to read and
communicate with each other or with sighted individuals. These include the
work of people such as:
• Valentine Haûy
• Charles Barbier
• Louis Braille
Let us now examine some of these important contributions towards Braille
reading and writing
• Valentine Haûy ( 1745-1822)
In 1784 Valentine Haûy founded the first school for the blind in Paris and
realized that the development of some methods of reading and writing was a
precondition for providing any systematic and meaningful education to persons
who were blind. Haûy concentrated on using regular print in embossed form.
This form of embossed print went through many modifications and therefore
could not survive long. All embossed letters had for the blind one basic
shortcoming, it was talking to the fingers the language of the eye.
• Charles Barbier (1767- 1841)
Charles Barbier was an army officer in the French army and also an engineer.
He needed to send messages without being discovered at night. This could
only be done by touch and it is only this basis that he came up with “tangible
dots”. It was his idea to use embossed dots as the medium most suitable
for such touch reading. His system was used by soldiers to communicate at
night in the battlefield. Charles Barbier’s system consisted of twelves dots,
six vertical dots in two rows. The greatest disadvantage of this system was
its difficulty for touch reading since the dots could not be well covered by thefingertips.
• Louis Braille (1809- 1852)
Louis Braille who was also French man became blind when he was young.
He was acquainted with Barbier’s system of dots while he was still quite
young. He used it experimentally with his pupils when he became a teacher.
He conceived the idea of using the upper half of the Barbier cell and designed
an alphabet with the six dots cell that had two rows of three dots. The new
code now called Braille was accepted in 1854 two years after Louis Braille’s
death. It is the Braille we use today.
10.1.3 Braille Writing Equipment
This section introduces you to various Braille writing equipment. The following
are some of the major Braille writing equipment:
• Slate and Stylus
• Brailler
• Jot a dot
• Braille embosser
• Thermoform machine
Let us look at each of these equipment
• Slate and stylus
The slate is a rectangular frame that has impressions of Braille cells on it. It
has a frame that is hinged on it as shown in the figure below. Braille paper
is inserted and held tightly by the frame. The stylus is used to prick dots on
a special paper known as Braille paper. Writing using a stylus is done from
right to left. However, reading is done after turning over the brailler paper
and then we read from left to right.
The Stylus is made of a wooden or plastic holder. Its lower end has a metal
pin which punches dots in a braille paper fastened to the slate. By pressing
the sharp stylus on the paper in the appropriate position one is able to come
up with the same kind of Braille characters as those produced by a brailler.
These dots are written from the back of the paper and are read from the
front of the same paper. This means that the dots are made in reverse whenwriting so that when you turn the paper over the order of the dots is reversed.
In order to write Braille using the slate and Stylus, you need a lot of practice
as letters must be written one way and read the other way.
• Brailler
Braillers are machines used for writing Braille by pressing keys which
produce the raised dots (embossed dots). There are a variety of braillers.
The following are some of the Braille writing machines:
• Perkins Brailler
• Marburg Brailler
• Erika Brailler
Let us examine each brailler.
• Perkins Brailler
Perkins Brailler is the most commonly used Braille writing machine in schools
in Rwanda. It is very reliable and simple to operate. The embossing head
produces firm dots that are easy to read. The Braille paper is held tightly andkept in position throughout.
The important parts of Perkins brailler are:
• Keyboard
• Embossing heard
• Paper release lever
• Carriage
Let us now examine the functions of these parts.
Keyboard
The Keyboard of a Brailler has 9 keys. These are:
• Line spacer which is used from moving from one line to the other
upwards
• Space bar at the centre of the dot key for moving along the line
• Backspacer key for moving paper backwards
• Six keys for embossing the six dots used in writing Braille.
Embossing Head
This is the part of a Brailler that embosses the six dots to a Braille paper.
Paper Release Lever
There are two paper Release Levers which hold tight the braille paper in
readiness for writing and releases them to allow one to remove the paper.There are two of them, one on the left and one on the right.
Grooved Roller
The grooved roller rolls paper forward and backwards. The grooves hold the
paper tights gripping it as it moves. The grooves are made such that they
cannot crash the dots.
Carriage
This is the lever located between the handle and the keys. It moves the
embossing head from right to left. It is moved with the help of a lever which
is cup shaped. It is operated by one, two or three fingers. The carriage sides
when the lever is pressed a little and can be pushed to the direction the
writer wants it to move.
Marburg
Marburg is less expensive than the Perkins Brailler. It has similar
characteristics and operates in more or less the same ways as the Perkins.
However, it is less durable as compared to Perkins. It is on this basis thatMarburg is currently getting replaced by the Perkins.
• Erika Brailler
This is a small Braille writing machine. It uses small pieces of Braille paper
size. The body is back in colour and attached to a metal base that is painted
bright red. The keys are wooden with ivory lay. This is a mini brailler which
is meant for note taking. However, it is not durable and also is not readily
available. It is being replaced by most recent Braille note taking machineknown as Jot a dot which you shall study next.
• Jot a Dot
Jot a Dot is an electronic mini Braille writing machine also referred to as
“Pocket Brailler” developed in Australia. This is a portable brailling device
and the most recent form of note taking machine for persons who are blind, it
uses light paper as opposed to the other braillers which must use the heavyBraille Paper.
• Braille Embosser
The embosser is the most recent development in Braille writing and mass
production of brailled materials. A special software for example the Duxbury
Braille Translator (DBT) that can covert print to Braille and vice versa is
installed in a computer. However, the writer uses the ordinary keyboard. By
a command, the embosser can produce copies of Braille scripts in more or
less the same principles as a printer.
• Thermoform Machine
Before the braille embosser, thermoform was the major machine used for
mass production of braille material. Thermoform is not a writing equipment
but it is a machine for mass production of braille copies. It works with the
same principles as the duplicating machine. It is however slow because the
production is one page at a time.
It is easy to operate and uses a special paper known as braillon. This paper
is expensive and not locally available. The braillon is placed on top of the
master copy and by heating and suction, the embossed dots are copied onthe braillon.
10.1.4. How do we maintain the Braille writing equipment?
You do this by:
• Covering the machine with a dust cover every time that it is not in use
• Storing in safe dry place and avoid dampness for the preservation of
metal parts
• Cleaning and lubricating the parts regularly
• Tightening of loose screws and nuts
• Replacing of faulty parts when needed
SELF Assessment 10.1
1. Name the various Braille writing equipment2. Explain the function of the five major parts of the Perkins Brailler
10.2 Rules of Braille transcriptions
Activity 10.2
Discuss the importance of having braille transcribing rules?
For Braille writing to be successful transcribed, the different rules were set
for guiding users, teachers and transcribers.1. Learners are urged to work through each lesson in this unit in
the order given, and to perfect themselves in each lesson before
proceeding to the next.
2. It is most important that each example given should actually be
written several times for practice.
3. The best and quickest way to learn to write is by constant practice,
and by a firm resolve to send only faultless work to the instructor.
4. When transcribing given exercises start a new braille line for each
print line shown.
5. The braille page number should be put at the top right hand of the
paper.
6. The Practices should be given to your teacher for marking.
7. A sighted person reads braille by sight rather than by touch. However,good braille feels right rather than looks right.
8. Establish the habit of always using the spacebar immediately afterSELF Assessment 10.2
brailling a word or punctuation.
9. Keep your eyes on the print copy and not on your fingers.
10. Position the print copy so it can be read without strain. Mark the line
you are brailling in such a way as to ensure that you do not miss a
line or lose your place.
11. Ensure the completed work for marking is well protected so the dots
are not flattened in transit.
12. Dot 5 is used as a mathematical hyphen when it is necessary to
divide a mathematical expression at the end of a braille line.
13. A number sign must be written before any number to differentiate it
from letters of alphabet.
14. All punctuation marks must be written immediately after the words
they follow without any spacing
15. Dot 6 is used to mark capitalization and when 2 dots 6 follow one
another before a word it is an indication of capitalization of all the
following letters
16. The use 3 and 6 dots at the end of any braille line, it indicates thecontinuation of word to the following line.
List down at least 5 rules of transcribing braille
10.3. Braille alphabet, figures and punctuations marzks grade one
Introduction
In this section you will be introduced to all the letters of the alphabet, figures
and punctuations marks used in Braille writing.
Activity 10.3
–– Write in Braille form alphabet from A to Z then W–– Explain why letter W is not included in this format
10.3.1. Letters from a-j
d. Braille for Mathematics
Activity 10.4
Write down 1 to 10:
–– In Braille numbers 1 to 0
–– Write in Braille form the five mathematical signs.
Numbers from1 to 0
Braille numbers are written by putting a number sign in front of the first 10letters of the alphabet.
Note: The addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and equal sign are
two cells each.
SELF Assessment 10.4
Write the following numbers in print
10.4. Punctuations marks
Activity 10.5
Discuss with your colleagues the punctuation marks that you know.
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
1. Explain briefly the history of braille?
2. What is Jot a Dot?
3. Which other brailler do you compare with Erika?
4. Describe how slate and stylus are used in writing Braille
5. Explain why the use of this equipment cab ne difficult for beginners
6. List any four basic ways of caring and maintaining a braille writing
machine
7. Write down any 3 rules of Braille transcriptions that you know.
8. Where should the page number be written on braille paper?
9. Why should a sighted person read braille using her/ his eyes?
10. Write down the dots for the following letters: b F i L R P u m x W
11. Give the dots for the following mathematical signs: + - x = /
12. List down any 4 punctuation marks that you know.
13. Write the following in Braille
14. Kill, cage, TTC, pocket, monkey, umbrella, zebra, velvet, task, Sarah.15. Write the following in print:
