Resource

BANA Guidelines for the Transcription of Early Educational Materials from Print to Braille

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide directions for the transcription and formatting of early literacy materials (kindergarten through third grade), including materials to be discarded after use, for primary readers.

The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) has released Guidelines for the Transcription of Early Educational Materials from Print to Braille.  The guidelines are available online as a free accessible PDF and a BRF.

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide directions for the transcription and formatting of early literacy materials (kindergarten through third grade), including materials to be discarded after use, for primary readers. These guidelines apply to the transcription of both contracted and uncontracted braille.

The Guidelines include the following sections:

  • Physical Page Attrubutes
  • Transcriber-Generated Pages
  • Transcriber’s Pages
  • Inkprint Pages
  • Use of Typeform Indicators
  • Line Spacing Relevant to Headings, Poetry, Blocked Text, and Tactile Graphics
  • Workbooks and Spellers
  • Activities to Omit
  • Puzzles
  • Expendable (Consumable) Material
  • Storybooks or Trade Books
  • Mini-Books

The guidelines also include examples of booklets, and First Grade Math Examples with UEB Math/Science and UEB with Nemeth.

Collage of BANA Guidelines