Headings and Blank lines

[Anne Lattanzi]

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[Michael Gunner]

Hello Anne,

Thank you for your question.

After consultation with the committee and a member of the BANA Formats committee.

Your general understanding is correct.

Although the 2024 update references "text" as list, poems, box or poems.  The spirit of the rule applies to all material that requires a blank line after it such as displayed, exercise sets, etc. So the correct application is:

For material ending a braille page:

• Does the format require a blank line after it? If yes,
• Is there text on line 24 or 25? If yes,
• Is there a running head on the next page? If yes, place the blank line on line 2, if no, place the blank line on line 1.

Based upon the above information the example (A) would be incorrect because a box line requires a blank line following.

The "What about headings" portion of your question was more challenging. As you stated, "If there can be no confusion for the braille reader, should we maintain a blank line on line 1?" Many years ago a transcriber was given the ability to remove a blank line if it was determined that the change in format was enough to alert the reader and cause "no confusion." The problem with that process is that transcribers often have different ideas as to what will or will not cause confusion.

Taking away this discretion means that there needs to be a blank line before material that the guidelines state need a blank line. This includes, but is not limited to; headings, lists, displayed, itemized, etc. With this in mind, we apply the above concept to all material that requires a blank line at the top of a braille page. In doing so we get the following process:

For material beginning a braille page:

• Does the format require a blank line before it? If yes,
• Is there text on line 24 or 25 of the previous page? If yes,
• Is there a running head? If yes, place the blank line on line 2, if no, place the blank line on line 1.

The purpose of these guidelines is to eliminate transcriber discretion and produce more consistent braille.

Michael

 

 

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