[dspence]

Hi Christina,

Sorry for the delayed response. I’ve consulted with a couple of people.

I don’t think there is one right answer. This being 1st grade material only complicates the problem. You have to be careful not to omit any of the buttons because it appears as though questions requires all of them. You could break it up and make a set of buttons with the shapes and letters on them for the colors. You could include a key for the color letters but would need to tell them in a TN before the key to ask their teacher for help.  If you provided a print TN for the teacher she/he the read the TN to the student. This would get the student familiar with the concept of keys. You could then braille all the questions  related to shape and colors. You could then present all the shapes again with the button holes followed by the questions for button holes.

This is what one person suggested “It’s my opinion that the exercise could still be done with fewer buttons. They could still classify them by shape and the number of holes. I can’t remember how many colours were involved, but perhaps some could be textured and others plain. I think that … the buttons could be placed in a row rather than scattered across the page for them to try to “find”.  I think that if they were large enough. 1-2 inches, they could readily discern the number of holes in each button.
Just my thoughts ….” This person later recanted and said that none of the buttons could be omitted.

I’m not sure how much this helped, let me know what your final decision is…I’d love to hear. Good luck!

Diane

[dspence]

Hi Christina,

Can you tell me what grade level this is?

Diane

[dspence]

Hi Julie!

I would suggest you also post this question under CAT since the TG Guidelines focuses on rules for graphics while CAT focuses on software for braille production.

However, some helpful members have suggested the following--

Here is a link that shows how to center within a textbox that might help but it may make a difference depending on which version of Inkscape you have.

https://inkscape.org/forums/questions/text-alignment-options-in-inkscape-10/

This was from another member:

1. With an Inkscape document open, choose the “Create and edit text objects” tool
2. Drag the mouse cursor to create the textbox.
3. The text insertion cursor is active inside the textbox you have just drawn. Type to add the text in the textbox. The textbox will remain selected during this process.
4. With the textbox still selected, issue the keychord SHIFT-CTRL-A (this opens the “Align and Distribute” pane)
5. In the “Relative to:” drop-down box, select “Page”
6. Select the “Center on Vertical Axis” tool
7. The entire textbox realigns to center the text you have just inserted

I've attached a file with screen shots for further information. Hope this helps.

Thanks to the contributing members...it takes a village!

Diane

Attachments:

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[dspence]

Hi Cindy,

As you know in 5.8.4.9 of the Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphic discusses the use of two column keys. I do not believe there is is an absolute right or wrong way to present the number of entries in each column. General thought is that the 2 columns should be divided as evenly as possible.  You should also take into consideration the category of information contained in the two columns. If all the entries are alphabetic you could go down the first column in alphabetic order for the first 7 entries and then move to the second column and place the remaining 6 entries again in alphabetic order. Or you could put 6 in the first column and 7 in the last column so that the closing TN is definitely the last thing read in case the reader is reading from left to right instead of down. In reference to your original comments about having 9 lines of braille, my preference again would be to divide them as evenly as possible. Just because you have 9 lines of braille doesn't mean you have to use it.

I have also seen two column keys with different categories of entries, e.g. the first column had 3 line textures with definitions and the second column had 4 point symbols with definitions.  The important thing is to place the closing TN after the last entry in the second column if that is indeed the last item in the key. Hope this helps!

Diane

[dspence]

Susie...yes there should be a blank line between a centered heading and the key to a tactile graphic. As always there is an exception...the pages you reference, 3-35 through 3-36 are examples of a graphic with a multiple page key. That spins things off in an entirely different direction. On these pages, (because there are multiple key pages to the graphic) the graphic is on the left and the key pages are on the right. Because the centered heading (or title) of the map goes with the map on the left (even page) and it is repeated on the right (odd page) the centered heading or graphic title now becomes a "repeated heading" and as per 5.3.1 a blank line is not required with repeated centered headings. Unless you are specifically working on a graphic with multiple page keys, where the above situation would apply, do not use this as an example of whether or not to leave a blank line between the heading and the "Key:" statement. Revisit the chart included in 5.3.5 which outlines the use of blank lines with tactile graphics in situations where you are using a running head and situations where you are not using a running head within the transcription.

Section 5.8.3.1 does state that a blank line should be left between a centered graphic title and the key when it is the first page, or only page of a graphic. If page 1 of a graphic contains the centered heading then the key...you would need a blank line because you always have a blank line before and after a centered head. The exceptions on pages 3-35 through 3-37 are because these are repeated headings found on odd pages. You don't leave a blank line after repeated headings unless the repeated heading is being followed by the graphic itself...and you always have to leave a blank line before and after a graphic.

If you want to send me an example of what you're doing, I'd be happy to review and let you know if you've applied the blank line concept correctly.

Good luck!!! Diane

[dspence]

I would not recommend recreating this as a tactile graphic. I would include a description that explained each presentation. This is a visual concept that cannot be understood clearly by a braille reader. If you did present it tactually, the braille reader would not interpret the information the same way as a sighted student. Even if you enlarged the diagrams several hundred percent, it would be very difficult for them to tactually identify a circle or shape inside or in between the lines.
Diane

[dspence]

Yes...minimumly the tick marks for the hours should be added to the circumference of the clock even if they are not shown in print. The braille reader would need a point of reference on the circle to know where each hour mark was placed. By just placing the numbers around the outside of the circle, the student would not know where on the circle each number was located. Section 6.1.1.7 states that it is not necessary to include tick marks for each minute when only five-minute intervals are required. That is the only place it mentions that some of the tick marks can be omitted.
Diane

[dspence]

There was no intent from the committee to imply that transcribing bar graphs using braille symbols was limited to horizontal orientation. It just happened to be the example we used. We could just have easily chosen a vertical presentation. I don't see any reason why the same methods and process couldn't be used for a vertical bar presentation if the same principles were followed, i.e. whole units only, no grid lines, vertical axis (dots 456) horizontal axis represented by a separation line of dot 5s and an unspaced series of dots 25, etc. Depending on how many bars you had across the horizontal axis line, you may have trouble getting the labels for each bar spaced across the line. Review the parameters explained in 6.6.6.8 and use them as a guide.
Diane

[dspence]

I would place them at the end of the lines...at the top or left side of the line because braille readers tend to either start from the top and go down or from the left and read right. If you place them where they are in print, they could get lost for the braille reader and interfer with readibility. There is already quite a bit of tactual noise with the grid lines, the axis lines and the numbers. With the labels placed outside the grid, it is "cleaner" and easier to follow the lines. If possible, I would also recommend making each line a different texture so it would be easier to track (one from another) and identify each line with it's lettered label.
Diane

[dspence]

I know you posted this question months ago and the delayed response may be too late for your current transcription but I do have somthing to add to what Lindy said from the Math perspective. In sections 6.5.1.10 of the TG Guidelines there is a hierarchy for accommodating a long number line so that it will fit on one line and not have runovers. One of the options is to rotate the number line into a vertical position. I think this is the only place in the document that discusses vertical number lines other than the information about brailling box and whisker plots. When you have a vertical presentation of a number line there is no mention of including numeric indicators. The vertical number line should be brailled just as you would a horizontal number line, without the numeric indicators.
Diane

[dspence]

The presentation would be as follows:
Facing page-
heading
caption
key:
key listing

Next page (odd page)-
repeat heading (do not used "cont." for the repeat heading)
blank line
graphic

Hope this answers your question! Diane

[dspence]

Hi Toby...very interesting question...here is what I would do:

Draw the map with the peachy colored area as one texture with no state boundaries. Then I'd show the orangy colored area as another texture with no state boundaries. I would include the state boundaries for the yellow areas with the state abbreviation labels in each state and abbreviate the Nebraska Territory (nt), Indian Territory (it), and New Mexico Territory (nm) as nt, it, and nm on the map. I would also put a light texture for the water and include it in the key. So the key would look something like this:

,'Key:

**** Slaveholding areas affected by ... Proclamation (States included in this area MO, TN, KY, WV, MD)

^^^^ Slaveholding areas not affected by ... Proclamation (States included in this area TX, AR, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC, VA)

#### Water

it Indian Territory
nm New Mexico Territory
nt Nebraska,'

Draw the map with the yellow areas labeled with state boundaries, the orange area one texture (no state boundaries), the peach area another texture (no state boundaries) and then a light texture for the water. You cannot of course label the bodies of water because those labels are not shown in print.

Done this way, you are communicating which states are included in each area. I don't know what the surrounding text is for this map but I would imagine the concept being taught is which states were affected by the Emancipation Proclamation. The exercise is NOT to teach state identification or location or relation to one another. There are plenty of other opportunities for them to learn state location in a social studies book.

Diane

[dspence]

Dear Toby,

Because you did not include any of the surrounding text that accompanies this map, I don't know if "direction" is referred to, or if it is being taught in this example. In the TG Guidelines, 7.6.3.3 states "If direction is not referred to in the map or surrounding information and the top of the map is assumed to be north, it is not necessary to include the compass rose. Insert a statement, either before the graphic or on the Transcriber's Notes page explaining this convention." My interpretation from your example is that the most important point to convey about this map is that the top of the page is north. I'm assuming this map is in a textbook above grade 3. If so, it is not necessary to show the entire compass rose...meaning you don't have to show all 4 directions in the compass rose (North, E, W, S).

I would present the compass information for maps like this with either a note on the TN page that reads, "Unless otherwise instructed, the top of the page is always considered north." and leave out the compass rose information all together on the maps throughout the book. If you do have a map where the top of the page is NOT north, simple insert the direction of north on that particular map.

Diane

[dspence]

Dear jbb,

My recommendation would be to put the title with the graph. Because the title of the graphic is a part of the graphic...they should always stay together. This is more important than whether or not you have text on line 25. The TG Guidelines do not state that you cannot have text on line 25. It only states that there must be at least 3 blank cells between the text and the page number and you easily have that with the text included on line 25 of your example. In this situation I would agree with your proofreader's suggestion. Great question!!!

Diane
edited by dspence on 10/6/2012

[dspence]

Dear jbb,

The TG Guidelines state that all tactile graphics should be considered spatial regardless of whether they are literary, textbook or nemeth transcriptions. The TG Guidelines state--"9.8.2.1 Braille page numbers should be written in the last cells of line 25 of the graphic page, with no fewer than three blank cells left between the last line of text and the braille page number." Idealy there should be enough room on the page for a blank line after the graphic (line 25) so that the "blank line" requirement is followed. However, if the entire 25 lines are needed in order to present the graphical information, it is OK to have the graphic extend into line 25 as long as there are the required 3 spaces before the braille page number. This presentation is preferred instead of dividing the graphic between 2 pages.

There was no attachment so I couldn't see your example. If you will repost with your examples I'll take a look at them and give you further feedback.

Diane

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