[kdejute]

A few further thoughts on number lines are below. Many thanks to members of the Tactile Graphics Committee for their input!

The revised TG Guidelines (not yet published) state that number lines are graphics and so should have a blank line before and after them. And number lines should start in cell 1 unless a single number line is the entirety of an identified item (e.g., each answer choice consists of only a number line). This is so a number line will (in most cases) fit on one line without division and be easy to find.

The revised TG Guidelines also tell us that a numeric passage is not necessary for the numbers below a number line to be transcribed without any numeric indicators. In other words, numbers below a number line don't have numeric indicators, and no numeric passage is necessary for this to be the case. Tactile Graphic Guidelines tells us that all number lines are considered to be tactile graphic representations, whether they are done with braille cells (grades 4 and up) or as line graphics (K through grade 3).

The collection of rules and guidelines that apply to a UEB Math/Science transcription is surprisingly diverse. UEB Guidelines for Technical Material (GTM) applies to most "dot level" issues. BANA's Provisional Guidance for Transcribing Mathematics in UEB applies, especially to formatting concerns not covered in GTM. Braille Formats 2016 applies to text format issues not covered in GTM or the Provisional Guidance mentioned before. Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics (GSTG) applies to tactile graphic issues, including number lines. The updated version of GSTG will include the symbols appropriate for number lines in a UEB Math/Science transcription. These correspond quite closely to what is in the GTM. (The 2010 version of GSTG can tell us little or nothing about dot-level concerns in a UEB Math/Science transcription.)

Since GSTG applies to these number lines we're discussing, we can use its thorough information about how to transcribe number lines, including how to format runovers (GSTG 6.5.1.11). Namely, a continuation indicator is not shown at the end of a line; a break must occur so that a tick mark starts on the new line; and the runover is in cell 3 (with the very beginning of the number line in cell 1).

So, to revisit your original questions in brief:

1. A number line should almost always be formatted in 1-3 regardless of the context/exercise material.
2. According to GSTG, numbers below a number line do not get any numeric indicators, and no numeric passage is necessary for this to happen.
3. There is not a required number of horizontal line indicators between an arrow or a crossing vertical line. Spacing in a number line must be proportionally accurate based on the number line's content.
4. Runovers of number lines begin in cell 3, with a tick mark beginning the runover line; no continuation indicator should be used.

Phew! How is it going?

–Kyle

[kdejute]

It's coming together! I only have one question. Why does the braille show more layouts of the multiplication problems than print does? For example 5×2 is only shown in a linear layout in print but is shown first spatially and then linearly laid out in braille. (Maybe the other layouts are on a reverse side to the print cards that I can't see in the file?)

–Kyle

[kdejute]

Attached (as an image and in a .brf) is a possible transcription of the content from item 14 in your example. Do you think this will work for you?

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[kdejute]

Attached (as an image and in a .brf) is a possible transcription of the content from item 13 in your example. What do you think?

–Kyle

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[kdejute]

I think you'll get the best complete answers to your questions from NBA's Tactile Graphics Committee.

For what it's worth, if I were considering your questions for myself, I would take into consideration the following.

1. I know of no Tactile Graphic Guideline that says a graphic must be formatted according to Braille Formats 2016 or must be formatted beginning in cell 1. For all aspects of a transcription, I try to follow #3 of BANA's Provisional Guidance for Transcribing Mathematics in UEB, which includes the following:

  Follow Braille Formats: Principles of Print-to-Braille Transcription, 2016 for the format of displayed literary text except for paragraph format, which is never blocked. For displayed mathematical expressions, use blank lines preceding and following; and indent 2 cells from the runover position of the material to which they apply.
Use of the full braille line for a displayed technical expression (with runovers in cell 3), is appropriate for higher math where expressions are lengthy and more complicated. The spaces used to indent beyond the runover in effect can make the difference between dividing or keeping a mathematical unit together.

2. A numeric passage seems to make a lot of sense for a number line. My team and I often use a numeric passage for number lines.

3. I know of no rule that specifies a number of horizontal line indicators between ticks and/or arrows in a number line. Tactile Graphic Guidelines6.5.1 does tell us, "Number lines are used to teach relationships between numbers; therefore, it is essential that the proportional spacing between units be preserved."

4. Conceivably, a number line can have a runover.

[kdejute]

Chris,

You're right that our rule books for UEB Math/Science do not show any examples like the multiplication problems you shared (i.e., spatial multiplication problems whose factors include decimals). Following print alignment within the problem is likely your best approach. That is, right-align the factors, and do not align by place value in these multiplication problems.

One potential transcription of your example problems is attached (as an image and in a .brf).

–Kyle

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[kdejute]

I believe we should place the numeric indicators so that they are not in a column with any numbers.

–Kyle

[kdejute]

Melissa,

Thank you for sharing your questions and ideas. These small cards sure have *multiple* components, don't they? They won't be small in braille.

I think you're quite right to present the bottom area with circles as a graphic.

I cannot think of any useful way to retain the colors that print is using. I would argue that color is most likely a visual repetition of information that is already given by the content of the cards (i.e., which numbers are repeated within a given card and which number is the answer (product or quotient)).

The tiny numbers are not necessarily part of the calculation of any problem. I would suggest that their purpose is simply to illustrate why the answer is correct. So, the tiny numbers do not need to be aligned with the equations in any way. They only need to be grouped together via formatting in braille (for example, by using blank lines) as they are via color in print.

I hope that helps. If you can share what you come up with here, we would love to see it!

–Kyle

[kdejute]

For convenience, I've attached an image of the example print and the suggested braille.

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[kdejute]

Thank you for sharing your question, Julie.

I would transcribe the print "(negative one and four-fifths)(negative-three over eight)" as follows, without any braille line breaks.

"<"-#a#d/e">"<("-#c./#h)">

This transcription has the following characteristics.

1. follows print for placement of the minus signs (i.e., before the whole number part of a mixed number and with the numerator of a general fraction)
2. treats the four-fifths as a numeric fraction that is part of a mixed number that happens to be negative
3. treats the fraction "negative-three over eight" as a general fraction, because it includes a symbol of operation

–Kyle

[kdejute]

Taylor,

Thank you for your astute question.

What if we *could* use a numeric passage even with this multiplication problem with letters? We think you could by using grade 1 symbol indicators and a firmly worded transcriber's note. Please see attached for a possible transcription.

The transcriber's note used in our example is, "In the problem below, a grade 1 symbol indicator .=; only affects the symbol immediately after it." Another possible wording might be, "In the problem below, only a symbol that comes immediately after a grade 1 symbol indicator .=; is a letter."

• This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by kdejute. Reason: added full screenshot of sample transcription

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[kdejute]

Ooof! Good question. I do not find a Nemeth Code symbol assigned to "not" when it is represented in print by a "line horizontal, then down at right."

[kdejute]

Yes, the Position Statement—"Terminology: UEB Math/Science and UEB with Nemeth" is published on BANA's website, on a page with other BANA Position Statements and Fact Sheets! and it tells us to use the terms "UEB Math/Science" and "UEB with Nemeth."

The slash in that term does *not* indicate that either "UEB Math" or "UEB Science" should ever be used. The full term "UEB Math/Science" should be used every time.

So, a Biology textbook transcribed using only UEB symbols is in "UEB Math/Science," and a Geometry textbook using only UEB symbols is also in "UEB Math/Science."

Thank you for the question!
–Kyle

[kdejute]

This question was addressed in its posting on the UEB Technical Forum.

[kdejute]

Exactly, Dan.

The end of a braille line counts as a braille space unless the dot 5 continuation indicator is used.

Thank you for the question, Kim.

For what it's worth, I would be inclined to avoid use of the grade 1 terminator and transcribe your example as follows.

,may #bj1 #bjag1 https3_/_/www4npr4"
org_/#bjag_/#je_/#bj_/#ebibcbhbc_/"
with-lee-/atues-removal-ano!r-battle-"
(-new-orl1ns-comes-to-a-close4

because I don't love the readability of

,may #bj1 #bjag1 https3_/_/www4npr4"
org_/#bjag_/#je_/#bj_/#ebibcbhbc_/;'"
)-lee-/atues-removal-ano!r-battle-"
(-new-orl1ns-comes-to-a-close4

But either of the transcriptions above would be accurate.

–Kyle

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