[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 3 years, 10 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

[kdejute]

Taylor,

Thank you for your question.

3.5.1 in the updated Section 3 for Guidelines for Technical Material says, "Use the braille asterisk to represent the print midline asterisk used as a sign of operation in mathematics. It is generally brailled unspaced." (emphasis added) So, I can see why you would interpret that to mean that we might not follow print for use of the not-midline asterisk.

Nonetheless, Rules of UEB 3.3.1 says, "Follow print for the use of the asterisk, dagger and double dagger, regardless of meaning."

So, following print would go along with the braille rules we have.

I even suspect that following print would accurately reflect the intent of the print material since the not-midline asterisk occurs only when used in a teacher's key and a "multiplication, times [cross]" (×) or dot is used in the student's content of the book.

I would apply the same thought process to the use of the forward slash (/) in the teacher's key while the student's content of the book has "division, divided by [horizontal line dotted above and below]" (÷) or the curved or straight line used in print to denote division.

–Kyle

 

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by kdejute. Reason: adjusted wording

[kdejute]

Heather,

You're right that UEB does not include the "bidirectional arrow over" (which can denote a line) in the list of "common modifiers" (GTM 12).

So, the following would be appropriate transcriptions for your two print examples ("bidirectional arrow over BC" and "bidirectional arrow over CB"). I did "build" these using the directly above indicator (GTM 7).

;;<,,bc>.9\wro

The braille grouping indicators make the bidirectional arrow apply to both the B and C instead of just the C.

A grade 1 word indicator precedes the symbols-sequence, because otherwise it would mean "ghBCAR" and so on.

;;<,,cb>.9\wro

For our convenience, I've used a grade 1 word indicator for each of the examples above. In your full transcription, grade 1 mode would need to be applied in a way that works best in each situation.

–Kyle

[kdejute]

See Rules of UEB 10.4.3 for notes on whether grade 1 mode is necessary if the visible space symbol is used between parentheses.

[kdejute]

Greetings, Fred.

In your recreation of your print, I see three situations.

1. A sign of comparison is followed by nothing.
2. A blank space is indicated with a low line.
3. An opening and closing parenthesis are separated by a blank space.

I hope the following observations are helpful to you.

1. UEB does not require us to use any symbol in the open space following a sign of comparison at the end of a math expression. 3.6 of the GTM touches on omission marks *in* mathematical expressions.
   • I would transcribe your examples A) and B) as follows:
     • ,a"> f"<#b"> "7
     • ;,b"> f"<"-#c"> "7
2. 7.2.3 of Rules of UEB (RUEB) tells us, "Regardless of the length of the character in print, use one low line (underscore) .- in braille for each print dash below the line of type which indicates a blank to be filled in."
   • I would transcribe your example C) just like you did
     (i.e., ;,c"> f"<x"> "7 #h1 s ;x "7 .-)
     • Our hope is that if we follow print for the "nothingness" after a sign of comparison at the end of a math expression and for a low line where it is used in print, then the braille user will have the same text in front of them that their print-reading/light-dependent classmates and teachers will have and might be describing. If we used a low line where none appears in print, then the braille user would not have the same text as their light-dependent colleagues.
3. If parentheses (or other print grouping signs) enclose a blank to be filled in, I believe GTM 3.6 tells us to use the visible space +. If the print grouping signs are simply separated with a space for the sake of appearance, then I would follow print and use simply a blank cell to separate the opening and closing parenthesis – thus reserving the visible space for space(s) "to be filled." If the empty/blank space between print grouping signs is a blank to be filled, then I would use the visible space for it.

In short, I agree with Cindi that the three dot 5s are not appropriate for your examples.

Please let us know if/when you have follow-up questions.

–Kyle

[kdejute]

UPDATE:

The Position Statement—"Terminology: UEB Math/Science and UEB with Nemeth" has been published on BANA's website, on a page with other BANA Position Statements and Fact Sheets!

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by kdejute. Reason: updated broken link

[kdejute]

I think I understand better now, Cheri. Thank you.

First, it sounds like the print you're looking at has put "percentage" and "change" on different print lines purely because it looks nice that way. Mathematically, the first part of the equation is "percentage change."

Second, I strongly suspect that what you've called a dividing line is a fraction line (which does mean division).

This makes the transcription of the problem relatively straightforward: The phrase "percentage change" equals the fraction "‘original number minus new number’ over ‘original number’" times 100.

I've attached a PDF and a .docx with what I think your print looks like along with the transcription I would use in an uncontracted environment, and I've also included (just for fun) the transcription I would use in a contracted environment.

Stay strong and braille on!
–Kyle

P.S. The attached .docx file uses the "visual" or "simulated" braille font APH Braille Shadows, which is available for free download, under the heading "Parent Letters" on the Pre-K Teacher Resources page of the Building on Patterns website.

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[kdejute]

Cheri,

Unfortunately, it appears that the picture you tried to share is too large for Ask an Expert to handle. Can you upload a smaller resolution picture?

I cannot respond to your specific material without seeing it.

Nonetheless, generally, within an uncontracted environment the only thing that needs grade 1 mode is lowercase letters a-j that follow unspaced after a number (because otherwise such letters read as digits; e.g., 123 #abc versus 12c #ab;c). Without contractions (i.e., in an uncontracted environment), other symbols cannot be misread (because they can't be read as contractions since none are used anywhere).

I hope this helps, and I look forward to seeing your specific material.

–Kyle

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