kdejute
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Thank you for the question.
Guidelines for Technical Material does not give us firm instruction about where to place signs of operation in a spatial arrangement.
Consistency is key to setting the braille user up for success.
For what it is worth, members of this committee tend to place operation symbols one cell to the left of the leftmost number *in the calculation that the operation sign is part of.*
–Kyle
Thank you for the question, Cynthia.
In short, yes.
If you're wondering whether the capital passage is a tool available for use in a UEB Math/Science transcription, then please consider that UEB technical is an extension of UEB in general (rather than being a separate code). This means all UEB indicators may be used in technical material rendered in UEB.
To underscore this, use of the capitals indicator is mentioned and demonstrated in the chemistry portion of the current UEB technical document (Guidelines for Technical Material 16.2).
If you're wondering whether the braille would be accurate with the capital passage used, then the answer is also "yes." That is, the print you have is "'the edges of this polygon are segments' AB-with-bar-over, BC-with-bar-over, CD-with-bar-over, DE-with-bar-over, and EA-with-bar-over." and it would be accurate to braille this as (disregard line breaks):
! $ges ( ? polygon >e seg;ts ;;;,,,<ab>:1 <bc>:1 <cd>:1 <de>:1,';' & ;;<,,ea>:4
However, I suspect that the following transcription would be more intuitive to a lot of braille users. (disregard line breaks)
! $ges ( ? polygon >e seg;ts ;;;<,,ab>:1 <,,bc>:1 <,,cd>:1 <,,de>:1;' & ;;<,,ea>:4
What do you think? Does this help?
–KyleSusan,
What a fun question about Duxbury. 🤓
I did notice something intriguing as I experimented with the first equation in your example under the heading "Recursive formula". If I added something that requires grade 1 mode close to the beginning of the symbols-sequence after the equals sign, then DBT will give us a grade 1 passage for the whole equation that you've enclosed in "ts" "te" codes (which give rise to the "math" character style). So, it looks like Duxbury's reasoning for using a grade 1 passage has something to do with how early on in the symbols-sequences grade 1 mode is called for.
So, I tricked DBT into thinking about that symbols-sequence after the equals as more than one symbols-sequence. (At least that's what I think I did.) I added a harmless code (xcs) after the r in the symbols-sequence "r, paren, a-sub-n-minus-one, paren"
Does that make sense?
I'm not sure that is a complete fix. Let's all keep tinkering with this.
–Kyle
Susan,
You are quite right that any fraction with a sign of omission *does not* qualify as a simple numeric fraction (GTM 6.1, also the Bulletin article "Fractions: What are their symbols and rules?," in the 2020 Fall edition).
Really, the only correct way to transcribe the fractions you've highlighted is using the UEB general fraction indicators and line (GTM 6.4). ( ) and ./
Maaaybe, for this specific student only, you could use the general fraction line and not the general fraction indicators?? This would be a one-student-only accommodation.
–Kyle
Julie,
The most official "certification" that we know of is the letter of proficiency that comes from successfully completing the final test of CNIB course 1.3. More information about this is in the APH webinar "Navigation of Braille Certification".
Another "certification" is the certificates that you can purchase after completing each of the three math programs offered by UEB Online.
–Kyle
Answer, part 1: A list of resources for studying UEB, with a focus on math & science
UEB Math/Science (or "Technical Material in UEB") Resources 👩🏫
The APH webinar UEB Math Science: Frozen Juice Concentrate explains some principles that expand through all UEB Math/Science materials, and it is packed full of resources for reference and study. This webinar's handout is hosted on the Access Academy Handouts page.
Below are links to a variety of free resources for learning to use UEB to transcribe technical materials.
- Guidelines for Technical Material (2008 version updated August, 2014), available in PDF and BRF from ICEB's UEB page
- UEB Mathematics Program from UEBOnline
- Braille Course 1.3 UEB Technical, from CNIB (available in PDF and BRF). This is described in detail as part of the APH webinar Navigation of Braille Certification.
- UEB Math Tutorial online, from APH
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to UEB Maths, from BANZAT
- Unified English Braille for Math (For Sighted Learners), posted by the Philippine National School for the Blind
- Provisional Guidance for Transcribing Mathematics in UEB, from BANA
- UEB Training Modules, from Colorado DOE
The National Braille Association has webinars about UEB Math/Science both in their webinars archive and on their Web-Based Learning Page.
The Primary Maths Cheat Sheet, from UEBOnline is one list of some UEB symbols used in technical materials.
The UKAAF created the document "Generating mathematical symbols using Math AutoCorrect or Unicode," which provides detailed instruction on inserting symbols in a document, especially in MS Word. The document is available in multiple formats from UKAAF's website, in the section on Braille Standards.
Kim,
Thank you for the question. Full disclosure, this is probably more of a Braille Formats question than a UEB Math/Science question.
Nonetheless, I'll go ahead and say that I like your proposed solution. Instead of repeating the same tn at the beginning of every blank-riddled table, a tn on the Transcriber's Notes Page saying something like, "In all tables, a series of guide dots across the width of a column indicates that an answer is to be inserted."
Before you implement that solution, we must ask: Are there any tables with a blank that's not meant to be filled with answers?
–Kyle
Thank you for the question, Susan!
It seems that the sole purpose of the arrows in your examples is to guide the reader to a related piece of information on the page. In that case, we should simply indicate the relationship between items by putting them close together or, possibly, by explaining the relationship in a transcriber's note.
For example, each of the numbers (e.g., 500) in the series of totals below the separation line in your second example could have its related addition expression transcribed on the same braille line after a space (see attached picture).
Similarly, the relationship between the two presentations of 476 + 148 (one with place values written out) could be transcribed one after the other and the relationship would be clear. If you feel it is necessary, a transcriber's note could be used (e.g., "The problem is modeled first with only numbers and then with numbers and words.").
Keep on brailling on!
–KyleJeremy,
I hear you.
I believe that a studious group in Canada is working on a UEB version of something like BANA's Graphing Calculator Guidelines.
Right now, we do not have any official guidance on how to transcribe graphing calculator screens in UEB.
–Kyle
I would love to see the print from this question!
–Kyle DeJute (Chair of NBA's UEB Technical Material Committee)
Melissa,
Thank you for the question and for sharing some images of your print.
We (the NBA UEB Technical Material Committee) recommend creating a key for the quote bubbles so that their full text is given before the problems and the little key symbols for each quote bubble are placed where appropriate in relation to the spatial problems. This cuts down on the amount of text crowded into the spatial problems, which are challenging to navigate even without commentary.
Similarly, for the blue text, *if* you have to keep the blue, then we would explain its use in a transcriber's note before the problems. Spatial math is difficult enough, and adding a three cell symbol (the transcriber-defined typeform) to the math will make it much more difficult.
The wording for a transcriber's note about blue text might say something like, "In the following problem, blue text is used to highlight 73 in 573, the second 2 and the 8 in 228, and 800. This highlighting is not reproduced in braille."
Braille on!
–Kyle and the UEB Tech Team at NBAWe have confirmation from the 2022 Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics!
(Though not yet published, the text of the 2022 GSTG has been approved by the BANA Board and is now being carefully prepared for general distribution.)
Regardless of the text's grade level, the numeric indicator is not used before a number that occurs below the number line. The numeric indicator is, however, used “within” a number that occurs below the number line.
So the UEB Math/Science transcription recommended by the Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics for a digital time label below the number line would be c3#ae (3:15)
The numeric indicator is used within that number because of Rules of UEB 6.3.1.
Please let us know if you have any follow-up questions or concerns!
–Kyle
Thank you for the question, Melissa.
We know that 6.5.1.1 in the Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphic Guidelines tells us, "A numeric indicator is not used before a number if it occurs below the number line, whether the number is whole, fractional, decimal, or negative. ..."
Please let me check with some colleagues before I tell you for sure how to transcribe digital time labels below a number line.
–Kyle
