Lindy Walton
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I am not familiar with the software you are using. We have always made our own Cartesian graphs and used various types of reusable tactile items for our students to use such as tacks on a corkboard with rubber bands or wiki-stix. I have copied your question to the Computer-Assisted Transcription forum -- check there for answers, as well as here for ideas from other readers.
Lindy Walton
Your first decision is whether or not the italics need to be retained in the braille copy. Is "x-axis" always italicized? If so, you can ignore the typeface according to Section 34a.
If it is determined that the italic typeface has mathematical significance and must be retained, then the last sentence of Section 32d applies. The type-form indicator is effective for the entire compound expression.
[braille].;X-AXISSection 33b applies to phrases, so does not apply here. Reminder: The BANA Update includes some format changes to the examples in Section 33, as well as changed text for Section 33b, with five additional examples.
Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
Thank you very much for your reply to my inquiry regarding compound inequalities. Your conclusion to treat it as a spatial arrangement and keep the two parts of the compound inequality in alignment made it very readible in braille.
I was referencing the Counting Symbols example in Tactile Guidelines. It shows the square shape drawn as a tactile box.
I had to do some internet research to see just what these algebra tiles are all about.
Because this is an activity using manipulatives, it makes sense to reproduce the examples as tactile graphics, keeping the shapes and the layout exactly as shown in print, perhaps moving the location of the black arrows so as not to clutter the diagram. Including the letter and numeral labels creates problems with sizing. A nice solution is to make a key showing the three shapes and what they represent. Two textures will differentiate the two same-sized squares. For example:
[rectangle] [braille];X (GRE5)
[smooth square] [braille]#1 (YELL[)
[rough square] [braille]-#1 (R$)Then proceed with the tactile.
I support ignoring the outline of the tan mat but the white mat borders are necessary to delineate the different tile groupings. (Section 3.7.2 of Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics says: "Frames or borders found around many print diagrams should be eliminated unless it provides a frame of reference.")I would align the equal sign with the top row.
I would use the normal recommended space (1/8"-1/4") between tiles and around the circled tiles in "algebra tiles 2."--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
Although the "Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics" is dated 2010, I believe it was not released in its final form until July of 2011, and only as a web version. As far as I know, the hardcopy supplement with tactile examples is not yet available. My previous post did not refer you to any examples, just to the written guidelines in the web version of the guidelines, so I am wondering if we are looking at different resources?
If I am understanding the new guidelines correctly, the example you recently posted (Squares-1) should be brailled using tactile squares. Perhaps the materials you received from another agency were prepared before the Guidelines were released. When braille rules change in the middle of a project we are advised to complete the project using the old rules.
The BANA Tactile Graphics Committee invites your questions -- you can write to them by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page found here: http://www.brailleauthority.org/tg/index.html
--Lindy
No punctuation indicator is used for the apostrophe in "Lila's" because Lila is a word.
--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
The example you provide shows a page of spatially arranged addition problems, with missing digits appearing as squares. Section 58 of the Nemeth Code prohibits the use of shape symbols in work arranged spatially for computation. Only the general omission symbol may be used (dots 123456). As far as I know, Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics does not prohibit the use of the general omission symbol in K-3 materials. Note also that the number of general omission symbols to be used must be the same as the number of omission signs which occur in print. In your example, item 5 will show two general omission symbols in the missing answer.
--Lindy
You could devise symbols for the icons, following NC Rule XVI Sec.107.
For example, edho for "home". This calculator key would then be brailled as follows: [braille]$K$HO ON]
A transcriber's note is required to explain the transcriber-devised shape symbols. It also must be listed on the Special Symbols page.--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
Regarding your first question, in the body of text there is no confusion when applying boldface since the literary boldface indicator is not used in a Nemeth transcription--the Nemeth boldface type-form indicator would be used. If italics are retained for the two examples you cite, "Cos" is an abbreviated function name (mathematical) and so the Nemeth italic type-form indicators should be used. "Parallel" is a word and so the literary emphasis indicator should be used.
Next you ask about linked expressions. A linked expression is defined in the Nemeth Code in Section 189a, portions of which are copied below (in quotes) with comments added by me (in brackets).
"A linked expression must contain at least one sign of comparison."
[Note that the equal sign is not the only sign of comparison.]
"The component which precedes the first sign of comparison is called the anchor."
[So, yes, in order to be a linked expression there must be an anchor.]A linked expression is not necessarily vertically arranged. IF it is vertically arranged, and IF it follows the other print criteria stated in NC Sec.189b, then the special braille format is applied. The example you provide has anchor so, by definition, it is not a linked expression. The text "The hypotenuse equals:" is simply the last phrase in the itemized paragraph. The layout of the five displayed expressions will be 5-7 (displayed material to 1-3) although runovers are not indicated in this example.
--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
Lindy,
We are using the Tactile Guidelines for the project we are working on, The Common Core National Standards. We also looked at the example you are talking about and this situation is not exactly an equation because there are no comparison and computation symbols used. They are using just the words. That is why were looking for direction about this. We have received materials that are being done by an agency that are experts in this situation and when an equation was used they did not use the tactile box. The shape indicator was used. I am wondering if this is done only in a testing situation.The radical (dots 345) is a unique Nemeth braille symbol. I see no problem enclosing it, as well as the superscripted numeral 2, in cancellation indicators. Because the cancelled step is preceded by the original problem, the reader should have no trouble differentiating the termination indicator of the radical from the two closing cancellation indicators, but you could offer an explanation in a transcriber's note to clarify. See attached.
--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
Omission rules are covered in Rule X of the Nemeth Code. Section 57 states that a question mark with a dash beneath it is to be transcribed as a general omission symbol (dots 123456). The answer to your punctuation question can be found in Rule VI, Sec.37.iv. In your example, it is clear that the context is mathematical, therefore a punctuation indicator is required before the ending period.
--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
