[rsherwood12]

Good morning, Susan!

Thank you for the question and the print sample.

I would recommend uncontracting the word because it is part of the graphic and within the Nemeth Code indicators.

Best,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

Thanks, Julie! I thought so too. I just couldn't find a rule stating that it was OK to choose the caps indicators based on readability.

Best,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

Hi Susie,

Thank you for your question and for posting the pdf of the page in question.

The foreign language characters for Greek are to be found in World Braille Usage which can be downloaded for free at http://www.perkins.org/assets/downloads/worldbrailleusage/world-braille-usage-third-edition.pdf if you don't have a copy. I would use the Greek (International) table on pages 185-187 because of the accented characters and breath marks. There are no contractions used in International Greek.

In terms of Formats, it looks to me like the Greek is in bold, which I would retain to distinguish it from the English. Also, the Greek letters and breath marks should be listed on the Special Symbols Page.

Your sample also has the breath marks ῾ spiritus asper (rough breathing) (dots 125) and ᾿ spiritus lenis (smooth breathing) (dots 356). These signs are placed before the vowel to which they apply.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Best,
Rebecca
Vice-Chair, Foreign Language Committee

[rsherwood12]

Hi Paula,

I apologize I forgot to give you the link! If you join the Google Group called Tactile-Macros (go to https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/tactile-macros and click Join Group or Apply to Join Group) you will be able to download the macro installation files, templates set up for braille graphics, and other info to get started. Members can also post questions in the forum on how to use the templates and macros or to troubleshoot problems.

The Tactile-Macros group also has a Google Drive folder where the installation files are located (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5DeA90Bxsu9NnFsNnZvQ2FuekE). I believe you should be able to access those even if you are not a member of the group.

I have an older version of CorelDRAW (X5), so I can't speak for newer versions, but I found the video tutorials under the Help menu immensely useful for learning the basics of the program. I might start there just to get used to the tools, how to use them and where to find everything in the toolbars and menus. The Tactile Graphics Macros are more specific to braille formats and once you are familiar with the basics of the program, they will really speed up your ability to create tactile graphics that conform to the Guidelines and Standards.

Please let me know if the links don't work or if the process once you get there is unclear.

Best,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

Hi Paula,

Thank you for your question. CorelDRAW is a fantastic tool for tactile graphics. A set of macros has been developed to save time and help the transcriber create graphics that conform to the Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics. I agree there is a bit of a learning curve to the program, though, and a lot of features that will never be used for braille graphics.

NBA does offer an in-person training on this subject.  If you are interested, you can contact NBA directly using our online training request form: https://www.nationalbraille.org/training-bureau/

Later in June (date to be determined), I will be doing a brief webinar demonstrating the macros to give an overview of what tools are available, and at our conference in Orlando, FL this October, Betty Marshall will be doing a much more thorough demonstration as a full workshop. I would highly encourage you to attend the conference and workshop if you are able.

Sincerely,
Rebecca

 

• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by rsherwood12.

[rsherwood12]

Thanks, Cindi. Just to clarify, can an item within a list be divided between pages, or do I have to leave blank lines at the bottom of the previous page to keep an entire item together?

Best,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

Here's another example of a list (under the red box on the attached page) that I would do as a nested list with the questions in 1-5 and the answers in 3-5.

Can items in a nested list be divided between braille pages?

Thanks,
Rebecca

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[rsherwood12]

Thank you for your question!

I don't have a wide audience to pool for how crossword puzzles are usually produced, but the feedback I've received from members of my committee is that they have never seen or produced a crossword as a tactile graphic.

I agree that the guidelines in section 19 of Braille Formats are quite specific, and they do not have any provision for creating crosswords tactilely. I would recommend brailling crossword puzzles according to Braille Formats.

Best,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

Good afternoon!

According to the Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics section 5.2, the preferred order for information related to a graphic would be:

• heading
• caption
• TN
• key
• graphic
• source

If the description of your illustration appears to be a caption that applies only to the graphic and is not part of the regular surrounding text, I would suggest placing it before the graphic even if it appears below or after the illustration in print.

However, section 5.2 also states that for each print graphic, the transcriber must "decide how these elements may be presented to the reader in the most understandable order and format." If for some reason you felt it would be more readable or useful to place the description after the graphic, it would be acceptable to do so.

Sincerely,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

My apologies. I didn't notice if the system told me the file was too large when I originally posted.

I've separated and attached the print sample as a .pdf and the braille sample as a .brf. Hopefully they are small enough to come through.

Thanks,
Rebecca

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[rsherwood12]

Hi Trumbull,

Thanks for your patience.

I agree that the need for the reference to 3.1.1 is not particularly clear here, since it only defines what an area is and does not address use or non-use of texture or a key. This reference may be removed in the updated version of the Supplement.

I don't believe there is a specific guideline about when to key or not to key a texture. My understanding is that if the texture is not used symbolically, to represent something, but serves simply to distinguish one area tactually from surrounding areas, then a key is not required. Indeed, it would be difficult to state on a key or symbols list what the texture is representing.

If a texture is used to stand in for something (i.e., water versus land, categories in a bar graph, varying amounts of rainfall) and a label or alphabetic/numeric key would not fit within the textured area, then an explanation would be required either in a key before the graphic, or on the Graphics Symbols Page following the Special Symbols Page (see 5.14 for the section on Graphics Symbols Pages).

I hope that helps!

Best,
Rebecca

 

 

 

[rsherwood12]

Hi Trumbull,

Thanks for you question. I am conferring with some folks who worked on the supplement to see if they have insight into why 3.1.1 was referenced in example 31.

In the meantime, I want to clarify whether you are asking about including area textures on a special symbols page, or a key listing before the graphic?

Best,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

Hi Tung,

You do need to replace the print X's with something else when creating a line plot with raised lines.  The replacement symbol you use depends upon grade level. Section 11.2 discusses design of graphics for young readers:

• For grades K-3, section 11.2.3 says that images should be shown as simple tactile shapes, rather than braille dot graphics. Furthermore, section 11.4.3 says that a solid (filled) raised shape is clearer than using a spur wheel (tooled) outline. I would take this to mean that creating X's with spurred lines is not advisable. Your suggestion of raised dots or a filled circle would work.
• For grades 4 and above, section 11.2.5 says that braille dot graphics, including full cells, may be used. However, a tactile graphic (not braille symbols) is preferred.

It is never acceptable to stack braille Xs (dots 1346) regardless of whether the number line is done with braille symbols or raised lines because of the difficulty in counting "stacked" X's (6.5.2.5).

Best,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

Hello and thank you for your question.

Would you be able to provide a scan of the print example?

Best,
Rebecca
(Incoming Moderator of the TG Forum)

[rsherwood12]

Hello,

It is the Tactile Graphics Committee's stance that we follow the suggestion in the 2010 Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics (TGG) for texts transcribed using UEB Guidelines for Technical Material: number lines for kindergarten through grade 3 should be done as tactile graphics with raised lines (TGG 6.5.1.12) while grades 4 and up may be done using braille symbols (TGG 6.5.1.13).

However, even when the number line in grades 4 and up is created using braille symbols, it is still recommended to create any lines above the number line using tactile lines. In addition, if a number line must be rotated to vertical, it will be always done using tactile lines.

Thank you for your question.

Rebecca

 

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