Braille

“Braille is a system of touch reading/writing (used by people who are blind), which utilizes raised dots to represent letters of the print alphabet. The braille system also includes symbols to represent punctuation, mathematical and scientific characters, music, computer notation and foreign languages.” – Braille Revival League

There are two grades of braille. Grade one is a literal translation of every letter into a braille cell. Grade two is a “shorthand” conversion of braille with contractions and other compression techniques used to make reading braille more efficient. In general, materials should be produced in grade two braille unless otherwise specified.

Because braille materials can be very cumbersome for large amounts of information, it is helpful to work with users to clearly define what will be most efficient to have in braille format versus other formats. For a conference with a large amount of reference materials, the participant may decide that having the conference program, session descriptions, and room directions in braille is preferred, with the rest of the materials better provided on audio cassette or computer disk. Also, remember that not all individuals who are blind read braille. Many individuals who lose their vision later in life do not read braille and will need other forms of access to print materials.

An agency may choose to produce its own braille materials if it has the equipment needed. When producing braille materials, it is helpful to have access to a braille proofreader to ensure the accuracy of the material produced. Most entities will not have brailling equipment and will need to utilize an external resource to provide such conversion. If contracting for braille material production, it is best to seek out an established service.

The following list of resources is not meant to be all inclusive but will provide a starting point for entities to access braille resources.

Wolfner Talking Book and Braille Library provides accessible library service to Missourians of all ages who are unable to use standard print materials due to blindness, visual or physical impairment, or a reading disability. They offer 180,000 digital audiobooks with a playback machine, 30,000 braille books, 80,000 digital braille books with a HumanWare electronic braille reader, large print books, and the BARD Braille and Audio Reading Download service, which offers any book, any time, downloadable to a smart device or an audio player. They also offer school services for students. All items are mailed to the patron’s home using Free Postage for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. They offer many programs, including an Early Literacy Program for ages 0–6, Youth and Adult Summer Reading Programs, Youth and Adult Mail and Make Programs, Adult Winter Reading Program, and bi-monthly book clubs via Zoom or phone in. If you require large print books while wearing reading glasses, you qualify.

Midwestern Braille Volunteers provide braille for literary materials and textbooks, restaurant menus, Edward Jones stock reports, wedding invitations, tactile drawings, thermoforming and spiral binding. They sponsor transcribing classes, maintain a book-master collection, and provide a title list.

Missouri Rehabilitation Services for the Blind, via agreement with the Jefferson City Correctional Center, converts print materials into audio-cassette, disk, large print and braille. While the primary purpose of the agreement is to produce alternative format material for staff and clients of Rehabilitation Services for the Blind, other agencies and individuals may use the service. Costs are charged based on the type of alternative format requested.