Unified English Braille (UEB)

Unified English Braille (UEB) is the common English braille code that has been adopted by all English-speaking countries. To learn more about UEB as a braille producer, use a browser and search for pdf: ABCs of UEB. In addition, many books for braille consumers and producers are freely available on the internet.

BANA (Braille Authority of North America) has voted to implement complete UEB code while allowing some use of the Nemeth code for mathematics and technical subjects.

UKAAF (United Kingdom Association for Accessible Formats) had also voted to implement UEB.

UEB is currently being implemented in the UK, and a detailed timetable may be obtained from http://www.ukaaf.org/braille/ueb.

(Note: The Braille Authority of the UK (BAUK) is now part of UKAAF.)

This version of DBT includes the latest agreed UEB rules, and so you may do your Braille translation using UEB, or one of the older Braille codes, according to your needs.

Formats & Templates

Please note that Unified English Braille specifically does NOT cover the standards for formatting a braille document. Individual national authorities determine braille formatting rules for their jurisdictions. To meet this need, DBT contains templates which follow the special local requirements for UEB.

Duxbury Systems, Inc. is happy to discuss the inclusion of additional localized formatting templates in its standard releases. However, we suggest you contact us at languages@duxsys.com as early as possible with your information and requirements.

Converting a Pre-UEB Braille Formatted File into UEB Braille

Please note that you cannot always reliably convert a translated English braille file back to inkprint. However, if you require a UEB version of an existing DBT print document (*.dxp, this is the document before it has been translated), you can always change the braille table in-use to Unified English Braille and translate it again. That is why it is a good general rule to keep copies of all formats of files where a UEB version may be required at a later date.

When those originals are not available, DBT has a feature designed to help you update older braille formatted files to UEB braille.

Here is a hypothetical example. You once created braille for a document according to pre-UEB UK rules. Now someone wants a copy of that in UEB braille, but you no longer have the DBT print file. However, you do have the braille formatted file. You would follow the instructions below. (Remember: this works for the English language only, and only on files with no math in them.)

Instructions for Importing the Braille Formatted File:

• Launch DBT
• Press Ctrl+O to open a file. Select your braille formatted file (*.brf file).
• During the import process, there is a screen that asks for the DBT Template and the Import Filter. Select (as appropriate) the English (UEB) - BANA or the English (UEB) - UK formatting template
• The default Import Filter is Formatted Braille. The Import Filter just below this in the list is Formatted Pre-UEB to Print. Select Formatted Pre-UEB to Print.
• After file import, you have an inkprint file (*.dxp) which may have some errors (formatting and translation). Locate the errors and fix them.
• Select the UEB translation table for your file.
• After you translate to braille, you now have well-formatted UEB braille.