---

The ABCs of UEB

---

  A Guide for the Transition

from

English Braille American Edition

(EBAE)

to

The Rules of Unified

English Braille (UEB)

 

Constance Risjord

 

The purpose of this book is to alert persons presently knowledgeable in braille transcribing to the differences between English Braille American Edition (EBAE) and The Rules of Unified English Braille, June 2013 (UEB). It is not designed for those wishing to learn braille. References to UEB are given throughout. The reader is encouraged to look up the complete rules, study the many examples given in UEB, and become familiar with the vocabulary as shown in the UEB Glossary.

 

In the following sections, the examples given first demonstrate the correct braille using EBAE rules and then again using UEB rules. When UEB terminology differs from that used in EBAE, the familiar EBAE term is shown followed by the bracketed UEB term or expression.

 

Rules for formatting headings, paragraphs, contents page, and other items involving spacing or placement on a page are not affected by UEB rules.

---

 

Contents

1.  Capitalization ................................................................	5
2.  Punctuation  ..................................................................	7
Reading & Writing Practice 1  .......................................	11
3.  Contractions  .................................................................	15
Reading & Writing Practice 2  .......................................	27
4.  Font Attributes ..............................................................	31
5.  Grade 1 Mode  ...............................................................	35
Reading & Writing Practice 3  .......................................	37
6.  Numbers in Non-Technical Materials  .................................	41
7.  Symbols & Abbreviations  ................................................	45
8.  Electronic Addresses and File Names  ................................	49
9.  Accented letters and Foreign Words ..................................	51
Reading & Writing Practice 4  .......................................	53
Index  ...............................................................................	57

 

PREFACE

Braille, the ingenious system of six dots invented by Louis Braille almost 200 years ago, has meant literacy to thousands of blind people. Over the years, the braille code has changed as it has adapted to new language conventions, and added new symbols that were needed to more accurately reflect different types of text. Since braille represents a living language—English—periodic modifications are necessary to reflect changes in our language and keep braille vital and contemporary. The development of Unified English Braille (UEB) had its origin in the need to make revisions to our current code so that it could more accurately reflect changes in the English language.

The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) is responsible for the creation of the rules and guidelines for literary and technical materials used by blind persons in North America. BANA currently consists of representatives from 17 different organizations, and BANA's committees include dozens of knowledgeable people who care deeply about braille and literacy. The Unified English Braille (UEB) code project was started by BANA in the early 1990s to reduce the complexity and increase the accuracy of braille transcription. The project grew to become an international effort among seven English-speaking countries under the auspices of the International Council on English Braille. UEB, developed primarily by braille readers, is based on current literary braille and is designed to be flexible, unambiguous, extensible, and computable. In 2012, the United States adopted UEB as an official code.

This document outlines the major differences between English Braille, American Edition (EBAE) and UEB. It is not a complete instruction manual but it does provide examples and practice exercises so that people who already know EBAE will be able to quickly build on their knowledge of braille to understand UEB. Many thanks to Constance Risjord for volunteering to take on this project. It is a valuable and helpful resource as we make the transition to UEB.

 

Frances Mary D'Andrea

Chair, Braille Authority of North America

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to John Kralovetz, who helped develop the reading and writing exercises, and to Julie Sumwalt and Barbara Finkelstein for their careful proofreading and helpful suggestions.

My special thanks go to Darleen Bogart, who served as chair of the UEB Project Committee from 1991 to 2010, and who allowed me to plumb the depth of her knowledge of UEB with patience and grace, nudging me gently when I strayed from the UEB path. Without her this work could not, and would not, have happened. Thanks aren't enough for all that you did, Darleen, —but, thank you.

~C.R.

 

©2014, Braille Authority of North America

This is the work of Constance Risjord, written under the auspices of the Braille Authority of North America. It is not to be changed, edited, or altered without the consent of the author and the Braille Authority of North America.

 

This document or portions of it may be used with the following attribution:

"This document or excerpt is from The ABCs of UEB authored by Constance Risjord under the auspices of the Braille Authority of North America."  

---

1. CAPITALIZATION [UEB §8]

[EBAE composition sign]

1.1  Letter

As in EBAE, in UEB dot 6 [capital letter indicator] indicates that the following letter is capitalized.

[EBAE & UEB] B&B   ,b@&,b

1.2  Word

1.2(a)  Like EBAE's double capital sign, two dot 6's [capital word indicator] indicate that the following word or letter sequence is fully capitalized.

[EBAE & UEB]  STOP!  ,,/OP6

1.2(b)  Capitals terminator: Just like the termination sign in EBAE, in partially capitalized letter groupings the capitals terminator (6,3), placed after the final capitalized letter, stops the effect of the double capital sign [capital word indicator].

[EBAE Update 2007 & UEB] ABCs   ,,abc,'s

 1.2(c)  As well as the capitals terminator, in UEB a space, or any non-alphabetic (i.e., non-letter) symbol such as a hyphen, dash, apostrophe, slash, number, etc., terminates the effect of the capital word indicator. [UEB 8.4.2, 8.6]

[EBAE] BOB'S CAFE   ,,BOB's ,,CAFe BOB's CAFE ,,bob,''s ,,cafe MERRY-GO-ROUND ,,m]ry-g-r.d

[UEB] BOB'S CAFE   ,,BOB',s  ,,CAFE BOB's CAFE ,,bob's ,,cafe MERRY-GO-ROUND ,,m]ry-,,g-,,r.d

1.2(d)  Because the presence of a hyphen in a fully capitalized hyphenated-compound word terminates the effect of the capital word indicator, when that word is divided between braille lines following the hyphen, the capital word indicator must be repeated at the beginning of the second line. [UEB 8.4.3]

1.2(e)  The capital word indicator is not repeated when a non-hyphenated word is divided between braille lines. [UEB 8.4.4.]

1.3  Passage

1.3(a)  A capitalized passage indicator, (6, 6, 6) precedes three or more fully capitalized consecutive words or symbols-sequences.* The capitals terminator, (6, 3) placed after the last capitalized word, indicates the end of the capitals.

The effect of the passage indicator carries through any non-letter symbols in the passage. [UEB 8.5‒6]

[EBAE] CAUTION: 10 MPH LIMIT ,,cau;n3 #aj ,,mph ,,limit

[UEB] CAUTION: 10 MPH LIMIT ,,,cau;n3 #a mph limit,'

   *A symbols-sequence is any unbroken string of braille signs (letters, numbers, punctuation, or any other signs), that is preceded and followed by a space.

1.3(b)  Only an accent symbol [modifier] or the ligature indicator (see §9 below) can come between a capital indicator and the letter or word to which it applies. [UEB 8.3.3, 8.7.1, 4.3.2]

1.3(c)  The effect of the capital passage indicator is not terminated by enclosure or font attribute symbols. [UEB 8.5.3]

[UEB]     PUT THE "GIVE" IN THANKSGIVING ,,,PUT ! 8^1GIVE0 9 ?ANKSGIV+,'

Note: Font attributes, such as the bold typeface used above, are discussed in §4.

---

2. PUNCTUATION [UEB §7]

2.1  Punctuation that remains the same

2.1(a)  The configurations for the following marks of punctuation are the same in EBAE and UEB: period, question mark, exclamation mark, comma, semicolon, colon, hyphen, and forward slash [solidus].

2.1(b)  The same braille configuration (4) is used for all print dots: the period, decimal point, ellipsis, and the computer dot.

[EBAE]     I bought this 1.49 carat    diamond … at www.diamonds.com. ,I b"\ ? #a.di c>at diamond ''' at _+www.diamonds.com_:4

[UEB]     I bought this 1.49 carat    diamond … at www.diamonds.com. ,I b"\ ? #a4di c>at diamond 444 at www4diamonds4com4 [Note that opening and closing CBC indicators are not used in UEB.]

2.2  Configurations and/or rules affecting punctuation that
 have changed

As noted below, the dot configurations for the following marks of punctuation have changed: dash, quotation marks, parentheses, brackets. There has also been a minor rule change for the use of the slash [solidus]. See 2.2(e) below.

2.2(a)  Dashes and underscore   [UEB 7.2]

,-   dash  

Used for pauses and omissions, but not for blanks to be filled in. Follow print spacing for the dash regardless of where it occurs in a sentence. If print spacing is unclear, leave spaces around the dash.

[EBAE]   Ah— did you say that Sue got the job?  ,ah--did y say t ,sue got ! job8   Sue P—— got the job. ,sue ,p---- got ! job4

[UEB]   Ah— did you say that Sue got the job?  ,ah,- did y say t ,sue got ! job8   Sue P—— got the job. ,sue ;,p,- got ! job4*

* Except for the letters a, i, and o, a letter sign [grade 1 symbol indicator] is required before single letters and initials when followed by a dash that indicates missing letters. [UEB 5.7]

",-  long dash  [UEB 7.2.4]

Used only when print uses both a short and a long dash and a distinction must be made between the two.

[EBAE]   Ah— did you say that Sue P—— got the job?  ,ah--did y say t ,sue ,p---- got ! job8

[UEB]   Ah— did you say that Sue P——  got the job?  ,ah,- did y say t ,sue ;,p",- got ! job8

 .-   underscore or low line

Used for blanks to be filled in, and in electronic addresses (see §8 below)

[BF 10.5]   Snow is hot. ___ true  ___false  ,sn[ is hot4 true false    17 plus 9 equals _____.    #ag plus #i equals ----4

[UEB]  Snow is hot. ___ true  ___false  ,sn[ is hot4 .- true .- false   17 plus 9 equals _____.    #ag plus #i equals .-4

As in EBAE, when hyphens are used to represent missing letters, follow print.  

2.2(b)  Quotation marks  [UEB 7.6]

[1]  The opening and closing double quotation marks [one-cell, nonspecific] remain the same (8 and 0), as well as the opening single quotation mark (,8).  UEB has changed the closing single quote mark to ,0 in order to fit the UEB symbol construction.

[EBAE] "Please sing, 'Varsity'."   8,pl1se s+1 ,8,v>s;y0'40

[UEB]   "Please sing, 'Varsity'."    8,pl1se s+1 ,8,v>s;y,040

 [2]  There are other forms of specific quotation marks that can be used when, in rare cases, it is important to distinguish between non-directional (i.e., straight ["]), directional (i.e., slanted ["] or curled [" "]), or Italian
(« »), or when there is a quotation within an inner quotation.
[UEB 7.6.2‒7]

2.2(c)  Parentheses  "< "> [UEB 7]

[EBAE]   Nancy (her cousin) is my sister-in-law. ,nancy 7h] c\s97 is my si/]-in-law4

[UEB]     Nancy (her cousin) is my sister-in-law. ,nancy "<h] c\s9"> is my si/]-9-law4 [Note that the "in" contraction is used in "sister-in-law." See 3.5(7)[a] below.]

2.2(d)  Brackets (square).< .>  [UEB 7]

[EBAE]     He will arrive in the spring [May, I think]. ,he w >rive 9 ! spr+ ,7,may1 ,I ?9k7'4

[UEB]   He will arrive in the spring [May, I think]. ,he w >rive 9 ! spr+ .<,may1 ,I ?9k.>4

 There are also new symbols for angle (@< @>) and curly (_< _>) brackets. Note that the UEB symbols of enclosure: parentheses; square, angle, and curly brackets; and transcriber's note symbols all have the same root (< >), making them easy to recognize.

2.2(e)  Slash  [Solidus]  [UEB 7.4.1]

Do not use a hyphen following a solidus when a word grouping that includes a solidus is divided between braille lines.

[EBAE]   typist/stenographer typi/_/-  /5ograph]

[UEB]   typist/stenographer  typi/_/    /5ograph]

Summary of UEB rules for the solidus

 

Capital and numeric indicators must be repeated following a solidus, but a typeform indicator is not repeated.

    Contractions can be used next to the solidus with the exception of: (1) alphabetic contractions, (2) lower whole-word signs*, (3) be, con, dis, (4) the whole-word contractions for child, shall, this, which, out, still, and (5) shortforms.

*The one exception to this exception is the contraction for the word "in,"
which can be used anywhere so long as it is in a sequence that contains an upper dot.

2.3  Punctuation with the capitals terminator  [UEB 8.6.2]

The capitals terminator (,') can be placed either after or before ending punctuation in a fully capitalized passage; however, paired characters such as parentheses, brackets, or quotes, should be nested, i.e., closed in the reverse order of opening.

[EBAE]  BEST BUY IN TOWN! ,,be/ ,,buy ,,9 ,,t[n6       The crowd shouted "STOP THAT BALL!" ,! cr[d %\t$ 8,,/op ,,t ,,ball60

[UEB]    BEST BUY IN TOWN! ,,,be/ buy 9 t[n6,' OR ,,,be/ buy 9 t[n,'6   The crowd shouted "STOP THAT BALL!" ,! cr[d %\t$ 8,,,/op t ball6,'0

2.4  Punctuation standing alone  [UEB 7.1.3‒4]  

Place a letter sign [grade 1 symbol indicator] before a mark of punctuation that could be misread as a contraction when it is shown standing alone or enclosed within enclosure symbols. Note that the EBAE print symbol indicator (dot 4) is not used in UEB.

[EBAE]  Either a . or a ? can end a   sentence. ,ei a @4 or a @8 c 5d a s5t;e4   Samuel Hudson (1942‒ )   ,Samuel ,Hudson    7#aidb--7

[UEB]   Either a . or a ? can end a  sentence.  ,ei a 4 or a ;8 c 5d a s5t;e4   Samuel Hudson (1942‒ )   ,Samuel ,Hudson "<#aidb,- ">

Note also that a grade 1 indicator is not used before the period in the first example nor the closing parenthesis in the second example because they could not be misread as contractions.

READING PRACTICE 1

Read the following sentences. Write them out in longhand and compare your work with the print version on page 12.

  #a4 ,is ,Egypt an equatorial region8
.<,see map ( ,africa4.>

  #b4 ,dr4 ,a4 ;,j4 ,m>t9-,smi? jo9$
,,,doctors )|t bord]s,' la/ ye>4 ,%e is
"w+ 9 ,,sana',a1 ,,yem54

  #c4 8,c y recite f ,8,hiawa?a,080 %e
ask$4

  #d4 ,pi equals #c4adaei4

  #e4 ,joe "<a grumpy man"> seldom
smiles2 ,joe's wife "<luckily"> is
happy4

  #f4 ,walt ,:itman wrote 8,,,o capta91
my capta96,'0

  #g4 ,,,ATT5;N6 GR& OP5+6,' ,ON ! F/ (
,JULY ! (FICES ( ,,H>RIS-,,J"OS ,,D5TI/RY
W 2COME ,,H>RIS-,,J"OS-,,WILSON
,,D5TI/RY4

WRITING PRACTICE 1

Braille the following sentences. Start each sentence in cell 3 and use a 40-cell line. Compare your work with the print version on page 13.

1.  "Can I please play 'Ophelia' in Hamlet, Miss Johnson?" asked Sarah.

2.  Happily – despite my arthritis – I can still swim.

3.  STOP: PLEASE STAY ON THE PATH!

4.  Johnny can say the ABCs and sing MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB.

5.  This ruler measures 12 inches or 30.5 centimeters.

6.  You can find this book at www.amazon.com.

7.  Columbus discovered America in ____.

8.  On Sunday, please bring your spouse/significant other with you.

[Reference numbers in the practices refer to sections in this manual.]

Reading Practice 1
(answers)

1.  Is Egypt an equatorial region? [See map of Africa.]

[brackets  2.2(d)]

2.  Dr. A. J. Martin-Smith joined DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS last year. She
is working in SANA'A, YEMEN.

[Open and close capital passage indicators  1.3(a); SANA'A  1.2(c)]

3.  "Can you recite from 'Hiawatha'?" she asked.

[Quotation marks  2.2(b)]

4.  Pi equals 3.14159.

[Decimal point  2.1(b)]

5.  Joe (a grumpy man) seldom smiles; Joe's wife (luckily) is happy.

[Parentheses  2.2(c)]

6.  Walt Whitman wrote "O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN!"

[Quotation marks and open and close capitalized passage indicators  2.3]

7.  ATTENTION! GRAND OPENING! On the first of July the offices of HARRIS-
JONES DENTISTRY will become HARRIS-JONES-WILSON DENTISTRY.

[HARRIS-JONES is one symbols-sequence. HARRIS-JONES-WILSON is also
one symbols-sequence. A capitalized passage indicator would only be
needed if it read: HARRIS-JONES-WILSON FAMILY DENTISTRY (three
symbol sequences).  1.3(a)]

[Reference numbers in the practices refer to sections in this manual.]

Writing Practice 1

(answers)

  #a4 8,c ,I pl1se play ,8,ophelia,0 9
,hamlet1 ,miss ,johnson80 ask$ ,s>ah4

[Quotation marks  2.2(b)]

 

  #b4 ,happily ,- despite my >?ritis ,-
,I c / swim4

[Spaced dashes  2.2(a)]

 

  #c4  ,,,/op3 pl1se /ay on ! pa?6,'

OR

      ,,,/op3 pl1se /ay on ! pa?,'6

[Capital passage terminator  2.3]

 

  #d4 ,johnny c say ! ,,abc,'s & s+
,,,m>y _h a ll lamb4,'

[Capitals terminated by apostrophe 1.2(c),

Capital passage terminator  2.3 ]

 

  #e4 ,? rul] m1sures #ab 9*es or #cj4e
c5timet]s4

[Decimal point  2.1(b)]

 

  #f4 ,y c f9d ? book at www4amazon4com4

[Computer dots  2.1(b)]

 

  #g4 ,Columbus 4cov]$ ,am]ica 9 .-4

[Underscore (blank to be filled in)  2.2(a)]

 

  #h4 ,on ,sun"d1 pl1se br+ yr sp\se_/
significant o!r ) y4

[Slash (solidus)  2.2(e)]

---

3. CONTRACTIONS [UEB §10]

The UEB rules for contraction usage are quite different from and much less restrictive than EBAE, and may seem strange at first. Many EBAE rules were written to aid in the pronunciation of a word—something that the printed word does not do. UEB has tried to lessen the reliance on pronunciation as the reason to use a contraction, teaching that the "er" contraction, for instance, is the letters e-r, not the sound errr.  UEB, being a "universal" code, must apply to all English-speaking countries. Pronunciation varies greatly from country to country and even within a country.

3.1  Contractions discontinued

3.1(a)  In order to render the unambiguous translation of print to braille the following words and letter combinations are no longer contracted.

to		into		by
ble		com		dd
ation		ally		o'clock

"Come on, Daddy! The problem is that by eight o'clock it will be too late to get into the station to pick up Sally.   [UEB]  8,come on ,daddy6 ,! problem is t by ei<t o'clock x w 2 too late to get 9to ! /a;n to pick up ,sally4

• ation and ally were eliminated because they created complications in rules having to do with capital letters in the middle of words. Now all capital letters can be used anywhere.
• to, into and by were eliminated to allow for greater consistency in usage of other symbols, and so that all words have space boundaries.
• com was eliminated in order to remove the ambiguity between the contraction and a hyphen.
• ble was eliminated to allow for precise reading and writing of numbers wherever they occur within literary context.
• dd was eliminated to allow for a single way to show the period/dot/decimal point even when it occurs in the middle of words or numbers.
• o'clock was eliminated because it is a rarely used word and an exception to the capital rule would have been necessary.

3.1(b)  Due to the elimination of these contractions, contraction usage has changed for some words.

		EBAE		UEB
creation		cre,n		cr1;n
really		re,y		r1lly
doubled		d\#d		d\bl$
cobbled		cob#d		co2l$

3.2  No sequencing

Words are no longer joined.

[EBAE]  go for a ride into town  g =a ride 96t[n

[UEB] go for a ride into town g = a ride 9to t[n

 3.3  The Standing-Alone Rule  [UEB 2.6]

In EBAE the only contractions considered "standing alone" are the lower signs for his, was, were, be, in and enough. These contractions are used only when the words are untouched by other letters or punctuation (they may, however, be in contact with composition signs).

UEB uses the term "standing alone" for any letter, or unbroken sequence of letters if it is preceded and followed by a space, a hyphen, or a dash (whether short or long). These letters or letter sequences may be in contact with common literary punctuation and composition signs. The "standing alone" rule is used to determine when a braille sign is read as a contraction. For example, in a compound term such as "child-like" the word on each side of the hyphen is considered to be "standing alone," and the one-cell, whole-word [alphabetic] contractions can be used.

Contractions that are used as whole words and that must stand alone, are:

• one-cell, whole-word contractions  [alphabetic wordsigns]
• child, shall, this, which, out, still  [strong wordsigns]
• be, was, were, his, enough  [lower wordsigns]
• shortforms

3.4  Contractions used more often

 UEB has a much more relaxed view of contraction usage than EBAE. In many cases (see below) it is permissible to use a contraction when it partially falls into a prefix or suffix and partially into the base word (called "bridging"). It is also usually possible to bridge between the letters of a diphthong and the rest of the word. Generally, contractions are used even when their use alters the usual form of the word.

As in EBAE, it is not permissible to use a contraction that would bridge the words that make up an unhyphenated compound word [UEB 10.11.1]

3.5  Contractions  [groupsigns, wordsigns]

In the following sections, the changes to contraction usage are listed in the order in which they are taught in the National Library Service's Instruction Manual for Braille Transcribing.

3.5(a)  One-cell, whole-word contractions [alphabetic wordsigns]

[UEB 10.1.1]

As in EBAE, these contractions can be used in hyphenated compound words and next to a dash and other common punctuation, but not next to a slash [UEB 2.6.2-3].  The contractions for "do" and "so" can now be used in the musical scale "do-re-mi-fa-so."

3.5(b)  and, for, of, the, with (whole word contractions)

[strong wordsigns]  [UEB 10.3]

These words are no longer joined when appearing in a sequence.

		EBAE		UEB
by and for the people		0&=! p		by & = ! p

Note: In UEB, the term "strong" as applied to contractions means those containing dots in both the top and bottom rows and in both the left and right columns of the braille cell.

 

3.5(c)  and, for, of, the, with (part word contractions) 

[strong contractions]  [UEB 10.3]

These contractions are used even when they bridge a prefix and a base word.

		EBAE		UEB
pandemic		pandemic		p&emic
Vandyke		,vandyke		,v&yke
professor		professor		pr(essor
profile		profile		pr(ile

3.5(d)  child, shall, this, which, out, still [strong wordsigns] [UEB 10.2.2]

In EBAE, with the exception of child's and still's, these contractions cannot be used next to an apostrophe. UEB permits the use of these strong wordsigns with words that have an internal apostrophe followed by d, ll, re, s, t, and ve. [2.6.4]

		EBAE		UEB
This'll do the job.		,?is'll		,?'ll
Which'll be first?		,:i*'ll		,:'ll
This'd better be good.		,?is'd		,?'d

3.5(e)  ch, sh, th, wh, ou, st  [strong groupsigns] [UEB 10.4]

With only a few exceptions, these contractions are used wherever they occur. Note, however, that they cannot be used in ordinal numbers (see 6.1(b) below), or when they would bridge the components of a compound word, or when the "h" is aspirated.

		EBAE		UEB
mistake		mistake		mi/ake
1st  4th		#a/  #d?		#ast  #dth

		EBAE & UEB
painstaking   [compound]		pa9stak+
mishap    [aspirated "h"]		mishap

3.5(f)  ar, ed, er, gh, ow, ing [strong groupsigns]  [UEB 10.4]

(ble has been eliminated)

		EBAE		UEB
imagery		imagery		imag]y
erase		erase		]ase
derived		deriv$		d]iv$
reread		rer1d		r]1d
derail		derail		d]ail
edition		edi;n		$i;n
redistribute		redistribute		r$i/ribute
predetermine		predet]m9e		pr$et]m9e
benediction		b5edic;n		b5$ic;n

		EBAE & UEB
kilowatt    [compound]		kilowatt
Shanghai  [aspirated "h"]		,%anghai

ing  [strong groupsign]  [UEB 10.4.3, 10.13.4] 

In UEB the ing contraction is used wherever it occurs except at the "beginning of a word," even when two adjoining consonants are pronounced separately.

Note: In UEB, the "beginning of a word" is defined not only as the actual first letters of a word, but also as any letters-sequence that follows a space, a hyphen or a dash; therefore, the ing contraction cannot be used at the beginning of a braille line in a divided word because the letters "ing" are following a hyphen.

		EBAE		UEB
meningitis		m59gitis		m5+itis
nightingale		ni<t9gale		ni<t+ale
ravish- ingly		ravi%- +ly		ravi%- 9gly
to-ing and   fro-ing		to-+ & fro-+		to-9g &  fro-9g

As in EBAE, composition signs that occur between a hyphen or a dash and the following letters are ignored when deciding when to use a contraction.

		EBAE		UEB
sing-ING		sing-,,ing		s+-,,9g

3.5(g)  Lower signs, whole words  [10.10.10] 

(to, into, and by have been eliminated)

3.5(g)[1]  be, his, was, were as whole words  [lower wordsigns]

[UEB 10.5.1, 10.13.7]

In EBAE, the whole-word contractions be, his, was, and were can be contracted only when they are separated by a space from all other letters or words.  They can be preceded by composition signs, i.e., the capital and emphasis [typeform] indicators but they cannot be in contact with any sign of punctuation.

In UEB these contractions, with or without composition signs, can be used when they are in direct contact with signs of punctuation that contain an upper dot (with the exception of the slash [solidus]). They cannot be used when in contact with lower-dot punctuation, and never in contact with a hyphen or a dash—even when separated from them by the end of a braille line.

		EBAE		UEB
(HIS turn)		7,,his turn7		"<,,8 turn">
("BE QUIET!")		78,,be ,,quiet607		"<8,,be  ,,quiet60">
to be—or not to be		6be --or n 6be		to be ,-or n to 2

3.5(g)[2]  enough and in as whole words[lower wordsigns] 
[UEB 10.5.2-3-4]

These two contractions differ from the whole-word lower signs listed above in that they can be in contact with punctuation so long as the sequence is in contact with an upper dot.

[EBAE]  The in-coming plane is bringing the food—enough for everyone. ,! in-com+ plane is br++ ! food--5\< = "ey"o4

[UEB]    The in-coming plane is bringing the food—enough for everyone. ,! 9-com+ plane is br++ ! food,-5 = "ey"o4

[EBAE] Tell him to come in—his tea is ready.   ,tell hm 6-e in--his tea is r1dy4

[UEB]   Tell him to come in—his tea is ready. ,tell hm to come 9,-his tea is r1dy4

[EBAE]  "Enough's enough!" 8,5\<'s 5\<60

[UEB]    "Enough's enough!" 8,5's 5\<60

enough and in next to slash [solidus]: The wordsign for enough cannot be used next to the solidus because it must "stand alone." The wordsign for in is used in a sequence whenever it is in contact with an upper dot, and, therefore, it can be used next to the solidus.   in/enough   9_/5\<

3.5(h)  Lower signs, part words

3.5(h)[1]  in and en as part words  [lower groupsigns]  [UEB 10.6.8]

With only a very few exceptions, these contractions are used wherever they occur so long as they are in contact with an upper dot. Note, however, that they cannot be used when they would bridge the components of a compound word.

		EBAE		UEB
binomial		binomial		b9omial
enormous		enorm\s		5orm\s
renew		renew		r5ew
prenatal		prenatal		pr5atal
phoenix		phoenix		pho5ix
teach-in		t1*-in		t1*-9
toenail [compound word]		toenail		toenail

Unlike EBAE, when applying the Lower Sign Rule in UEB, font attributes (see §4 below) are considered upper signs.

		EBAE		UEB
bein'   bein'		2in'  .2in'		2in'  .129'

3.5(h)[2]  be, con, dis  [lower groupsigns]  [UEB 10.6.2, 10.11.3]

(com has been eliminated)

 

Like EBAE, these contractions are used as parts of words only when they constitute the first syllable of a word; however, they are not used in UEB in names prefixed with Mc, Mac, or O' because they are not at the "beginning of the word" (see 3.5(f) above).

		EBAE		UEB
McConnell		,mc,3nell		,mc,connell
Commander O'Connor		,-m&] ,o',3nor		,comm&]   ,o',connor

3.5(h)[3]  bb, cc, ff, gg, ea  [lower groupsigns]  [UEB 10.6.5] 

(dd has been eliminated)

There are only a few changes to the use of the contractions bb, cc, ff, gg, due to the elimination of some other contractions, but there are many changes to words containing ea.

		EBAE		UEB
bubble		bub#		bu2le
addendum		a45dum		add5dum

ea [10.6.7]

Like EBAE, the contraction for ea cannot be used if it would bridge a prefix and a base word or if it is preceded by a hyphen.

		EBAE & UEB
reaction		reac;n
deactivate		deactivate
man-eater		man-eat]

But, unlike EBAE it can be used if it bridges a base word and a suffix, or a diphthong and an adjoining letter, or if it begins the second part of a solid compound word.

		EBAE		UEB
acreage		acreage		acr1ge
likeable		likea#		lik1ble
genealogy		g5ealogy		g51logy
paean		paean		pa1n
motheaten		mo?eat5		mo?1t5

3.6  Initial-letter contractions   [UEB 10.7]

 

The use of initial-letter contractions is much the same in EBAE and UEB, although the rules and reasons differ. Although the emphasis is no longer on the "original sound," only a few words are contracted differently.

		EBAE		UEB
sword		sword		s^w
partake		p>take		"pake
Houghton		,h\<ton		,h"\on
fever		fev]		f"e
atmosphere		atmosph]e		atmosp"h
hadji		hadji		_hji

3.7  Final-letter contractions  [final-letter groupsigns]  [10.8]

The braille formation of several words has changed, mainly due to the elimination of ation and ally.

    Unlike EBAE, final-letter contractions cannot be used at the beginning of a line in a divided word.

		EBAE		UEB
creation		cre,n		cr1;n
nationally		n,n,y		na;nally
denationalize		den,nalize		d5a;nalize
really		re,y		r1lly
Clemenceau    [diphthong ignored]		,clem5ceau		,clem;eau
mongoose [adjoining consonants pronounced separately]		mongoose		m;goose
care-    fully		c>e-   ;lly		c>e-   fully

Partially emphasized words  [9.2.3]

EBAE does not use contractions in partially emphasized words. UEB does, but final-letter contractions cannot be used because they must always follow a letter. They cannot follow punctuation, font attribute symbols [typeform], or capital indicators or terminators.

		EBAE		UEB
HOWdy!		,,how,'dy6		,,h[,'dy6
AttenTION!		,atten,,tion6		,att5,,tion6
deLIGHTful		de,,light,'ful		de,,li<t,'ful

3.8  Short-form words   [UEB 10.9.1-2, App.1] 
(o'clock, to-day, and to-night have been eliminated, but today and tonight  remain)

See also: Grade 1 mode and shortforms (5.4 below)

3.8(a)  As whole words or whole names   UEB uses shortforms as whole words and whole names regardless of their meaning or pronunciation.

		EBAE		UEB
Port Said		,port ,said		,port ,sd

Shortforms used for whole words must "stand alone" (see 3.3 above) and therefore cannot be used next to a slash [solidus].

		EBAE		UEB
him/her		hm_/h]		him_/h]

3.8(b) As parts of words  Like EBAE, shortforms can only be used as parts of words if the full word retains its original meaning and spelling.

    Unlike EBAE, which bases the use of shortforms on specific rules that are applied to determine whether a shortform can be used as part of a longer word, UEB relies on a definitive list, the UEB Shortform List (Appendix 1 ‒ The Rules of Unified English Braille).

    In UEB, of the 75 shortforms, 65 can be used as parts of words only if the longer words are "standing alone" and are included on the Shortform List. If a word is not on the list, it cannot be used. Although this may seem stringent, it assures faithful automatic translation, an important consideration in this electronic age.
The other ten words can also be used as parts of words, but the longer words do not have to be on the Shortforms List. These words have special rules, as follows:

Ten Special Shortforms:  blind, braille, children, first, friend, good, great, letter, little, quick

[1]  blind, first, friend, good, letter, little, quick

These shortforms are used as part words only if they begin a word or name, and if they are not followed by a vowel or "y." This rule prevents shortform words from taking on the appearance of other words, i.e., if the shortform for friend were used in befriended it would read befred.

There are many exceptions to this rule, as noted in the UEB  Shortforms List, such as:

snowblind  sn[bl		goodafternoon gdafn
headfirst h1df/		bloodletter bloodlr
firstaid f/aid		lettering lr+
boyfriend boyfr		belittle  2ll
feelgood feelgd		doublequick d\bleqk
goody gdy		quicker qk]

Exceptions for these words, and others, were made because braille readers found them familiar and easily read.

[2]  children

Like those above, this shortform is used as part of a word provided it is not followed by a vowel or "y," but it does not have to begin the longer word.   [EBAE & UEB]     grandchildren  gr&*n

[3]  braille, great

Use these shortforms wherever they occur.

3.8(c)  Shortforms in proper names  [UEB 10.9.2-3]

Like EBAE, in UEB any of the shortforms can be used for whole names, e.g., Mr. Friend, Miss Good.  EBAE, however, does not permit the use of shortforms as parts of names.

    In UEB, the 65 regular shortforms may be used as parts of namesso long as the longer name is "standing alone" and is listed on the Shortforms List, e.g. Mustard, Nonsuch (a very rare occasion). The "Ten Special Shortforms" may also be used as parts of names, so long as they comply with the rules listed above in 3.8(b), but the full name does not have to be on the Shortforms List.

[1]  The shortforms for blind, first, friend, good, letter, little, quick can only be used at the beginning of a name, and only when they are not followed by a vowel or "y."

		EBAE		UEB
Letterman		,lett]man		,lrman
Goodwood		,goodwood		,gdwood
Firstbank		,fir/bank		,f/bank

		EBAE & UEB
Goodall		,goodall
Goodyarn		,goody>n
Firstamerica		,fir/am]ica
Linkletter		,l9klett]
Doolittle		,doolittle

[The reader will not mistake the beginning letters in the following examples as shortforms because although they begin the name they are followed by a vowel or y.]

Lloyd		,lloyd
Gdansk		,gdansk
Blystone		,bly/"o

[2]  The shortform for children follows the same rule but it can occur anywhere in a name.

		EBAE		UEB
Mr. Moschildren		,mos*ildr5		,mos*n

[3]  The shortforms for braille and great can be used anywhere in a name.

		EBAE		UEB
Greatacre		,gr1tacre		,grtacre
Greatfort		,gr1t=t		,grt=t
Funbraille		,funbraille		,funbrl

3.8(d)  Distinguishing conventional words from shortforms
[UEB 10.9.5-6]

A letter indicator [grade 1 symbol indicator] is placed before any group of letters, either "standing alone" (see 3.3 above) or that occurs at the beginning of a word or name, that could be mistaken for a short-form word.

		EBAE		UEB
How's Al today?		,h['s ,al td8		,h['s ;,al td8
Lloyd Llhuyd		,lloyd ,llhuyd		,lloyd ;,llhuyd

Use a grade 1 word indicator before a letters-sequence occurring after the beginning of a word that could be read as a short-form. (See 5.2 below.)

		EBAE		UEB
WisBrl (Wisconsin Braille)		,wis,brl		;;,wis,brl*

*Note that WisBrl is treated as one word [letters-sequence], not two (UEB Glossary, page 8). The capital indicator is not regarded as a "non-alphabetic sign." It is simply part of the letter B. (UEB 8.3.1)

3.9  Usual form of the word  

The UEB approach to the "usual form of the word" is quite different from EBAE. EBAE says that a contraction should not be used if it would result in an alteration of the usual braille form of a base word.

UEB says (10.11.6) to "use a groupsign [part-word contraction] when the addition of a prefix or the formation of an unhyphenated compound word provides an opportunity to use a groupsign not used in the original word, even if this alters the usual braille form of the original word."

They both agree that when there is a choice, the contraction to use is the one that most nearly approximates the usual pronunciation of the word and that does not distort the form of the word.

		EBAE		UEB
uneasy		uneasy		un1sy
changeable		*angea#		*ang1ble
freedom		freedom		fre$om
indistinguishable		9dist+ui%a#		9di/+ui%able
incongruous		9congru\s		9c;gru\s

READING PRACTICE 2 

Read the following sentences. Write them out in longhand and compare your work with the print version on page 28.

   #a4 ,! pe2le cr1t$ a spla% 9 ! middle (
! 5orm\s lake4

  #b4 ,flor;e ,ni<t+ale 2fri5d$ ! soldi]
:o _h m5+itis4

  #c4 ,h$da ,v&yke "<a fr f ,g]_m"> _h a
f"e caus$ by a reac;n to ! new m$ica;n4

  #d4 ,! huge anthill 0 on ! nor?1/ side
( ! rav9e & surr.d$ by ant1t]s4

  #e4 ,p&emonium broke \ :5 ! pr(essor
sd1 8,r]1d ,*apt] #i & 5um]ate ! ways
,b5$ict ,>nold cr1t$ mi/ru/40

  #f4 ,runn]s l to "pake 9 ! na;nally "kn
,com/ock ,m>a?on4

  #g4 ,! gov];s sd1 8,t's q 50,-in a firm
t"o4

  #h4 ,! lik1ble "y man's reac;n to !
situa;n 0 pr$ictable4

WRITING PRACTICE 2 

Braille the following sentences. Start each sentence in cell 3 and use a 40-cell
line. Compare your work with the print version on page 29.

1.  Capt. Littlefield could barely read the lettering on the letterhead.

2.  The savagery and rioting continued well into the night.

3.  Ingmar met Ingrid (his bride-to-be) at a fly-in fishing camp in Sweden.

4.  Oddly enough, the house was deserted and an uneaten meal was still on
the table.

5.  Disabled by arthritis, Lloyd Littlesmyth hobbled up the steps.

6. "I just saw your latest edition," she gushed. "It's simply PRICEless!" 

7.  The atmosphere here is toxic; it was a mistake to come.

8.  Mike O'Conner bubbled with enthusiasm over the acreage.

[Reference numbers in the practices refer to sections in this manual.]

Reading Practice 2

(answers)

1.  The pebble created a splash in the middle of the enormous lake.
[pebble 3.1(a)(b);  middle 3.1(a);  enormous 3.5(h)[1]]

2.  Florence Nightingale befriended the soldier who had meningitis.
[Nightingale, meningitis 3.5(f)

3.  Hedda Vandyke (a friend from Germany) had a fever caused by a reaction
to the new  medication.
[Hedda 3.1(a); Vandyke 3.5(c); fever 3.6; by 3.1(a); medication 3.1(a)]

4.  The huge anthill was on the northeast side of the ravine and surrounded by
anteaters.
[northeast, anteaters 3.5; of the 3.2;  by 3.1(a)]

5.  Pandemonium broke out when the professor said, "Reread Chapter 9 and
enumerate the ways Benedict Arnold created mistrust."

[pandemonium, professor 3.5(c);  reread 3.5(f);
enumerate, 3.5(h)[1]; Benedict 3.5(f); mistrust 3.5(e)]

6.  Runners like to partake in the nationally known Comstock Marathon.
[to 3.1(a);  partake 3.6;  nationally, Comstock 3.1(a)]

7.  The governess said, "That's quite enough"—in a firm tone.
[enough, in  3.5(g)[2]]

8.  The likeable young man's reaction to the situation was predictable.

[likeable, reaction 3.5(h)[3];  to, situation 3.1(a); 
predictable 3.1(a)s, 3.5(f)]

[Reference numbers in the practices refer to sections in this manual.]

Writing Practice 2

(answers)

  #a4 ,capt4 ,llfield cd b>ely r1d ! lr+
on ! lrh1d4

[Littlefield 3.8(c);  lettering: this special shortform is used even though it
is followed by a vowel because it is on the Shortforms List; letterhead
3.8(b)[1]]

  #b4 ,! savag]y & riot+ 3t9u$ well 9to
! ni<t4

[savagery 3.4, 3.5(f);  into 3.1(a)]

  #c4 ,9gm> met ,9grid "<8 bride-to-be">
at a fly-9 fi%+ camp 9 ,sw$54

[parenthesis next to lower-sign 3.5(g)[1];
fly-in 3.5(h)[1]]

  #d4 ,oddly 5\<1 ! h\se 0 des]t$ & an
un1t5 m1l 0 / on ! table4

[oddly 3.1(a);  uneaten 3.5(h)[3];  table 3.1(a)]

  #e4 ,4abl$ by >?ritis1 ,Lloyd ,llsmy?
ho2l$ up ! /eps4

[disabled, hobbled 3.1(b);  by 3.1(a);  Lloyd Littlesmyth 3.8(c)]

  #f4 8,i j saw yr late/ $i;n10 %e gu%$4
8,x's simply ,,price,'less60

[edition 3.5(f)]; PRICEless 3.7]

  #g4 ,! atmosp"h "h is toxic2 x 0 a
mi/ake to come4

[atmosphere 3.6;  mistake 3.5(e);  to, come 3.1(a)]

  #h4 ,mike ,o',conn] bu2l$ ) 5?usiasm
ov] ! acr1ge4

[O'Conner 3.5(h)[2];  bubbled, acreage 3.5(h)[3]]

---

4. FONT ATTRIBUTES [Typeforms] [UEB §9]

[EBAE composition sign]

 

4.1  Italics, bold, underlining, and script 

Like EBAE, font attributes [typeforms] are used in UEB only when needed for emphasis or distinction. Unlike EBAE that uses the same emphasis indicator for italics, bold, underlining, script, etc., UEB has a specific symbol for each.

In UEB, font attribute symbols are two-cell symbols. The first cell (the prefix) identifies the type of font.

italics  .   bold  ~   underlining  _   script  @

The second cell (the root) indicates the extent of the symbol's effect, i.e., one letter or symbol, a whole word or sequence of letters/symbols, or an entire passage (similar to the UEB letter/word/passage capital indicators).

	letter/symbol	word	passage	terminator
italic	.2	.1	.7	.'
bold	^2	^1	^7	^'
underline	_2	_1	_7	_'
script	@2	@1	@7	@'

When only the beginning or middle portion of a word or string of unbroken  symbols/letters is printed in a special typeface a terminator indicates the end of the emphasized section.

The symbol for the ending of a passage [terminator] is placed, unspaced, after the last word of the passage. 

		EBAE		UEB
d  is for dog		.;d is = .d,'og		.2;d is = .2dog
dog		.dog		.1dog
two dogs		.two .dogs		.1two .1dogs
happy dogs		.hap,'py dogs		.1hap.'py dogs
the dogs bark		.! .dogs .b>k		.7! dogs b>k.'
the dogs bark		.! .dogs .b>k		_7! dogs b>k_'
the dogs bark		.! .dogs .b>k		^7! dogs b>k^'
the dogs bark		.! .dogs .b>k		@7! dogs b>k@'

4.1(a)  Single letter or symbol in a special typeface  
[Typeform Symbol Indicator] (2)  [UEB 9.2.2-3]

The typeform symbol indicator affects only the letter or symbol immediately following it, and therefore, a termination indicator is not required.

[EBAE]   1897 not 1997   #a.h,'#ig n #a.i,'#ig

[UEB]   1897 not 1997 #a^2h#ig n #a^2i#ig

In UEB, when the first letter of a contraction is in a special typeface the contraction is used. When a letter or letters within a contraction are in a special typeface the contraction cannot be used; however, other applicable contractions can be used.

[EBAE]   Go Children!   .,g,'o ,child.r,'en6

[UEB]   Go Children! ^2,g ,*ild^2r56

4.1(b)  Word in a special typeface  [Typeform Word Indicator] (1)
[UEB 9.3, 9.4.4]

The typeform word indicator signals that an individual wordor any sequence of unspaced symbols (letters, numbers, abbreviations, hyphenated compound words, etc.) ‒ or the remainder of such a sequence ‒ is printed in a special typeface.

Unlike the capital word indicator [1.2(c) above] that is terminated by any non-alphabetic symbol, the effect of the typeform word indicator continues through hyphens, slashes, and other symbols until the reader encounters a blank cell or a typeform termination indicator.

		EBAE		UEB
R.S.V.P.		.,r4,s4,v4,p4		^1,r4,s4,v4,p4
six o'clock		.six .o'c		@1six @1o'clock
pick that one		pick .t "o		pick .1t "o

The typeform-termination indicator is used when only the beginning or middle part of a word or letter/symbol sequence is in a special typeface.

		EBAE		UEB
baseball		base.ball		base.1ball
baseball		.base,'ball		.1base.'ball
two-fold		two-.fold		two-.1fold
two-fold		.two,'-fold		.1two.'-fold

4.1(c)  Passage in a special typeface  [Typeform Passage Indicator] (7)
[UEB 9.4]

 

In EBAE when four or more consecutive words are emphasized, the first word is preceded by the double emphasis indicator, and a single emphasis indicator is placed before the last emphasized word.

 

In UEB when three or more consecutive words are emphasized, a typeform passage indicator is placed before the first word and a passage-termination indicator is placed after the last emphasized word.

[EBAE]     CAUTION: wet paint! .,,cau;n3 .wet .pa9t6

[UEB]     CAUTION: wet paint! ^7,,CAU;N3 WET PA9T6^'

4.1(d)  Numbers in special typeface  [UEB 9.2.1.]

 

When one digit is emphasized in print, in UEB it is preceded by the typeform symbol indicator. When more than one digit is printed in a special typeface use the typeform word indicator.

[EBAE]   Subtract 6 from 24.   ,subtract .#f f .#bd4

[UEB]  Subtract 6 from 24.   ,subtract .2#f f .1#bd4

4.2  Order of punctuation and font attributes  [typeform indicators]  [UEB 9.7]

4.2(a)  The order of punctuation and typeform indicators is not rigidly prescribed in UEB. Place the typeform terminator at the point where the special typeface changes. When in doubt, except for the hyphen, dash, and ellipsis, include the punctuation in the typeform.

[EBAE]   Do you have a copy of Rules of Order?   ,d y h a copy ( .,rules .( .,ord]8 Do you have Is There No Place For Me?  ,d y h ..,is ,"! ,no ,place ,= .,me8

[UEB]     Do you have a copy of Rules of Order?   ,d y h a copy ( .7,rules ( ,ord].'8 Do you have Is There No Place For Me?  ,d y h .7,is ,"! ,no ,place ,= ,me8.'

4.2(b)  As with punctuation (see 2.3 above), close font attribute symbols and other paired characters in the reverse order of their opening, i.e., nested.

[EBAE]     (THE KING AND I)      7..,,! ,,K+ ,,& .,i7

[UEB]    (THE KING AND I)      "<.7,,,! K+ & I,'.'"> [open parens, open italics, open capitalized passage – text – close capitals, close italics, close parens]

4.3  More than one indicator  [UEB 9.8]

When it is necessary to show that a word or phrase is printed in more than one typeface, all of the appropriate indicators are used ‒ and they are closed in the reverse order described above.

[UEB]    a flock of sheep       ^7_7a flock ( %eep_'^'

4.4  Special symbols for font attributes such as: colored type, double underline, crossed-out type
[UEB 9.5]

UEB has special symbols only for the four typefaces described above. It does not have specific symbols for colored type, crossed-out type, double underlining, etc. There are four "transcriber-defined" typeform indicators, shown in UEB 9.5, that the transcriber can assign to symbols other than the four listed.

---

5. GRADE 1 MODE [UEB §5]

Indicators and modes: Some indicators apply only to the symbol next to it, while others assign meanings, i.e., establish "modes," that extend over several symbols or even multiple words. For example, a number indicator assigns a number meaning to the following symbols, and the sequence is said to be in the "numeric mode"; a fully capitalized word, initiated by the capitals indicator, is in the "capitals mode."

5.1  Grade 1 Symbol Indicator (;)  [UEB 5.2, 5.7, 10.12.13, 10.12.16]

Like the EBAE letter sign, the UEB grade 1 symbol indicator is used before any letter, letter grouping, or symbol that could be misread as a contraction or shortform. This means that, unlike EBAE, a grade 1 symbol indicator is not used before a, i, or o, (whether they stand for letters or words), because they have no contraction meaning.
A grade 1 symbol indicator is used before abbreviations and initials (whether they are followed by periods or not), in lists and outlines, when letters are preceded and/or followed by apostrophes or hyphens indicating missing letters, for free-standing punctuation, and in stammering.

		EBAE		UEB
a e i o u		;a ;e ;i ;o ;u		a ;e i o ;u
A. B. C.		,a4 ,b4 ,c4		,a4 ;,b4 ;,c4
Hello, Al		,hello1 ,al		,hello1 ;,al
see section (f)		see sec;n 7f7		see sec;n "<;f">
d - - n		d--n		;d--;n
end it with a ?		5d x )a @8		5d x ) a ;8
g-g-ghost		g-g-gho/		;g-;g-<o/
rock 'n' roll		rock 'n' roll		rock ';n' roll

Unlike EBAE, UEB follows print for enclosed and/or emphasized single letters.

		EBAE		UEB
Team "a" will race team "b."		,t1m ;a w race t1m ;b4		,t1m 8a0 w race t1m 8;b40

5.2  Grade 1 Word Indicator  (;;)  [UEB 5.3]

In EBAE letter signs are not used in spelled-out words and context is often relied upon to convey the correct meaning, so that S-T-O-P, if taken out of context, might be read SO-THAT-O-PEOPLE. In UEB each print symbol is represented by an unambiguous braille symbol (S can only be "so", etc.).

In order to identify each letter as a letter and not a contraction, a grade 1 indicator is required. In order to minimize the number of indicators needed in spelled-out words UEB uses a grade 1 word indicator.

    Terminator  The effect of a grade 1 word indicator is terminated by a space. When there is no space, a grade 1 terminator (;') is used to signal the end of grade 1 mode.

		EBAE		UEB
T-H-I-E-F!		,t-,h-,i-,e-,f6		;;,t-,h-,i-,e-,f6
b-b-b-b-but		b-b-b-b-but		;;b-b-b-b-;'b

Note that a capital word indicator could not be used for T-H-I-E-F because a hyphen (or any non-alphabetic symbol) cancels the effect of that indicator (see 1.2(c) above). Note also that the grade 1 word indicator is only used in stammering when there are more that three letter sounds. [UEB 10.12.16]

 

5.3  Grade 1 Passage Indicator  (;;;)  [UEB 5.4]

 

A passage of three or more spelled-out words is preceded by a grade 1 passage indicator and followed by the grade 1 terminator.

[EBAE]   s-t-o-p t-h-i-e-f, S-T-O-P! s-t-o-p t-h-i-e-f1 ,s-,t-,o-,p6

[UEB]   s-t-o-p t-h-i-e-f, S-T-O-P!   ;;;s-t-o-p t-h-i-e-f1 ,s-,t-,o-,p;'6

5.4  Grade 1 mode and shortforms  [UEB 5.7.2]

		EBAE		UEB
CD-DVD		;,,cd-dvd		;,,cd-,,dvd*
CD/DVD		;,,cd_/,,dvd		,,cd_/,,dvd**

*Shortforms "stand alone," meaning that they can be used next to a hyphen or dash; therefore, without a letter sign [grade 1 symbol indicator] the letters CD would be read as "could."

**A letter sign is not required because "standing alone" a shortform cannot be in contact with a slash (see 3.8(a) above); therefore, the letters CD would not be read as "could."

READING PRACTICE 3

Read the following sentences. Write them out in longhand and compare your work with the print version on
page 38.

  #a"> ,! ad r1d 8y simply c't af^1,,=d
to 2 )\t a ^1,,=d40

  #b"> ,! ,my/]i\s ,attitude4 ,A /ate;t
s* z1 8^7,i wi% ,i cd tell y ! answ]1 b
444^'0 implies t y h 9side 9=ma;n t wd
bl{ ! lid (f "ey?+4

  #c"> 8,j call me ,mr4 ;,r,-n ,mr4 ,r10
he sd to ! /ud5ts4

  #d"> ,by .74abil;y "<z us$ 9 ! ,social
,secur;y ,act.'"> is m1nt 89abil;y to
5gage 9 sub/antial ga9;l activ;y 4440

  #e"> ,! class /udi$ ,%akespe>e's lat]
plays "<s* z .7,,,! two noble k9sm5,'.'">4

  #f"> 8;;,br-r-r-r1 x's freez+ 9 "h40

WRITING PRACTICE 3 

Braille the following sentences. Start each sentence in cell 3 and use a 40-cell line. Compare your work with the print version on page 39.

1. In the following words the accented syllable is indicated by italics: reunify,
unlikely, discard, and pretend.

2. NOTICE: The YMCAers will experience a beautiful day at the seashore on
Saturday at 7 pm.

3. Memo: The Dog That Wouldn't Be! is the camp movie this week.

4. "It was a hit 'n' run—the driver was goin' like a bat outta h---," said the
officer.

5. The sign in the barracks read: A-T-T-E-N-T-I-O-N! LIGHTS OUT AT 2300.

6. J E Randall, G R Allen, and A C Steene wrote "Fishes of the Great Barrier
Reef and Coral Sea."

7. O, say can you see ... sang Al.

[Reference numbers in the practices refer to sections in this manual.] 

Reading Practice 3

(answers) 

1)  The ad read "you simply can't afFORD to be without a FORD."

[closing parenthesis 2.2(c); partially emphasized word 3.7;  bold
indicator 4.1]

2)  The Mysterious Attitude. A statement such as, "I wish I could tell you
the answer, but ..." implies that you have inside information that would
blow the lid off everything.

[bold passage indicator and terminator  4.1(c); ellipsis 2.1(b)]

3)  "Just call me Mr. R—not Mr. Rather," he said to the students.

[grade 1 symbol indicator 5.1; dash 2.2(a); to 3.1(a)]

4)  By disability (as used in the Social Security Act) is meant "inability to  
engage in substantial gainful activity ..."

[By 3.1(a); italicized passage 4.1; parentheses 2.2(c); ellipsis 2.1(b)]

5)  The class studied Shakespeare's later plays (such as THE TWO NOBLE
KINSMEN).

[italicized passage 4.1; capitalized passage 1.3(a); capitals terminator    
1.2(b); italics terminator 4.1; order of font attributes 4.2]

6)  "Br-r-r-r, it's freezing in here."

[grade 1 word indicator 5.2]

[Reference numbers in the practices refer to sections in this manual.]

Writing Practice 3

(answers)

  #a4 ,9 ! foll{+ ^ws ! a35t$ syllable
is 9dicat$ by italics3 re.2unify1
un.1like.'ly1 .1dis.'c>d1 & .1pre.'t5d4

[italic symbol and word terminators  4.1(a)(b)]

  #b4 ,,notice3 ,! ,,ymca,']s w exp]i;e
a b1uti;l "d at ! s1%ore on _1,satur"d
at _2#g pm4

[underlined word 4.1(b); underlined number 4.1(d)]

  #c4 ^1,memo^'3 .7,! ,dog ,t ,wdn't
,be6.' is ! camp movie ? week4

[bold word and terminator 4.1(b);
italicized passage 4.1(c), terminator 4.2(b).
Note that if the colon following "Memo" were also in bold type a
terminator would not be required because the influence of the typeface
word indicator continues until the reader encounters a space.]

 

  #d4 8,x 0 a hit ';n' run,-! driv] 0
go9' l a bat \tta ;h---10 sd ! (fic]4

['n', goin', h---  5.1]

 

  #E4 ,! SIGN 9 ! B>RACKS R1D3

;;,A-,T-,T-,E-,N-,T-,I-,O-,N;'6
,,,LI<TS \ AT,' #BCJJ4

[grade 1 word indicator and terminator 5.2; capitalized passage indicator
and terminator 1.3(a)]

 

  #f4 ;,j ;,e ,r&all1 ;,g ;,r ,all51 &
,a ;,c ,/e5e wrote 8,fi%es ( ! ,grt
,b>ri] ,reef & ,coral ,sea40

[initials 5.1]

 

  #g4 ,o1 say c y see 444 sang ;,al4

[use and non-use of grade 1 indicator 5.1; ellipsis 2.1(b)]­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

---

6. NUMBERS IN NON-TECHNICAL MATERIALS

[UEB §6]

In EBAE only a space, a period, a dash, or a letter sign terminates the effect of a number sign. The influence of the number sign continues through commas, colons, hyphens, slashes, fraction lines, and decimal points.

In UEB, the number sign [numeric indicator] is used much more often. Its effect is not only terminated by a space, dash, or letter (with the exception of letters a-j), but also by hyphens, colons, slashes, and any other symbol including composition signs (capital or italic indicators, etc.). The effect of the numeric indicator only carries through commas, periods, decimal points, computer dots, and fraction lines.

6.1  Letter/number combinations

6.1(a)  Numbers followed by letters or words  [UEB 6.5]

In UEB a letter or symbol, including hyphens, terminates the effect of a numeric indicator; therefore, with the exception of lower case letters a-j, a letter sign [grade 1 indicator] is not required for letters that immediately follow numbers.

		EBAE		UEB
4c  4C  4.c		#d;c #d;,c #d4c		#d;c #d,c #d4;c
4t  4T  4.t		#d;t #d;,t #d4t		#dt  #d,t #d4t
6-cab fleet		#f-;cab fleet		#f-cab fleet
17C4-6		#ag;,c#d-f		#ag,c#d-#f
6.2m		#f.b;m		#f4bm

6.1(b)  Numeric indicator sets grade 1 mode  [UEB 5.6.2, 6.5.4]

The numeric indicator sets grade 1 mode for the symbols-sequence, or the remainder of a symbols-sequence. Following a number, grade 1 mode is in effect and contractions cannot be used. Grade 1 mode is terminated only by a space, a hyphen, or a dash, after which contractions can be used.

		EBAE		UEB
5th grade		#e? grade		#eth grade
house4rent		house#d;rent		h\se#drent
12-can box		#ab-can box		#ab-c box

6.1(c)  Numbers preceded by apostrophe  [UEB 6.7.1]

In EBAE, when in print an apostrophe takes the place of a number(s), in braille the number sign precedes the apostrophe. In UEB the numeric indicator must be placed immediately before the number.

		EBAE		UEB
the '90's era		! #'ij's ]a		! '#ij's ]a

6.1(d)  Long numbers: the numeric space and the continuation indicator  [UEB 6.6, 6.10]

In EBAE when a space or half space is used in print to set off thousands in long numbers, in braille the number indicator is repeated. UEB uses the numeric space indicator, dot 5 (") to separate the segments.

		EBAE		UEB
1 500 000		#a #ejj #jjj		#a"ejj"jjj

When a very long number needs to be divided between braille lines EBAE uses a hyphen. UEB uses a continuation indicator, also dot 5 ("), when the division occurs after a separating comma or between digits. When the division takes place at a numeric space, the numeric space and the continuation indicator are both brailled, resulting in two dot 5s in succession. Like EBAE, the numeric indicator is not repeated on the next line.

		UEB
1 500 000 000		#a"ejj"jjj""  jjj

6.2  Fractions and mixed numbers  [UEB 11.3, 11.3.2]

EBAE and UEB treat fractions written one above the other or offset diagonally in the same way using the fraction line.

		EBAE & UEB
- or  ½-¾		#a/b-#c/d

When fractions are printed linearly both EBAE and UEB use the slash, rather than the fraction line. In EBAE, however, the slash does not terminate the effect of the number indicator; in UEB, it does.

Note that mixed numbers are treated as two unspaced but separate numeric items.

		EBAE		UEB
3/4 lb		#c_/d lb		#c_/#d lb
open 24/7		op5 #bd_/g		op5 #bd_/#g
3½-4½		#c-a/b-#d-a/b		#c#a/b-#d#a/b

6.3  Decimals [UEB 7]

In UEB, the configuration for the decimal point is the same as for all other print dots, (4).

		EBAE		UEB
.3-4.5		#.c-d.e		#4c-#d4e

 6.4  Mathematical signs of operation  [UEB 3.17]

In keeping with the UEB policy that every print symbol must be represented by an unambiguous braille counterpart, symbols, rather than words, depict mathematical signs of operation and comparison in non-technical material.

Following is a list of the most common mathematical signs. Many others are listed in The Rules of Unified English Braille.

plus        +		"6		multiply   x		"8
minus      -		"-		divide      ÷		"/
equals     =		"7

Follow print spacing for mathematical signs used in literary context.

		EBAE		UEB
write 2 + 2 = 4		write #b plus #b equals #d		write #b "6 #b "7 #d

6.5  Roman numerals  [8.6.3, UEB Technical Materials 2.6]

In UEB, upper and lower-case Roman numerals are brailled as if they were normal letters using the letter indicator [grade 1 symbol indicator] and  contractions.

		EBAE		UEB
i   vi   x		;i  ;vi  ;x		i  vi  ;x
I  VI  X		,i  ,,vi  ,x		,i  ,,vi  ;,x
vi-x   VI-X		;vi-;x  ,,vi-,x		vi-;x ,,vi-;,x
xth  XXth		;x;?  ,,xx;?		x?  ,,xx,'?

Note that in the last example a grade one indicator is not used in "xth" because "x" is not standing alone and cannot be read as "it."

6.6  Clock time, dates, sports scores, votes  [UEB 6.7]

In UEB, the effect of the number indicator does not continue through hyphens, colons, or slashes, but it does continue through periods (or any dot).

		EBAE		UEB
we won 6-0		we won #f-j		we won #f-#j
9:30 a.m.		#i3cj a4m4		#i3#cj a4m4
7/14/60		#g_/ad_/fj		#g_/#ad_/#fj
7.14.60		#g4#ad4#fj		#g4ad4fj

---

7. SYMBOLS & ABBREVIATIONS

7.1 Symbols [UEB §3, UEB Technical Materials §11]

In UEB each print symbol is represented by a unique braille symbol, regardless of whether it appears in a literary, mathematical, or computer context. Many new symbols are included in UEB, such as the musical accidentals ♮ ♯ ♭.

The following list does not include any of the new symbols that UEB has introduced; it shows only the configuration differences of symbols that occur in both EBAE or Braille Formats 2011 and UEB.

			EBAE or Brl Formats		UEB
→	arrow, right		$33o		\o
←	arrow, left		$[33		\[
*	asterisk		99		"9
\	backslash		\		_*
^	caret		95 *		@5
†	dagger		55		@,?
‡	dagger, double		95 *		@,]
o	degree		dg		^J
x	dimension		by		"8
$	dollar		4		@S
>	greater than		.1		@>
<	less than		"k		@<
x	magnification		;x		"8
¶	paragraph		p>		^P
%	percent		@3p		.0
£	pound sterling		l		@L
'	prime (feet)		ft		7
"	prime, double (inches)		@9		77
'	prime (minutes of arc)		m9		7
"	prime, double (seconds of arc)		sec		77
::	proportion		;2		33
:	ratio		"1 [analogy] to [math]		3 [analogy & math]
§	section		s'		^S
	transcriber's notes		,'  ,'		@.<  @.>

 

* Braille Formats assigned the same braille configuration to the caret and the double dagger.

EXAMPLES:

		EBAE or Braille Formats		UEB
text*		text 99		text"9
32°F		#cb;dg;,f		#cb^j,f
9x12 rug		#i 0#ab rug		#i"8#ab rug
$10.25		4#aj.be		@s#aj4be
$hop here		Explain in TN		@shop "h
¶6		p>#f		^p#f
25%		#be@3p		#be.0
£9 5s 5d		l#i #e;s #e;d		@l#i #es #e;d
6'10"		#f;ft#aj@9		#f7#aj77
1:500 scale		#a 6#ejj scale		#a3#ejj scale
hand : arm :: foot : leg		h& "1 >m ;2 foot "1 leg		h& 3 >m 33 foot 3 leg
10x zoom lens		#aj;x zoom l5s		#aj"8 zoom l5s

7.1(a)  Superscript (9), subscript (5)  [UEB 3.24]

A grade 1 indicator is used with superscript and subscript indicators to prevent them from being read as contractions.

		EBAE		UEB
E=mc2		;,e equals mc7#b7		,e"7mc;9#b
H2O		,h7#b7,o		,h;5#b,o

7.1(b)  Reference indicators

 

Braille Formats 2011 developed special symbols to represent the various reference indicators used in print (asterisk, dagger, double dagger, hollow dot, colored and highlighted text, etc.). In UEB, a symbol is the same regardless of its meaning or context. An asterisk is an asterisk, whether it is used as a reference marker or indicates omitted matter.

 

7.1(c)  Dot locator for "mention" on Special Symbols Page and in TNs

[UEB 3.13]

When attention is drawn to the dots in a braille symbol in a transcriber's note or on a special symbol's page, in UEB the dot numbers are not explained. Instead, a dot locator symbol (.=) is placed immediately before the braille symbol giving the reader a point of reference for the dots in the symbol. This includes all symbols, not just those with lower or right-hand dots.

SPECIAL SYMBOLS USED IN THIS VOLUME     ^c  copyright symbol   "1 ditto mark   $ shape indicator
EBAE		UEB
^c copy"r symbol		.=^c copy"r symbol
"1 7#e1 #b7 ditto m>k		.="1 ditto m>k
$ %ape 9dicator		.=$ %ape 9dicator

TNIn the example below "1 represents the ditto mark.TN

EBAE  ,',9 ! example 2l "1 7#e1 #b7 repres5ts ! ditto m>k4,'

UEB     @.<,9 ! example 2l .="1 repres5ts ! ditto m>k4@.>

7.2  Abbreviations [UEB §10.12]

Because a letter sign [grade 1 indicator] is used in UEB before all single letters (except a, i, and o), whether or not they are followed by a period, some abbreviations are formed differently from those in EBAE.

		EBAE		UEB
N. Dak.		,n4 ,dak4		;,n4 ,dak4
V & A		;,v @& ;,a		;,v @& ,a

---

8. ELECTRONIC ADDRESSES and FILE NAMES

[UEB §10.12.3, Guidelines for Technical Material §17]

In UEB it is not necessary to switch into a special code to read and write web sites, file names, URLs, or e-mail addresses ‒ and beginning and ending indicators are not used. Contractions are used, except for those that must "stand alone" (see 3.3 above). Addresses that are embedded in text, such as in the example below, should be transcribed in contracted [grade 2] braille. Displayed addresses and names (those that are separated from text by blank lines in print) should be transcribed in uncontracted [grade 1] braille.

Use the symbols listed in UEB §3. Note that the line continuation indicator, which is _& (456, 12346) in EBAE, is " (5) in UEB. Lines may be broken at any point, but it is preferable not to break between letters in a segment.

For more information go to: http://www.brailleauthority.org/ueb/overview_changes_ebae_ueb.html

[EBAE] ,= m 9=m,n g to3 _+http3//www.brailleauthority.org/ueb/_& overview__changes__ebae__ueb.html_:

[UEB] ,= m 9=ma;n g to3 http3_/_/www4brailleau?or;y4org_/ueb_/ov]" view.-*anges.-ebae.-ueb4html [Note that "braille" cannot be contracted because it is a short form and must "stand alone."]

The Computer Dot  There is no special symbol in UEB for the dot used in electronic addresses and other computer expressions. In UEB, all dots are  represented by 4 (256), whether they are used for a period, a decimal point, an ellipsis, a computer dot, or any other dot.

---

9. ACCENTED LETTERS and FOREIGN WORDS
IN ENGLISH TEXT

9.1  Diacritical marks and accents[modifiers]  [UEB §4.2]

In general literature, EBAE does not differentiate between various diacritical marks, using the accent symbol, dot 4, for all accented letters. Braille Formats 2011 developed braille symbols to be used when necessary, as in textbooks, for the most common diacritical marks, but they differ from those in UEB.

    UEB gives each diacritical mark a distinct dot configuration and refers to them as modifiers.

		Braille Formats		UEB
		symbol  example		symbol   example
acute		>    é    >e		^/    é   ^/e
bar or slash overlay		4    ø    4o		@*    ø   @*o
breve		^    ĕ    ^e		@+    ĕ   @+e
cedilla		0    ç    0c		^&    ç   ^&c
circumflex		6    ê    6e		^%    ê   ^%e
diaeresis/umlaut		2    ë    2e		^3    ë   ^3e
eng		$    ŋ    $		^n    ŋ   ^n
grave		<    è    <e		^*    è   ^*e
macron		_     ā    _a		@-    ā   @-a
overdot		1      ż  1z		use transcriber-defined modifier
schwa		5      ə      5		_5    ə   _5
tilde		"      ñ    "n		^]    ñ   ^]n
underdot		9     ạ  9a		use transcriber-defined modifier

Ligatured letters [UEB 4.3]

In UEB the ligature symbol (^6) is placed between the two letters that are joined in print.

Braille Formats		UEB
8   æ    8ae		^6  æ  a^6e

9.2  Foreign words in English text  [UEB §13.2]

Like EBAE, UEB does not use contractions in foreign words, phrases, or passages occurring in English context, but unlike EBAE, it does not rely on typography (italics, boldface, quotation marks, etc.) alone to determine foreign words. In order to decide whether a word or passage is foreign, UEB says to try to determine the author's or publisher's intent and then be consistent throughout the work.

The UEB symbol for the Spanish inverted exclamation point is ^;6
(45, 56, 235). The symbol for the Spanish inverted question mark is ^;8 (45, 56, 236).

[EBAE] —¡Ten cuidado!—  "Be careful!" she said.  --.6,ten .cuidado6-- 8,be c>e;l60 %e sd4   —¿Cómo estás?— "How are you today?" --5,c@omo e/@as5-- 8,h[ >e y td80

[UEB] —¡Ten cuidado!— "Be careful!" she said. ,-.1^;6,ten .1cuidado6,- 8,be c>e;l60 %e sd4   —¿Cómo estás?— "How are you today?" ,-^;8,c^/omo est^/as8,- 8,h[ >e y td80

Note, since in UEB a unique braille symbol represents a print symbol regardless of how or where it is used, that the closing question mark in Spanish is represented by dots 236, same as the standard English question mark.

READING PRACTICE 4

Read the following sentences. Write them out in longhand and compare your work with the print version on
page 54.

  #a4 ,! pizza re/aurant1 ,s#bpizzabar1
clos$ td4

  #b4 ,r1d ! foll[+ /ory4 @.<.=_5
repres5ts ! symbol = a s*wa4@.>

  #c4 ,3tact me at @<summ]h\se"
@awdl4com@>4

  #d4 8,get to ? :5"e y c4 ,pas
d'urgence4 ,no hurry40

  #e4 ,emp]or ,*>les ! ,v? ( ,g]_m & ,i/
( ,spa9 0 ! favorite nephew ( ,m>g>et (
,au/ria4

  #f4 ,we res]v$ a #b-b$ b]? on a tra9 to
,i/anbul4 

  #g4 ,i b"\ croissants & .7pain au
chocolat.' at ! p^%atiss]ie4

WRITING PRACTICE 4

Braille the following sentences. Start each sentence in cell 3 and use a 40-cell line. Compare your work with the print version on page 55.

1. The XM16E1 machine gun was standardized as the M16A1 in 1967.

2. Dad loves watching reruns of M*A*S*H.

3. I really like this jacket. I found it at www.coats4you.com.

4. "Parlez-vous Français?" asked the bewildered French tourist.

5. 10% of $500 is $50.

6. The recipe calls for 3/4 lb pork and 1/4 lb beef.

 [Reference numbers in the practices refer to sections in this manual.]

Reading Practice 4

(answers) 

1. The pizza restaurant, S2pizzabar, closed today.

[contraction not used following number 6.1(b)]

2. Read the following story. TN_5 represents the symbol for a schwa.TN

[TN symbols 7.1; symbol for schwa 9.1; schwa preceded by dot locator for "mention" 7.1(c)]

3. Contact me at <summerhouse@wdl.com>.

[angle brackets 2.2(d); electronic address, continuation indicator §8.
Note that the braille symbol for @ is the same in EBAE and UEB.]

4. "Get to this whenever you can. Pas d'urgence. No hurry."

[foreign words in English context 9.2]

5. Emperor Charles the Vth of Germany and Ist of Spain was the favorite
nephew of Margaret of Austria.

[Roman numerals 6.5]

6. We reserved a 2-bed berth on a train to Istanbul.

[number followed by a hyphen 6.1(b)

7. I bought croissants and pain au chocolat at the pâtisserie.

[pain au chocolate 9.2; circumflex 9.1; 
pâtisserie: the word "patisserie" has been anglicized and is in the
dictionary, although without the accented letter. In order to maintain
consistency, croissants and pâtisserie should be treated the same.]

[Reference numbers in the practices refer to sections in this manual.]  

Writing Practice 4

(answers)

  #a4 ,! ,,xm#af,e#a ma*9e gun 0 /&>diz$
z ! ,m#af,a#a 9 #aifg4

[letter sign not required for capitalized letters following numbers 6.1(a)]

 

#b4 ,dad loves wat*+ r]uns (
,m"9,a"9,s"9,h4

["reruns" 3.5(f); asterisk 7.1]

 

  #c4 ,i r1lly l ? jacket4 ,i f.d x at
www4coats#dyou4com4

["really" 3.1(b); electronic address 8
Note that the contraction for "you" cannot be used in an electronic
address because it must "stand alone"; nor can a contraction be
used   following a number.]

 

  #D4 .18,PARLEZ-VOUS .1,FRAN~&CAIS80
ASK$ ! 2wild]$ ,fr5* t\ri/4

[foreign words 9.2, cedilla 9.1]

 

  #e4 #aj.0 ( @s#ejj is @sej4

[percent and dollar symbols 7.1]

 

  #f4 ,! recipe calls = #c_/#d lb pork
& #a_/#d lb beef4

[fractions printed linearly 6.2]

---

INDEX

---

---

 

Close this window