International Council on English Braille (ICEB)

Resolutions from

4th General Assembly
Melbourne, Australia
6-10 April 2008

1.0 Tactile Graphics

This 4th General Assembly recognises that the charges given to the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) Tactile Graphics Committee in resolution 10 of the 2004 General Assembly have not been accomplished and that a new approach is needed. The General Assembly recognises the importance of tactile graphics in the dissemination of accessible information and resolves to focus attention on the development of international guidelines governing their production.

This General Assembly resolves that a Tactile Graphics Committee be re-established by the Executive with an initial focus on information sharing between ICEB countries and the consideration of international guidelines for the production of tactile graphics.

2.0 Braille Music

This 4th General Assembly resolves to endorse the continuation of a braille music committee charged with promoting access to braille music. The committee will:

• 2.1 Promote the importance of technology in the production and distribution of braille music;
• 2.2 Create a call to action concerning the need to preserve the heritage of braille music only available in hard copy master format;
• 2.3 Play an active part in the continued development of the international braille music code; and
• 2.4 Promote the teaching and learning of braille music.

3.0 Liaison with DAISY Consortium

This 4th General Assembly recognises the ground breaking work of the Digital Accessible Information System Consortium in bringing about a revolution in reading. This General Assembly resolves to appoint the President of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) as liaison officer to the DAISY Consortium with the aim of creating cohesion between the aspirations of ICEB and the DAISY Consortium.

4.0 Refreshable Braille

This 4th General Assembly recognises the importance of refreshable braille as a vital reading experience and the need to develop improved standards and technology to enable its use. The General Assembly resolves to create a refreshable braille committee whose charge will be to:

• 4.1 Formulate requirements in the sphere of refreshable braille;
• 4.2 Engage developers of refreshable braille technology in discussing the feasibility of requirements; and
• 4.3 Influence the development of standards to incorporate requirements pertinent to refreshable braille.

5.0 Support for UEB in Braille Devices

Whereas, Unified English Braille (UEB) has been adopted and implemented by Australia and New Zealand as their official braille code; and whereas, UEB has been adopted and is being increasingly used in South Africa and Nigeria; and Whereas some software developers (e.g. Quantum Technologies and Humanware) have incorporated UEB into devices using braille technology and they are to be commended for this; and whereas, such incorporation is needed to support the implementation of UEB, Therefore be it resolved that the ICEB Executive be charged with ensuring that every effort be made to encourage other producers of braille technology to add support for UEB in their devices.

6.0 UEB Workshops in Other Countries

Whereas English is widely used as a business or further language often coexisting with local indigenous languages, especially in many developing or least developed countries in the world using English as a language to conduct international business or for other purposes, and Whereas exposure to Unified English Braille (UEB) could benefit braille users in these countries, Therefore be it resolved that the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) seek funding to conduct workshops in other countries as requested, and engage in other awareness raising activities related to UEB including dissemination of information about UEB and access to materials produced in UEB.

7.0 Braille Outreach in Other Countries

This 4th General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB), recalling Resolution 12.0 of the 3rd ICEB General Assembly (Toronto, 2004) on the importance of braille-related outreach activities in developing countries; reaffirming that braille is a primary literacy, educational and participatory medium for people who are blind; acknowledging that developing and least developed countries face various and significant challenges to the introduction and promotion of braille; resolves that the ICEB Executive be authorised to work with the International Council on the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) and other organisations to assist these countries to establish and expand braille in literacy and education, and to facilitate participation in the community by people who are blind.

8.0 Gathering Information on UEB Implementation

This 4th General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) recognises the importance of gathering and recording information relevant to the experience of those individuals implementing and using Unified English Braille (UEB). Therefore be it resolved that the ICEB Executive committee be asked to task the Research Committee to facilitate the exchange and gathering of information pertinent to:

• 8.1 The perspectives and recommendations of teachers of students who are blind or visually impaired relevant to the implementation of UEB;
• 8.2 The perspectives and recommendations of students who use braille relevant to their learning and use of UEB; and
• 8.3 The perspectives and recommendations of adult Braille users relevant to their learning and use of UEB for implementing UEB.
• 8.4 The perspectives and recommendations of individuals responsible for implementing UEB within their respective countries

9.0 UEB Training and Implementation Materials

This 4th General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) resolves:

• 9.1 To establish a UEB Training and Implementation Materials Committee;
• 9.2 To invite each country to nominate a representative to the Committee; and
• 9.3 To share information and materials re UEB training and implementation as they become available.

10.0 Braille Signage and Labeling

This 4th General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) considering:

• (a) That a major consequence of blindness is a reduced capacity to access information about commercial products and the built environment;
• (b) That braille signage has been mandated in the building regulations of some ICEB member countries;

• (a) That standards for braille signage may not be well developed or comprehensive in some ICEB member countries, even though braille signs may be mandated in some instances under their building regulations;
• (b) That the braille code(s) used for product labeling should enhance international trade,

• (a) To establish a technical committee dealing with braille signage and product labeling;
• (b) To develop the committee's terms of reference, determine its membership and identify priority tasks as soon as practicable.

11.0 UEB Completion and Maintenance

This 4th General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB), recalling that the 3rd ICEB General Assembly (Toronto, 2004) established an "Overarching Committee" and several technical subcommittees to progress the work of finalising the form and rules of Unified English Braille (UEB), appreciating the considerable work that has been done since then by these committees, recognising:

• (a) That further work is necessary in order to complete tasks that these committees have identified as unfinished;
• (b) That the ongoing maintenance of UEB requires an efficient, effective, and representative mechanism,

• (a) That the Overarching Committee and all UEB-related subcommittees and working groups be requested to complete their current unfinished work by March 31, 2009;
• (b) That in completing their current unfinished work, the Overarching Committee and other UEB-related committees shall have regard to the value of telephone and virtual conferencing as a means of reaching decisions in a timely and effective manner;

12.0 International Exchange of Braille Materials

This 4th General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB), reaffirming the value of international sharing of braille resources; recognising that there continue to be significant restrictions to the exchange of braille material between countries as the result of national copyright legislation and the high cost of circulating braille material by Airmail; resolves to direct the ICEB Executive to make representations to relevant national and international bodies aimed at removing these restrictions as far as possible.

13.0 U.N. Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities

This 4th General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB): noting that the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ("the Convention") has been ratified by 20 nations and will as a consequence become a part of international law on May 3, 2008; recognising that the Convention is a development of landmark positive significance for people with disabilities worldwide; appreciating that the Convention refers specifically to braille in its definition of "Communications", in Article 9, in Article 21, and in Article 24; believing that the convention offers strategic opportunities for the assertion and promotion of braille as a literacy, educational, and participatory medium for people who are blind; resolves to direct the ICEB Executive:

• (a) To develop and promote a public response to the Convention insofar as the Convention pertains to braille; and
• (b) To prepare and disseminate a strategic plan to provide guidance to member countries in utilising the Convention to advance braille in their respective jurisdictions.

14.0 Braille Promotion

The promotion of braille is vital to its future. Therefore a central activity of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) must be the promotion of braille. This 4th General Assembly resolves that the Braille Promotion Committee be well-resourced; that it functions to proactively support the wide use of braille; that it facilitates:

• (a) The sharing of promotional and instructional materials ideas and
• (b) The exchange of information relating to the promotional opportunities associated with the Louis Braille Bi-centennial celebrations; and

15.0 Expressions of Appreciation

This 4th General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) wishes to put on record its warm thanks to the following:

• 15.1 Vision Australia, for its considerable support and excellent hospitality;
• 15.2 the Australian Braille Authority and the local organising committee for hosting this Assembly and, in particular, to John Simpson, Bill Jolley, and the excellent braille transcribers for all their efforts that ensured a successful meeting;
• 15.3 the observers for their participation and contributions to the success of the meeting;
• 15.4 the volunteers who provided assistance that contributed to the smooth running of the meeting;
• 15.5 ACB Radio for streaming the conference sessions on ACB Radio World; and
• 15.6 the ICEB President, Dr. Fred Schroeder, for fair and good-humoured chairmanship of the proceedings.