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There are many reference and training resources becoming available to assist transcribers, teachers and readers of Unified English Braille.
Sometimes there are comparable learning materials separately produced following UEB adoption. This is because countries may have had their own braille codes and formatting and, to effect the smoothest possible transitions, UEB learning materials have been written having regard to these unique national circumstances.
Through the generosity of the braille community, many documents are available online in PDF (print) and BRF (braille) formats and can be downloaded free-of-charge. Follow the links below to browse the worldwide collection.
The formal specification of Unified English Braille is set out in The Rules of Unified English Braille: 2013 Edition. It may be obtained as a free download in PDF (print) or BRF (braille) formats from ICEB's UEB web page. The PDF version of the rulebook is the definitive specification of the rules of Unified English Braille.
The document Unified English Braille: Guidelines for Technical Material is intended to give transcribers enough information and examples to produce Mathematics, Science and Computer Science notation in Unified English Braille. It may be obtained as a free download in PDF (print) or BRF (braille) formats from ICEB's UEB web page.
The Unified English Braille Training Manual is a series of lessons and practice exercises by which teachers, transcribers and parents can learn UEB.
UEB Online is an online training program designed for sighted people to learn UEB. This free program offers self-paced learning without the need for a braille machine or software. Based on the UEB Australian Training Manual, UEB Online was created by the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children's Renwick Centre.
Ozzie Dots is a systematic approach to assist students, their teachers and aides to learn to read and write the contractions of Unified English Braille in the early years of schooling. The program is published by the Victorian Statewide Vision Resource Centre (SVRC) and is provided as a CD with print and braille files. The first set, comprising of 15 books, is available as a free download.
The ABA administers the Trans-Tasman Certificate of Proficiency in Unified English Braille jointly with the Braille Authority of New Zealand Aotearoa Trust. This Certificate is the only form of accreditation currently available to braille specialists in Australia or New Zealand. It is available only to people living in Australia, New Zealand or the Pacific Islands. Please refer to the Trans-Tasman Certificate of Proficiency in Unified English Braille page for further details, including sample papers.
Training materials in Canada are developed and issued on behalf of BLC by CNIB.
Update to UEB is a free self-paced course that will mainly interest transcribers, proofreaders and teachers of braille reading to children and adults--particularly if they hold BLC/CNIB certification in Braille Transcription or Grade Two Braille. By the end of the course, participants will understand the basic principles of UEB, be familiar with the most commonly used symbols, and know the Rulebook well enough to find and use the symbols needed to transcribe literary material. The course introduces some basic technical concepts.
UEB Technical is a self-paced course intended for those who are competent in Unified English Braille for literary material. It is a comprehensive, self-directed course in UEB for technical material. It is not an instruction manual. It provides selected references to Unified English Braille Guidelines for Technical Material as the resource for examples and further explanation. Extensive practice in producing technical material in UEB is an essential element of the course.
INBAF's Irish UEB Technical Guidelines for Primary and Secondary Level is a practical manual with numerous examples. It is available for free download in print and braille.
Some of the way we talk about braille, and some terminology that we may have been familiar with in the past, has changed with the adoption of UEB. UEB Terminology is a brief guide to show what's different with UEB.
Braille and the UEB code used in New Zealand can be learned from the New Zealand edition of the UEB Manual. This is a training manual for students studying for the Trans-Tasman Certificate of Proficiency in Unified English Braille. It is based on the UEB Training Manual published by the Australian Braille Authority and uses the same exercises but is adjusted to reflect New Zealand formatting.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to UEB was written for children learning UEB by New Zealand resource teachers vision as a quick reference tool for all those supporting children learning UEB. It is divided into two sections, literary braille and maths braille. The BRF and PDF versions can be downloaded, together with printing and binding instructions for the PDF version.
The UKAAF UEB website contains a comprehensive set of supporting guidelines, background information, training materials and samples.
UEB Foreign Language Guidelines is a UKAAF guide which gives comprehensive advice on the different approaches to use when transcribing foreign languages with UEB, including an agreed approach for school text books and state exams. It is available for download in PDF, Word and BRF formats.
Maths guidelines is a UKAAF guide giving comprehensive advice on the approach to use when transcribing maths into UEB, specifically for school text books and state exams. It is available for download in PDF, Word and BRF formats.
B018 Table of UEB Mathematical Signs with Unicode is intended as a quick look-up table for UEB mathematical symbols. It is available for download in PDF, Word and BRF formats.
UEB update course is designed for transcribers and teachers already familiar with standard English braille, summarising the key points from the UEB update course which was presented across the country. The sections highlight an area that has changed and then gives a set of related practice exercises and the answers.
UEB summary summarises the differences between Standard English Braille and UEB, and is available in versions for both contracted and uncontracted braille users.
UEB quick reference guide is designed to summarise the major changes in UEB on one sheet of paper so that producers can easily emboss/print and include it with books and magazines when they first send them out in UEB. The characters are printed in braille order or print order according to whether the leaflet is issued in braille or print.
The UEB podcasts are a series of six podcasts produced by RNIB. Each is less than 10 minutes long and covers a different aspect of UEB, such as contractions, punctuation, measuring or money.
The ABCs of UEB by Constance Risjord outlines the major differences between English Braille, American Edition (EBAE) and UEB. Although this is not a complete instruction manual, it provides examples and practice exercises, which allow people who already know EBAE to quickly build on their knowledge of braille to understand UEB.
A six-part webinar series designed to introduce parents, and paraprofessionals to UEB. The Beginning Braille YouTube clips can be accessed at any time for self-paced learning.
The UEB Math Tutorial is an online, accessible tutorial designed to teach UEB for technical materials with a focus on mathematics. The content is organized in chapters, with lessons accompanied by exercises for writing, reading, and proofreading. The lessons begin at a very basic level with numbers and simple operations, and gradually increase to more complex mathematical functions.
The UEB reader is a compilation of individual documents and examples that are provided for download on the BANA UEB web page.
The UEB Research page compiled by BANA gives a comprehensive list of published research concerning the development, implementation and utility of Unified English Braille.