About Braille

Unified English Braille Code

What is braille?

Braille is a system of raised dots which can read by touch. It is possible to represent anything that appears in print using braille; this can then be read tactually by blind people.

Unified English Braille (UEB) is the braille code developed by the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) to provide a single code for literary and technical materials throughout the English-speaking world. UEB is used in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with 22 other nations in Asia, Africa and the Pacific.

Would you like to learn braille?

Victorian teachers, education support staff, visiting teachers and family members who support brailling students in schools are encouraged to learn braille. UEBOnline offers accessible, self-paced training in braille literacy and mathematics using the Unified English Braille code. The course is intended to introduce the braille code (UEB), including all abbreviations and contractions to adults. UEBOnline is a free course; there is a small cost if you’d like a certificate upon completion.

Staff at SVRC are happy to support school personnel and family members to begin and progress through the course. We find that participants enjoy greatest success if they practice regularly.

We look forward to having you join the small but growing community of Victorians who can read and write in braille!

Braille guidelines and resources

• The Rules of Unified English Braille (2013) – International Council on English Braille in conjunction with Round Table

• Guidelines for Technical Material (2014) – International Council on English Braille

• UEB Australian Training Manual (2016) – Round Table

• ABA Rules and Guidelines for Formatting Braille (2016) – Round Table

• Introduction to Braille (one-page summary) – SVRC Resource

• UEB Summary Sheet (one-page summary) – SVRC Resource

• UEB Punctuation and Symbols (one-page summary) – SVRC Resource

Foreign languages

• World Braille Usage (2013) – compilation of braille codes for foreign languages

• Guidelines for Foreign Language Materials (2019) – including French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin and Spanish

Teaching braille to touch readers

• Ozzie Dots – developed by staff of the Statewide Vision Resource Centre in conjunction with Dr Gillian Gale AM, this is a fun and light-hearted resource to introduce contracted braille and tactual graphicacy to young braille readers

• dApDots and I Do Like It – a collection of braille books and braille resources developed by Tricia d’Apice that help with learning and understanding the basics of the UEB braille code

• Mangold braille programs – sequential program to develop tactual skills and letter and word recognition

Other resources

• Physical specifications for braille – as determined by the Australian Braille Authority

• For further information and documentation, see the following organisations:

  • Australian Braille Authority (ABA)

  • International Council on English Braille (ICEB)

  • Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities (Round Table)