Indiana UEB Position Statement
UEB Transition and Implementation in Indiana
Indiana Educational Resource Center
Position Statement for the Provision of Materials
The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) is the official governing body for braille in the United States. In November 2012, BANA voted to adopt Unified English Braille (UEB) to replace the current English Braille American Edition (EBAE) in the United States while maintaining the use of the Nemeth Code for Mathematics and Science Notation, 1972 Revision, the Music Braille Code 1997, and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Braille Code, 2008. The UEB will replace the English Braille American Edition (EBAE). The full motion is posted on the BANA website. BANA, at its November 2013 meeting, affirmed January 4, 2016, (Louis Braille’s birthday) as the date by which the United States will implement the general use of Unified English Braille (UEB).
UEB is one code for literary, mathematics, and computer science text elements. The UEB technical code for math and science is part of the UEB and is used in all grade levels; therefore the use of the term UEB implies a complete code that includes math.
Textbooks and other instructional materials for students who are blind or have low vision will be provided by the Indiana Educational Resource Center (IERC) per the approved UEB Timeline for Implementation in Indiana, and as indicated below:
- Requests for instructional materials in subjects using literary braille (i.e., social studies and language arts), not previously transcribed in EBAE, will be produced in UEB for the 2015-16 school year for Grades K-5. Requests for all grades, in subjects using literary braille, not previously transcribed in EBAE, will be produced in UEB for the 2016-2017 school year.
- Requests for instructional materials in subjects that require math (i.e., science and mathematics), not previously transcribed in EBAE, will be produced in UEB with Nemeth for the 2015-2016 school year for Grades K-5. Requests for all grades in technical subjects, not previously transcribed in EBAE, will be produced in UEB with Nemeth Code for the 2016-2017 school year. UEB Technical Code will be provided in lieu of UEB with Nemeth Code if the student’s IEP dictates UEB math. BANA’s “Guidance for Transcription Using the Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts” will be followed for UEB with Nemeth Code transcription.
- Instructional materials previously transcribed in EBAE will continue to be made available. The IERC will not convert and produce existing braille files from EBAE into UEB as a policy. The transcription and conversion of instructional materials will be evaluated on the educational needs of each individual student and based on established criteria set by the IERC. Students who have been taught EBAE may continue to receive materials originally produced in the EBAE. Exceptions will be made for students just learning the UEB, who have had no previous training in the EBAE.
- The provision of textbooks and instructional materials in UEB and/or UEB with Nemeth Code will be dependent on the availability and capacity of certified transcribers.
The IERC is committed to providing access to instructional materials in braille for students who are blind or have low vision, per their IEP, and will continue to work together with schools toward a smooth transition to the UEB.
The transition will be a gradual process over the next few years. Implementation will involve the collaboration of state and national partners and may change as state and national information changes or becomes available. Indiana is anticipating full implementation for the 2018-2019 school year.